Skip to main content
Log in

The nearer the better? Drones (Apis mellifera) prefer nearer drone congregation areas

  • Research article
  • Published:
Insectes Sociaux Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary.

At 2 drone congregation areas (DCA) the relation between drone presence and distance to the apiary of origin was studied. Two methods were applied. First, drones were caught and marked on the DCA and later recovered in the colonies. Second, drones which were marked before at the apiary (in the colonies) were subsequently recaptured on both DCA’s. The 2 methods led to identical conclusions. Consistently in each of 3 years the majority of the drones from each of the 3 apiaries was found at the nearer DCA. There was, however, no direct correlation between the flight distances and the ratio of drones visiting from each apiary. Thus some other factors (“attractiveness” of the DCA) may also have influenced the choice of the drones. Our findings support the idea that there is an orientation phase during which drones explore several DCA’s before each drone stays at 1 DCA, and energetic choices made by drones in relation to flight distances seem to be important. The choice of the nearer DCA would permit the drone to prolong his presence at the DCA and increase his chances to mate: “the nearer the better”!

The drone’s strategy to chose the nearer DCA would boost the genetic representation of local colonies and this “drone clumping” would increase genetic differences among the DCA’s within an area. In this context the choice of virgin queens among DCA’s is of great significance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to N. Koeniger or G. Koeniger.

Additional information

Received 1 December 2003; revised 9 April 2004; accepted 7 June 2004.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Koeniger, N., Koeniger, G. & Pechhacker, H. The nearer the better? Drones (Apis mellifera) prefer nearer drone congregation areas. Insectes Soc. 52, 31–35 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-004-0763-z

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-004-0763-z

Key words.

Navigation