Hymenoptera marking technique

Abstract

ABSTRACT:In true social hymenopterans, such as many species of bees, wasps and all species of ants, the main characteristics are the overlapping of generations, the care with the offspring and the division of labor among the members of the colony. The first biological feature means that in a same moment there are groups of individuals, with variable ages, that execute different activities in the colony. In order to study the division of labor among the members of the colony, or to estimate the life span of these insects, or even to analyze any kind of behavior in non-social insects, it is necessary to know the exact age of each individual. For this reason, the insects must be identified soon after emergence. The identification of insects with numbers is an important technological improvement in behavioral studies, mainly in honeybee colonies. The aim of this scientific note is to describe an easy and cheaper technique for marking hymenopterans.

Simultaneous Use of Two Observation Hives to Study the Behavior of Honeybee Colonies in Apis Mellifera Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

“…The workers that emerge in the next 24 hours are marked individually with small colored numbered plastic discs glued to the thorax, according to the technique described by Pereira & Chaud-Netto (2008). Fifty percent of the marked bees are introduced in an observation beehive and the remaining ones are placed in the other.…”

“…From the second day on, and every two days, fifty or more newly born worker bees should be marked with a different color (for instance, yellow, red, grey, orange, rose, blue, green, etc), and then introduced in each observation beehive using a metallic screen with 1mm 2 mesh and 2 x 10 x 20 cm of dimensions, to prevent them from being attacked by the bees of the colony (Pereira & Chaud-Netto 2008). Each group of marked worker bees shall be released 24 hours after introduction.…”