Hygropreference and brood care in the honeybee (Apis mellifera)

Ellis, Michael Battiscombe; Nicolson, Susan W.; Crewe, Robin M.; Dietemann, Vincent

doi:10.1016/j.jinsphys.2008.08.011

Cited by 34 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…We predicted bivouacs would maintain relative humidities greater than 76%, given that adult E. burchellii workers show distress below this level (Schneirla et al 1954). However, immature social insects often have higher desiccation risk than adult nestmates (Lindauer 1955, Human et al 2006, Ellis et al 2008. We asked whether and to what degree homeostasis of relative humidity is maintained within bivouacs, and whether ambient relative humidity or bivouac site selection affected bivouac relative humidity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plastic collective endothermy in a complex animal society (army ant bivouacs: Eciton burchellii parvispinum)

et al. 2018

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Endothermic animals do not always have a single adaptive internal temperature; some species exhibit plastic homeostasis, adaptively allowing body temperature to drop when thermoregulatory costs are high. Like large-bodied endotherms, some animal societies exhibit collective thermal homeostasis. We tested for plasticity of thermoregulation in the self-assembled temporary nests (bivouacs) of army ants. We measured core bivouac temperatures under a range of environmental conditions and at different colony developmental (larval vs pupal brood) stages. Contrary to previous assertions, bivouacs were not perfect thermoregulators in all developmental stages. Instead, bivouacs functioned as superorganismal facultative endotherms, using a combination of site choice and context-dependent metabolic heating to adjust core temperatures across an elevational cline in ambient temperature. When ambient temperature was low, the magnitude of metabolic heating was dependent on colony developmental stage: pupal bivouacs were warmer than larval bivouacs. At cooler high elevations, bivouacs functioned like some endothermic animals that intermittently lower their body temperatures to conserve energy. Bivouacs potentially conserved energy by investing less metabolic heating in larval brood because the high costs of impaired worker development may require more stringent thermoregulation of pupae. Our data also suggest that site choice played an important role in bivouac cooling under high ambient temperatures at low elevations. Climate warming may expand upper elevational range limits of Eciton burchellii parvispinum, while reducing the availability of cool and moist bivouac sites at lower elevations, potentially leading to future low-elevation range contraction.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plastic collective endothermy in a complex animal society (army ant bivouacs: Eciton burchellii parvispinum)

et al. 2018

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“…On the other hand, among the abiotic factors, temperature has been found to be the most important that governs honeybee activities, especially queen's egg laying and brood production [14]. Young honeybee workers exhibit a weak hygropreference for approximately 75% relative humidity in the absence of brood and when brood is present, this preference further weakened [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Evaluation of Four Honeybee Races According To Pollen Storage and Worker Brood Rearing Activities Under Natural Conditions

Elaidy¹,

Tolba²

2017

IOSRJPBS

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“…Under such conditions, honey bee workers must regulate the temperature and humidity within the nest. In addition to the effect of temperature on colony activities, humidity is of particular importance for brood development (Kuhnholz and Seeley, 1997;Human et al, 2006) and egg hatching (Doull, 1976;Ellis et al, 2008). Elevated temperatures have recently been considered a threat to beekeeping.…”

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confidence: 99%