Clinal nature of the frequencies of ovarioles and spermathecae in Cape worker honeybees,<i>Apis mellifera capensis</i>

Phiancharoen, Mananya; Pirk, Christian Walter Werner; Radloff, Sarah E.; Hepburn, H. R.

doi:10.1051/apido/2009054

Cited by 22 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…As is typical for the subspecies (Phiancharoen et al 2010), 17% of A. m. capensis workers in pure colonies had a spermatheca, whereas no spermatheca was found in any worker in the pure A. m. scutellata colonies (Fig. 3, left panel).…”

Section: Presence Of Spermathecasupporting

confidence: 56%

Racial mixing in South African honeybees: the effects of genotype mixing on reproductive traits of workers

Beekman

Allsopp

Holmes

et al. 2012

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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To test the hypothesis that the honeybee hybrid zone in South Africa is a tension zone due to increased reproductive conflict in colonies that contain both Apis mellifera capensis and Apis mellifera scutellata worker genotypes, we constructed mixed subspecies and hybrid colonies via a combination of artificial and natural matings. We measured emergence weight, ovary activation, and the presence/absence of a spermatheca on workers of different genotypes. We show that the measured characteristics were all affected by genotype with some traits also affected by the social environment in which the worker was reared. Workers with both an A. m. capensis mother and father had the highest emergence weight. When workers had an A. m. capensis mother, paternity affected emergence weight with A. m. capensis fathers producing heavier workers. When the queen was A. m. scutellata, paternity had less effect on weight. Presence of spermatheca was highest in mixed colonies irrespective of maternity and colonies containing pure A. m. capensis workers only. Paternity had a significant effect on the presence of a spermatheca within mixed colonies, with workers that had an A. m. capensis father being more likely to possess a spermatheca. Rates of ovary activation were highest in colonies with an A. m. scutellata queen mated to drones of both genotypes, suggesting that mixed subspecies colonies likely suffer increased reproductive strife among workers. Our results provide support for the hypothesis that the South African honeybee hybrid zone is a tension zone arising from reduced fitness of genetically mixed colonies.

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Section: Presence Of Spermathecasupporting

confidence: 56%

Racial mixing in South African honeybees: the effects of genotype mixing on reproductive traits of workers

Beekman

Allsopp

Holmes

et al. 2012

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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“…Clone workers of A. m. capensis have the ability to achieve reproductive dominance as they increase in numbers and take over host colonies (Neumann and Moritz 2002), but do not participate in standard hive duties (Hillesheim et al 1989), and they have high ovariole numbers and spermathecae (Phiancharoen et al 2010). Thus, the presence of spermathecae in all A. m. capensis workers in this study confirms that they are A. m. capensis workers.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

“…For statistical analysis, the ovaries were classified as either inactive (stages I-II) or activated (stages III-V). The presence or absence of spermathecae in the workers also was recorded (Phiancharoen et al 2010;Ruttner 1977).…”

Section: Assessment Of Ovary Activation and Presence Of Spermathecamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of age and Reproductive Status on Tergal Gland Secretions in Queenless Honey bee Workers, Apis mellifera scutellata and A. m. capensis

et al. 2015

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Secretions from tergal glands are part of a queen's pheromonal control of worker reproduction in honey bees. However, in queenless honey bee colonies, workers compete to gain pheromonal, and hence reproductive dominance, over nestmates with ontogenetic changes in their glandular secretions that affect the behavioral or physiological responses of other individuals. Using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, we investigated for the first time the age-dependent changes in tergal gland secretions of queenless workers of the clonal lineage of Apis mellifera capensis and workers of A. m. scutellata. The reproductive status of honey bee workers was determined by recording the presence of spermathecae and the level of ovarian activation. The tergal gland chemicals identified in both A. m. scutellata workers and A. m. capensis clone workers were oleic acid, n-tricosene , npentacosene, and n-heptacosene, with three additional compounds, palmitic acid, nheneicosene, and n-nonacosene, in A. m. capensis clones. We report ethyl esters as new compounds from honey bee worker tergal gland profiles; these compounds increased in amount with age. All A. m. capensis clone workers dissected had spermathecae and showed ovarian activation from day 4, while ovarian activation only started on day 7 for A. m. scutellata workers that had no spermathecae. Tergal gland secretions were present in higher quantities in bees with activated, rather than inactive ovaries. This suggests that tergal gland secretions from reproductive workers could act as releaser and primer pheromones in synergy with other glandular compounds to achieve pheromonal and reproductive dominance.

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“…This variation in worker ovary size may be adaptive through effects on colony level division of labor (Page and Amdam, 2007). Thus, ovary size may be under diversifying selection rather than be directionally selected for by individual worker reproductive opportunities, as might be the case in other Apis mellifera populations (Phiancharoen et al , 2010). The repeated findings of significant genetic variation for worker ovary size in A. mellifera may also be explained mechanistically: The pronounced phenotypic plasticity for ovary size between the queen and worker castes is based on differential expression of multiple genes (Barchuk et al , 2007) and any allelic variation in these genes can also lead to genetic variation for worker ovary size (Linksvayer et al , 2009b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Genetic architecture of ovary size and asymmetry in European honeybee workers

et al. 2010

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The molecular basis of complex traits is increasingly understood but a remaining challenge is to identify their co-regulation and inter-dependence. Pollen hoarding in honey bees is a complex trait associated with a well-characterized suite of linked behavioral and physiological traits. In European honey bee stocks bi-directionally selected for pollen hoarding, worker (sterile helper) ovary size is pleiotropically affected by quantitative trait loci that were initially identified for their effect on foraging behavior. To gain a better understanding of the genetic architecture of worker ovary size in this model system, we analyzed a series of crosses between the selected strains. The crossing results were heterogeneous and suggested non-additive effects. Three significant and three suggestive quantitative trait loci of relatively large effect sizes were found in two reciprocal backcrosses. These loci are not located in genome regions of known effects on foraging behavior but contain several interesting candidate genes that may specifically affect worker ovary size. Thus, the genetic architecture of this life history syndrome may be comprised of pleiotropic, central regulators that influence several linked traits and other genetic factors that may be downstream and trait specific.

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Clinal nature of the frequencies of ovarioles and spermathecae in Cape worker honeybees,Apis mellifera capensis

Cited by 22 publications

References 14 publications

Racial mixing in South African honeybees: the effects of genotype mixing on reproductive traits of workers

Racial mixing in South African honeybees: the effects of genotype mixing on reproductive traits of workers

Effects of age and Reproductive Status on Tergal Gland Secretions in Queenless Honey bee Workers, Apis mellifera scutellata and A. m. capensis

Genetic architecture of ovary size and asymmetry in European honeybee workers

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