Structural and temporal dynamics of the bee curtain in the open-nesting honey bee species, Apis florea

Abstract

-Workers of open-nesting honey bee species form a bee curtain to cover the comb and protect it against adverse environmental conditions and predators. We studied different aspects of structural and temporal dynamics of the bee curtain in Apis florea . First, in the course of daily observations, we discovered massed flight activity (MFA) of A. florea colonies similar to that previously described for A. dorsata . The MFAs started with the opening of gaps in the curtain and appearance of chains of bees shortly before the massed take off. Second, monitoring the worker movement patterns in the outer layer indicated a constant turnover of bees in the curtain. Finally, introduction of marked 1-day-old workers showed that workers joined the curtain at a very young age. First flight activity appeared around day 20, but the majority of workers started to fly after day 47, which is twice the age at which A. mellifera workers start to forage.Apis florea / open-nesting / bee curtain / massed-flight activity

Apis florea workers show a prolonged period of nursing behavior

“…These results provide first evidence that the age span of nursing behavior in A. florea workers is extended compared to that of A. mellifera workers. This finding corresponds with earlier reports on a delayed onset of foraging in A. florea workers (Dyer and Seeley 1991;Bhagavan et al 2016). Studies in A. mellifera indicate that the workers perform nursing behavior from age of 2 days until the age of about 21 days, and then they start foraging (Ribbands 1952;Lindauer 1952;Seeley 1982;Nowogrodzki 1984;Kolmes 1985;Huang et al 1994;Johnson and Frost 2012).…”

“…Studies in A. mellifera indicate that the workers perform nursing behavior from age of 2 days until the age of about 21 days, and then they start foraging (Ribbands 1952;Lindauer 1952;Seeley 1982;Nowogrodzki 1984;Kolmes 1985;Huang et al 1994;Johnson and Frost 2012). The finding that A. florea workers show an extended period of nursing and a delayed onset of Nursing behavior in Apis florea foraging (Bhagavan et al 2016) compared to A. mellifera workers suggests that their behavioral maturation proceeds more slowly. Dyer and Seeley (1991) showed that open-and cavity-nesting honey bee species differ in many physiological and behavioral traits that are likely function-related and have something to do with differences in metabolic rate.…”

“…florea colonies were collected from the campuses of the National Center for Biological Sciences and the University of Agricultural Sciences-GKVK, Bangalore. The colonies were mounted in custom-built wooden boxes or attached to low hanging tree branches (Bhagavan et al 2016) Combs with open brood were collected after A. florea colonies were smoked and all the adult workers had abandoned the nest. This procedure is commonly used to remove open-nesting species from places where they might cause harm.…”

“…florea combs with brood were kept in an incubator at 37°C, and the workers were collected after they eclosed. These 1-day-old (age 0-24 h) workers were individually paint-marked and then introduced into the foster colony (Bhagavan et al 2016). The colony was left undisturbed on day 2 so as to not agitate the host colony, as A. florea colonies are prone to absconding when they experience continuous disturbances (Free 1981).…”

“…Thus, for example, detailed comparative studies on age polyethisms and division of labor among honey bees are still scarce and in their infancy. Until today, studies about age polyethism in open-nesting species (e.g., A. florea and A. dorsata ) have been restricted to observations of worker bees upon their appearance on the bee curtain and the crown and onset of foraging (Free 1981;Otis et al 1990;Dyer and Seeley 1991;Bhagavan et al 2016), but nothing is known about intranidal behaviors and the progression of age-polyethism. Earlier studies reported that the age at onset of foraging in A. florea is strongly delayed compared to A. mellifera (Seeley and Morse 1976;Dyer andSeeley 1991, Bhagavan et al 2016).…”