Effect of Apis mellifera L. on the foraging behavior of Apis cerana F.
Author of the article:MENG BoDa；REN XiaoXiao；GONG XueYang；CHEN XinLan；HU XiaoLing ；QING Zhuo；LI Li
Author's Workplace：1. Yunnan Provincial Engineering and Research Center Sustainable Utilization of Honeybee Resources, Eastern Bee Research Institute, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China; 2. Sericultural Insitute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China; 3. Tengchong Livestock Work Station, Tengchong 679199, China
Key Words：Apis mellifera L.; Apis cerana F.; interspecific competition; foraging behavior; pollen plants
Abstract：[Objectives] To determine the effects of different densities of Apis mellifera L. on the foraging of Apis cerana F. on Brassica campestris flowers. [Methods] We surveyed the distribution of A.cerana and A. mellifera apiaries, the number of colonies and colony strength, and analyzed the effects of the colony density of A. mellifera on the foraging behavior of A. cerana. [Results] In farmland, the average flower visiting frequency of A. cerana was highest (14.93 flowers per minute), and the average foraging time on each flower was lowest (1.96 second per flower), in the SBD experimental site, where the colony density of A. mellifera, was highest. The percentage of B. campestris pollen collected by A. cerana in the SBD experimental site was the lowest (37%), but the species diversity of pollen collected was the highest (11 kinds of pollen). The above indices were significantly different between the SBD and the XZ site, the latter had the lowest colony density of A. mellifera. In montane forest, the average flower visiting frequency by A. cerana was the lowest (8.48 flowers per minute), whereas the average foraging time spent on each flower was the highest (4.55 second per flower), in the XZ site. The percentage of B. campestris pollen collected by A. cerana in the XZ site was the highest (33%), but the species diversity of pollen collected was the lowest (8 kinds of pollen). The above indices were significantly different between the XZ and SBD sites. [Conclusion] Irrespective of whether hives are in farmland or montane forest, the colony density of A. mellifera had a significant effect on the foraging and the utilization of pollen resources by A. cerana The amount of B. campestris pollen collected by A. cerana was less where A. mellifera colony density was higher, and the restriction of the foraging activity of A. cerana to montane forest was also more obvious.