Abstract:A b s t r a c t In this three-year-trial study, we examined the quality of mated queens based on morphological and physiology traits. At each location, sister queen bees were reared each year from one Apis mellifera carnica breeder queen. Queens were also reared and mated in different locations. Altogether, we sampled and analysed 324 queens from 27 apiaries in 2006, 288 queens from 24 apiaries in 2008, and 276 queens from 23 apiaries in 2010. Nine queens from each apiary were sampled and dissected for morphol… Show more
“…High DWV titer detected from endophalli collected from captured drones from the drone congregation areas or from queens returning from their mating flights support that DWV venereal transmission can occur during natural mating [35,77]. As a result of venereal transmission, young mated queens are infected with more viruses than young unmated queens [35,44,78]. Older mated queens tend to be infected with yet a greater number of viruses, including DWV, SBV, BQCV, and AKI complex (ABPV, KBV, and IAPV), at higher infection titers [44,56,79].…”
Section: Viral Transmission Modes To Honey Bee Queensmentioning
confidence: 87%
“…Consequently, little is known about how virus infections affect the behavior, physiology, reproduction, and longevity of queens. Numerous viruses (DWV, SBV, CBPV, ABPV, KBV, and IAPV) have been detected from heathy looking queens, demonstrating that infection can occur either by single or multiple viruses in a queen [75,76,78,92]. Viruses infect different parts of the queen's body, including the head, thorax, ovaries, spermatheca, and fat body [56,59,79,93].…”
Section: Direct Health Impacts Of Viruses On Queensmentioning
The honey bee queen is the central hub of a colony to produce eggs and release pheromones to maintain social cohesion. Among many environmental stresses, viruses are a major concern to compromise the queen’s health and reproductive vigor. Viruses have evolved numerous strategies to infect queens either via vertical transmission from the queens’ parents or horizontally through the worker and drones with which she is in contact during development, while mating, and in the reproductive period in the colony. Over 30 viruses have been discovered from honey bees but only few studies exist on the pathogenicity and direct impact of viruses on the queen’s phenotype. An apparent lack of virus symptoms and practical problems are partly to blame for the lack of studies, and we hope to stimulate new research and methodological approaches. To illustrate the problems, we describe a study on sublethal effects of Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) that led to inconclusive results. We conclude by discussing the most crucial methodological considerations and novel approaches for studying the interactions between honey bee viruses and their interactions with queen health.
“…High DWV titer detected from endophalli collected from captured drones from the drone congregation areas or from queens returning from their mating flights support that DWV venereal transmission can occur during natural mating [35,77]. As a result of venereal transmission, young mated queens are infected with more viruses than young unmated queens [35,44,78]. Older mated queens tend to be infected with yet a greater number of viruses, including DWV, SBV, BQCV, and AKI complex (ABPV, KBV, and IAPV), at higher infection titers [44,56,79].…”
Section: Viral Transmission Modes To Honey Bee Queensmentioning
confidence: 87%
“…Consequently, little is known about how virus infections affect the behavior, physiology, reproduction, and longevity of queens. Numerous viruses (DWV, SBV, CBPV, ABPV, KBV, and IAPV) have been detected from heathy looking queens, demonstrating that infection can occur either by single or multiple viruses in a queen [75,76,78,92]. Viruses infect different parts of the queen's body, including the head, thorax, ovaries, spermatheca, and fat body [56,59,79,93].…”
Section: Direct Health Impacts Of Viruses On Queensmentioning
The honey bee queen is the central hub of a colony to produce eggs and release pheromones to maintain social cohesion. Among many environmental stresses, viruses are a major concern to compromise the queen’s health and reproductive vigor. Viruses have evolved numerous strategies to infect queens either via vertical transmission from the queens’ parents or horizontally through the worker and drones with which she is in contact during development, while mating, and in the reproductive period in the colony. Over 30 viruses have been discovered from honey bees but only few studies exist on the pathogenicity and direct impact of viruses on the queen’s phenotype. An apparent lack of virus symptoms and practical problems are partly to blame for the lack of studies, and we hope to stimulate new research and methodological approaches. To illustrate the problems, we describe a study on sublethal effects of Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) that led to inconclusive results. We conclude by discussing the most crucial methodological considerations and novel approaches for studying the interactions between honey bee viruses and their interactions with queen health.
“…Honey bee queens are typically assessed for their quality based on reproductive longevity, potential amount of viable brood they can produce, the number of the drones with which they have mated, and the genetic diversity of her mates [28]. There are several traits that are associated with queen quality, including overall weight [11,28,29,30,31,32,33], weight of the ovaries [34,35,36], weight of the spermatheca, and the number of viable stored spermatozoa [11,28,29,37,38,39,40]. Queen quality is impacted by the age at which larvae are nutritionally directed into the queen developmental pathway via continued feeding of royal jelly [12,41,42,43].…”
Honey bees are major pollinators of agricultural and non-agricultural landscapes. In recent years, honey bee colonies have exhibited high annual losses and commercial beekeepers frequently report poor queen quality and queen failure as the primary causes. Honey bee colonies are highly vulnerable to compromised queen fertility, as each hive is headed by one reproductive queen. Queens mate with multiple drones (male bees) during a single mating period early in life in which they obtain enough spermatozoa to fertilize their eggs for the rest of their reproductive life span. The process of mating initiates numerous behavioral, physiological, and molecular changes that shape the fertility of the queen and her influence on the colony. For example, receipt of drone semen can modulate queen ovary activation, pheromone production, and subsequent worker retinue behavior. In addition, seminal fluid is a major component of semen that is primarily derived from drone accessory glands. It also contains a complex mixture of proteins such as proteases, antioxidants, and antimicrobial proteins. Seminal fluid proteins are essential for inducing post-mating changes in other insects such as Drosophila and thus they may also impact honey bee queen fertility and health. However, the specific molecules in semen and seminal fluid that initiate post-mating changes in queens are still unidentified. Herein, we summarize the mating biology of honey bees, the changes queens undergo during and after copulation, and the role of drone semen and seminal fluid in post-mating changes in queens. We then review the effects of seminal fluid proteins in insect reproduction and potential roles for honey bee drone seminal fluid proteins in queen reproduction and health. We finish by proposing future avenues of research. Further elucidating the role of drone fertility in queen reproductive health may contribute towards reducing colony losses and advancing honey bee stock development.
“…The most frequently used criterion in assessing the reproductive quality of the young queen is to consider a threshold of 3 million sperm stored in the spermatheca to discriminate the quality of insemination [ 78 ]. The proportion of poorly inseminated queens (< 3 million sperm) ranged between 13.6% and 19.0% in the different studies [ 51 , 52 , 84 , 86 , 87 ]. Biotic, abiotic and management practices could affect the insemination quality of the queen [ 84 ].…”
Section: In Vitro Evaluation Of Semen Quality In the Honey Beementioning
The quality of honey bee drone semen is relevant in different contexts, ranging from colony productivity to pathology, toxicology and biodiversity preservation. Despite its importance, considerably less knowledge is available on this subject for the honey bee when compared to other domestic animal species. A proper assessment of sperm quality requires a multiple testing approach which discriminates between the different aspects of sperm integrity and functionality. Most studies on drone semen quality have only assessed a few parameters, such as sperm volume, sperm concentration and/or sperm plasma membrane integrity. Although more recent studies have focused on a broader variety of aspects of semen quality, some techniques currently used in vertebrates, such as computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) or multiparametric sperm quality testing, still remain to be developed in the honey bee. This may be attributed to the particular sperm morphology and physiology in this species, requiring the development of technologies specifically adapted to it. This article reviews the present knowledge of sperm quality in honey bee drones, highlighting its peculiarities and proposing future lines of research.
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