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Locomotion and the pollen hoarding behavioral syndrome of the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.)

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Abstract

Honeybees selected for the colony level phenotype of storing large quantities of pollen (pollen hoarding) in the nest exhibit greater walking activity than those selected against pollen hoarding. In this study, we use a simple walking assay to demonstrate that walking activity increases with the proportion of high pollen-hoarding alleles in pure and backcrossed strains of bees (high-strain bees > offspring generated from a high backcross > offspring generated from a low backcross > low-strain bees). The trait is heritable but is not associated with markers linked to three quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapped for their effects on pollen hoarding with demonstrated pleiotropic effects on pollen and nectar foraging and learning behavior. However, locomotion in non-selected bees is correlated with responsiveness to sucrose, a trait that correlates with foraging and learning behavior. We propose that pollen-hoarding behavior involves a syndrome of behavioral traits with complex genetic and regulatory architectures that span sensory sensitivity, foraging behavior, and learning. We propose that locomotor activity is the component of this syndrome and reflects the early maturation of the bees that become pollen foragers.

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Abbreviations

QTL:

Quantitative trait locus

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Acknowledgements

We thank Tanya Pankiw, Mindy Nelsen, Jennifer Tsuruda, and Amanda Ruby for observations and comments on general activity differences in high and low strains of the bees. Research was funded by NSF IBN 0090482 and IBN0076811, and NIH POI AG022500-01 to REP.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    M. A. Humphries, M. K. Fondrk & R. E. Page Jr

  2. School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4501, USA

    M. K. Fondrk & R. E. Page Jr

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  1. M. A. Humphries
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  2. M. K. Fondrk
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  3. R. E. Page Jr
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Correspondence to R. E. Page Jr.

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Humphries, M.A., Fondrk, M.K. & Page, R.E. Locomotion and the pollen hoarding behavioral syndrome of the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.). J Comp Physiol A 191, 669–674 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-005-0624-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-005-0624-x

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