Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) queen feces: Source of a pheromone that repels worker bees

When placed in a small observation arena with workers, most young virgin honeybee queens released fecal (hindgut) material during agonistic interactions with workers and with each other. On release of this material, workers moved to the sides of the arena and groomed themselves. Bioassays of virgin queen fecal material demonstrated that it contains pheromone that repels workers and stimulates grooming behavior. Pheromone was present only in the feces of virgin queens that were more than 24 hr old and less than 2 weeks old. Feces of 2- to 4-day-old workers and virgin queens more than 2 weeks old did not elicit an avoidance response by workers. Moreover, the feces of young virgin queens had a strong fragrance, while that of older queens had a rancid odor and that of young workers had no detectable odor.     

Mandibular gland components of european and africanized honey bee queens (Apis mellifera L.)

The composition of the five-component honey bee queen mandibular gland pheromone (QMP) of mated European honey bee queens was compared to those of virgin and drone-laying (i.e., laying only haploid unfertilized eggs that develop into males), European queens and Africanized mated queens. QMP of mated European queens showed significantly greater quantities of individual components than all queen types compared, except for a significantly greater quantity of 9-hydroxy-(E)-2-decenoic acid (9-HDA) found in Africanized queens. Glands of European drone-laying queens contained quantities intermediate between virgin and mated queens, reflecting their intermediate reproductive state and age. QMP ontogeny shifts from a high proportion of 9-keto-(E)-2-decenoic acid (ODA) in young unmated queens to roughly equal proportions of ODA and 9-HDA in mated queens. A biosynthetic shift occurs after mating that results in a greater proportion of 9-HDA, methylp-hydroxybenzoate (HOB), and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylethanol (HVA) production, accompanied by a decreased proportion of ODA. Africanized QMP proportions of ODA and 9-HDA were significantly different from European queens. A quantitative definition of a queen equivalent of QMP is proposed for the various queen types, and a standard queen equivalent for mated European honeybee queen mandibular gland pheromone is adopted as 200µg ODA, 80µg 9-HDA, 20µg HOB, and 2 µg HVA.     

温度对烟田斜纹夜蛾实验种群的影响

研究了温度对斜纹夜蛾的发育、存活、生殖、种群参数和种群趋势指数的影响。结果表明 ,在17～ 32℃范围内 ,斜纹夜蛾的发育速率随温度上升呈逻辑斯蒂曲线趋势。得出了该虫卵的孵化率、幼虫、蛹的存活率、成虫产卵量和种群趋势指数与温度变化的回归关系式。通过不同温度下实验种群参数的比较 ,得出 :2 6℃时内禀增长力 (rm)最大 ,为 0 .15 6 8,2 9℃次之 (rm=0 .135 2 ) ,确定最适温度范围为 2 3～ 2 6℃。高温和低温不利于种群的生长发育 ,在 32℃时 ,各虫态存活率及成虫产卵量急剧下降     

Comparative study of the physicochemical and palynological characteristics of honey from Melipona subnitida and Apis mellifera

Twenty‐four samples of Apis mellifera honey and twenty‐four samples of Melipona subnitida (Jandaira) honey were collected in the northeast of Brazil. Moisture, hydroxymethylfurfural, free acidity, insoluble solids in water, diastase activity, ashes, electrical conductivity, proteins, lipids, total carbohydrates, energy and sugars were the parameters analysed. The efficiency of the qualitative tests (Fiehe's test, Lugol's reaction, Lund's reaction) was tested. Pollen types and the corresponding plant species were identified in all samples (3 in Apis and 1 in Melipona). Apis mellifera honey samples demonstrated parameters in accordance with the Brazilian Legislation, while the Melipona subnitida honey samples displayed moisture (24.80%) and diastase activity (null) in discordance with the established by the regulation for Apis mellifera honeys. Apis honey samples presented higher values of electric conductivity (284.00 μS cm^?1) than the obtained from the Jandaira honey samples (102.77 μS cm^?1) as well as a darker colour (26.67 mmPfund) when compared with Jandaira honey (7.00 mmPfund). The concentration of the glucose, fructose and sucrose was higher in the Apis honeys than in the Jandaira honey. The characteristics of the two types of honey were very different, highlighting the need of developing specific legislation for stingless bees' honey.     

不同类型意大利蜜蜂MDHⅡ同工酶的研究

运用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶等电聚焦技术（IEF-PAGE）,对有代表性的王浆蜂蜜双高产的"浙农大1号"意蜂品种（浙意,Ea）和中国本地意蜂（本意,Eb）、美国意蜂（美意,Em）、澳大利亚意蜂（澳意Eo）、意大利意蜂（原意,Ee）等5个意大利蜂（Apis mellifera Ligustica）品种试飞前的幼龄工蜂进行了苹果酸脱氢酶（MDH）同工酶的基因型、基因型频率、基因频率、杂合度和纯合度的研究。由a、b、c3个等位基因编码的MDH图谱第二区带应有的a/a、a/b、a/c、b/b、b/c和c/c6种基因型,在Ea、Eb、Ee3种意蜂中全部出现;在Eo中出现a/b,a/c,b/c,c/c4种,在Em中出现a/c,b/c,c/c3种。联列表独立性检验结果,5个意蜂品种间的基因型频率、基因频率、杂合度、纯合度存在显著差异。     

Honey major protein characterization and its application to adulteration detection

The major proteins in honey have different molecular weights depending upon the honeybee species. To confirm the origin of major honey proteins, honey protein produced by Apis cerana or Apis mellifera were purified and analyzed by MALDI-TOF. Two major proteins were identified as a major royal jelly protein 1. Although two major proteins shared primary structure, they showed different molecular weights of 56 and 59 kDa, respectively. To discriminate the honeybee species producing honey using SDS–PAGE, artificial marker proteins, 56 and 59 kDa, were produced from Escherichia coli. Two artificial marker proteins were co-electrophoresed with honey samples and the difference in molecular weight was readily distinguished by SDS–PAGE. Therefore, the measurement of major proteins in honey is a useful method to discriminate the honey that produced from different honeybee species.     

贵州黄花梨蜂蜜的品质分析

首次对贵州中华蜜蜂黄花梨蜂蜜的感官指标、理化指标、卫生指标、营养成分、活性成分和安全性指标等进行检测分析,探讨其品质特性和安全性。根据相关标准规定的方法对上述各项指标进行测定,结果显示贵州黄花梨蜂蜜呈浅琥珀色,口感甘甜,有黄花梨花香味,常温下呈粘稠状,低温易结晶;水分含量19.43%,果糖和葡萄糖含量66.47%,蔗糖含量0.25%,酸度37.44 mL/kg,羟甲基糠醛含量0.91 mg/kg,淀粉酶活性28.20 mL·g-1·h-1;微生物含量符合标准规定;铁元素含量3.1767 mg/kg,锌元素含量1.6870 mg/kg,蛋白质含量0.36 g/100g,维生素C含量1.38 mg/100g,在检测的16种氨基酸中,天冬氨酸的含量最高（0.0400 g/100g）,谷氨酸（0.0373 g/100g）、异亮氨酸（0.0303 g/100g）、脯氨酸（0.0280 g/100g）和苯丙氨酸（0.0277 g/100g）次之,酪氨酸和蛋氨酸则未检出;超氧化物歧化酶活性4.29 U/g,总三萜含量65.97 mg/100g,总黄酮含量和兽药残留量未检出,重金属含量极低。本研究结果表明了产自贵州的黄花梨蜂蜜为健康安全的蜂蜜食品,并达到了蜂蜜标准的一级品水平要求。     

Indigestible fraction and starch availability in peas measured in vitro

 Profiles of flavonoid compounds of Apis mellifera and Melipona spp. honeys from Venezuela were analysed to evaluate entomological-dependent differences. The presence of ellagic acid was a characteristic of A. mellifera honeys from Venezuela, but its presence was variable in Melipona spp. samples. The number of flavonoid types present in individual samples did not exceed six and occasionally only one phenolic type was present. The diversity of flavonoid compounds in tropical honeys from Venezuela was lower than that previously measured in temperate honeys. Flavonoids such as myricetin, an unidentified chalcone and a flavonol glycoside were only found in Melipona honeys but not in all the samples; therefore, they cannot be foreseen as entomological markers to differentiate between the Apis and Melipona honeys under study. A preliminary discussion is made regarding flavonoids present in Melipona honeys and their probable link with the putative anticataract action of stingless bee-honeys. Received: 22 February 1996     

Virgin Queen Mandibular Gland Signals of Apis mellifera capensis Change with Age and Affect Honeybee Worker Responses

The mandibular gland secretions of Apis mellifera capensis virgin queens were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy. Changes in the patterns of the mandibular gland volatiles of A. m. capensis virgin queens were followed from emergence until 14-d old. Ontogenetic changes in the mandibular gland secretions were largely quantitative in nature, delineating the age categories (global R = 0.612, P = 0.001), except for 7- and 14-d-old queens, which cannot be separated on their mandibular gland profiles (P = 0.2). (E)-9-Oxodec-2-enoic acid (9ODA) contributes most and most consistently to the dissimilarity between groups as well as the similarity within groups. Worker reactions to introduced virgin queens of various ages were recorded. Workers showed a significant increase in hostile reactions as queens aged (r = 0.615, N = 20, P < 0.05). Consequently, worker reactions and relative 9ODA production exhibit a positive queen age-dependent response.