Influence of different pollen diets on the development of hypopharyngeal glands and size of acid gland sacs in caged honey bees (Apis mellifera)

Omar, Eslam M.; Abd-Ella, Aly A.; Khodairy, Mohammed M.; Moosbeckhofer, Rudolf; Crailsheim, Karl; Brodschneider, Robert

doi:10.1007/s13592-016-0487-x

Cited by 64 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Pollen intake peaked early, then consumption of the two stored pollens was very low during the second week. A similar pattern has been found for consumption of bee-collected Castanea sativa pollen and other pollen diets (Omar et al, 2016). In all treatments, sucrose consumption peaked during the first week, dropped, then increased again during the second week.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Digestibility and nutritional value of fresh and stored pollen for honey bees (Apis mellifera scutellata)

Nicolson

Neves

Human

et al. 2018

Journal of Insect Physiology

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Pollen, the main protein source for honey bees, is mixed with regurgitated nectar or honey during collection and then stored as 'bee bread' before its consumption, mainly by young nurse workers. It has been suggested that storage of pollen improves its nutritional value and digestibility, but there is little evidence for such changes. We fed two fresh pollen types of different protein content (aloe and sunflower), and two stored pollen types (sunflower and a mixed pollen), to young caged worker bees. We measured daily consumption of pollen and sucrose solution, and survival after 14 days. At day 14 we recorded ovarian activation and extraction efficiency, by counting empty pollen grains in the rectal contents. Extraction efficiency is a measure of pollen digestibility. Contrary to our predictions, bees did not consume more fresh sunflower pollen than fresh aloe pollen to compensate for the lower protein content of sunflower pollen. In addition, they did not consume less sucrose solution when fed stored pollen diets that are already enriched in sugar. Consumption of stored sunflower pollen resulted in a low protein to carbohydrate (P:C) intake. Survival and ovarian activation were higher on diets giving higher P:C intakes. Extraction efficiency was high (up to 99%) for all pollen diets, and comparison of fresh and stored sunflower pollen showed that storage did not make it easier to digest. Changes to pollen during storage do not confer obvious benefits to honey bees.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Digestibility and nutritional value of fresh and stored pollen for honey bees (Apis mellifera scutellata)

Nicolson

Neves

Human

et al. 2018

Journal of Insect Physiology

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“…Apis mellifera nurse bees consume pollen collected by foragers to develop their hypopharyngeal glands (HPG) to produce royal jelly, which is then progressively fed to larvae. The increased diversity and protein content of pollen diets increase HPG development [70,71], but not royal jelly protein quality [72]. As foragers and nurses occupy different tasks, perhaps the low average P:L values described for honey bees above are offset by generalist foraging strategies and nurse bees' ability to process food quality through royal jelly toward intake targets for larvae.…”

Section: P:l Trends In Bee-flower Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pollen Protein: Lipid Macronutrient Ratios May Guide Broad Patterns of Bee Species Floral Preferences

Vaudo

Tooker

Patch

et al. 2020

Insects

161

155

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Pollinator nutritional ecology provides insights into plant–pollinator interactions, coevolution, and the restoration of declining pollinator populations. Bees obtain their protein and lipid nutrient intake from pollen, which is essential for larval growth and development as well as adult health and reproduction. Our previous research revealed that pollen protein to lipid ratios (P:L) shape bumble bee foraging preferences among pollen host-plant species, and these preferred ratios link to bumble bee colony health and fitness. Yet, we are still in the early stages of integrating data on P:L ratios across plant and bee species. Here, using a standard laboratory protocol, we present over 80 plant species’ protein and lipid concentrations and P:L values, and we evaluate the P:L ratios of pollen collected by three bee species. We discuss the general phylogenetic, phenotypic, behavioral, and ecological trends observed in these P:L ratios that may drive plant–pollinator interactions; we also present future research questions to further strengthen the field of pollination nutritional ecology. This dataset provides a foundation for researchers studying the nutritional drivers of plant–pollinator interactions as well as for stakeholders developing planting schemes to best support pollinators.

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“…Bees fed with polyfloral pollen diets had higher glucose oxidase activity than those fed with monofloral diets (Alaux et al, 2010). Different pollen, sugar or commodity diets affected the development of both venom glands and hypopharyngeal glands (Omar et al, 2016). size of hypopharyngeal glands are shown to have a strong positive correlation with oocyte length (Wegener et al, 2009) in caged honey bees.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longevity extension of worker honey bees (Apis mellifera) by royal jelly: optimal dose and active ingredient

Yang

Tian

Han

et al. 2017

PeerJ

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In the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera, queens and workers have different longevity although they share the same genome. Queens consume royal jelly (RJ) as the main food throughout their life, including as adults, but workers only eat worker jelly when they are larvae less than 3 days old. In order to explore the effect of RJ and the components affecting longevity of worker honey bees, we first determined the optimal dose for prolonging longevity of workers as 4% RJ in 50% sucrose solution, and developed a method of obtaining long lived workers. We then compared the effects of longevity extension by RJ 4% with bee-collected pollen from rapeseed (Brassica napus). Lastly, we determined that a water soluble RJ protein obtained by precipitation with 60% ammonium sulfate (RJP60) contained the main component for longevity extension after comparing the effects of RJ crude protein extract (RJCP), RJP30 (obtained by precipitation with 30% ammonium sulfate), and RJ ethanol extract (RJEE). Understanding what regulates worker longevity has potential to help increase colony productivity and improve crop pollination efficiency.

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Influence of different pollen diets on the development of hypopharyngeal glands and size of acid gland sacs in caged honey bees (Apis mellifera)

Cited by 64 publications

References 37 publications

Digestibility and nutritional value of fresh and stored pollen for honey bees (Apis mellifera scutellata)

Digestibility and nutritional value of fresh and stored pollen for honey bees (Apis mellifera scutellata)

Pollen Protein: Lipid Macronutrient Ratios May Guide Broad Patterns of Bee Species Floral Preferences

Longevity extension of worker honey bees (Apis mellifera) by royal jelly: optimal dose and active ingredient

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