Associations between reproduction and work in workers of the Asian hive bee Apis cerana. (November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tan, Ken; Wang, Yuchong; Dong, Shihai; Liu, Xiwen; Zhuang, Di; Chen, Weiwen; Oldroyd, Benjamin P.
• Is Part Of: Journal of insect physiology. Volume 82(2015:Nov.)
• Page Start: 33
• Page End: 37
• Publication Date: 2015-11
• Subjects: Apis cerana -- Ovary activation -- Hypopharyngeal gland -- Foraging behavior; Insects -- Physiology -- Periodicals; Insectes -- Physiologie -- Périodiques; Insects -- Physiology; Periodicals; 571.157
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2015.08.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1910

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Queenless honey bees lay eggs and produce brood food at the same time. Queenless workers have enlarged hypopharyngeal glands and active ovaries. No relationship between ovary size and forage preference (pollen vs nectar). Workers with fewer ovarioles are more likely to have activated ovaries. Abstract: If a honey bee ( Apis spp.) colony becomes queenless, about 1/3 of young workers activate their ovaries and produce haploid male-producing eggs. In doing so queenless workers maximize their inclusive fitness because the normal option of vicarious production of relatives via their queen's eggs is no longer available. But if many workers are engaged in reproduction, how does a queenless colony continue to feed its brood and forage? Here we show that in the Asian hive bee Apis cerana hypopharyngeal gland (HPG) size is larger in queenless workers than in queenright workers and that bees undertaking brood-rearing tasks have larger HPG than same-aged bees that are foraging. In queenless colonies, workers with a smaller number of ovarioles are more likely to have activated ovaries. This reinforces the puzzling observation that a large number of ovarioles reduces reproductive success in queenless A. cerana . It further suggests that reproductive workers either avoid foraging or transition to foraging later in life than non-reproductive workers. Finally, our study also showed that ovary activation and larger-than-average numbers of ovarioles had no statistically detectable influence on foraging specialization for pollen or nectar.