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Issue:ISSN 2095-1353
           CN 11-6020/Q
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Your Position :Home->Past Journals Catalog->2022年59 No.6

Comparison of foraging behaviors between Apis cerana cerana and Apis mellifera ligustica on greenhouse strawberry
Author of the article:WANG Huan, QU Yan-Yan, LIU Xin-Yu, XU Xi-Lian
Author's Workplace:Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
Key Words:pollinating honeybee; foraging behavior; RFID; temperature; humidity
Abstract:[Objectives]  Apis cerana cerana and Apis mellifera ligustica are the main breeding and pollinating bee species in China. However, there are large differences in the biological traits between the two honeybee species. Consequently, it may provide the basis for better utilization of honeybees pollination on crops to investigate the difference in foraging behaviors between A. cerana cerana and A. mellifera ligustica in greenhouse and their responses to the environmental factors. [Methods]  In this study, we monitored the foraging behaviors of A. cerana cerana and A. mellifera ligustica using radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology and the dynamic changes of temperature and relative humidity in greenhouse. Afterwards, the flower visiting efficiency of honeybees and the relationship between foraging behaviors of honeybees and environmental factors was analyzed, and pollination effects were evaluated. [Results]  Except in low temperature weather, the number of A. mellifera ligustica forager was higher than that of A. cerana cerana, but the daily working time of A. cerana cerana was significantly longer than A. mellifera ligustica. The peak periods of daily foraging work between the two bee species were different. There were two foraging peaks per day for A. cerana cerana, while A. mellifera ligustica only had one peak during the daily foraging period. Regarding pollination efficiency, the number of flowers visited by A. cerana cerana was significantly higher than A. mellifera ligustica, but there was no significant distinction in flower visiting time between the two honeybee species. A rotating day-off phenomenon existed in both two bee species, and there was no significant difference in the proportion of forager individuals rotating days off between A. cerana cerana and A. mellifera ligustica. Both the individual number of foragers and their foraging frequency of the two honeybees were affected by the environmental factors including temperature and relative humidity; they were positively correlated with temperature but negatively correlated with relative humidity in the greenhouse. However, compared to A. cerana cerana, A. mellifera ligustica was more sensitive to the changes in temperature and relative humidity. The forager number of these two bees on day 11 (low temperature weather) was significantly lower than that on day 10 and day 12 (sunny weather). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the yield of strawberry pollinated by A. cerana cerana and A. mellifera ligustica. [Conclusions]  Both A. cerana cerana and A. mellifera ligustica could pollinate strawberry efficiently. They can respond to the changes of surrounding environmental factors and adjust the individual activities in the colony accordingly. Further study on their foraging behaviors is helpful to optimize the pollination service on crops.
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