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Maternal and pre eclosional factors affecting alarm behaviour in adult honey bees (Apis mellifera L.)

Maternale und präimaginale Kolonieeffekte auf Alarmverhalten von Honigbienen (Apis mellifera L.)

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Summary

The inheritance of a group character, the alarm behaviour of honey bee workers (Apis mellifera L.), was analyzed using a metabolic bio-assay. In a diallel test cross of preselected queens and drones, genetic variance and maternal effects on this behaviour were estimated. Crossfostering experiments showed that the hive environment during larval and pupal development has only minor effects on alarm behaviour.

Zusammenfassung

Die Vererbung eines Gruppenmerkmales, der Alarmierungsreaktion von Arbeiterinnen (Apis mellifera L.) wurde in einem quantitativen Stoffwechseltest überprüft. In einer diallelen Testkreuzung von selektierten Königinnen und Drohnen konnten genetische Varianzkomponenten sowie maternale Effekte geschätzt werden. Experimente, in denen Eier von fremden Pflegevölkern zu Imagines aufgezogen wurden, zeigten, dass die Stockumwelt während der Larval-und Pupalentwicklung keinen Einfluss auf das spätere Alarmverhalten der Arbeiterinnen nimmt.

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Moritz, R.F.A., Southwick, E.E. & Harbo, J.R. Maternal and pre eclosional factors affecting alarm behaviour in adult honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Ins. Soc 34, 298–307 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224362

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224362

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