Interspecific utilisation of wax in comb building by honeybees
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Author list: Hepburn H.R., Radloff S.E., Duangphakdee O., Phaincharoen M.
Publisher: Springer
Publication year: 2009
Journal: Naturwissenschaften (0028-1042)
Volume number: 96
Issue number: 6
Start page: 719
End page: 723
Number of pages: 5
ISSN: 0028-1042
eISSN: 1432-1904
Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)
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Abstract
Beeswaxes of honeybee species share some homologous neutral lipids; but species-specific differences remain. We analysed behavioural variation for wax choice in honeybees, calculated the Euclidean distances for different beeswaxes and assessed the relationship of Euclidean distances to wax choice. We tested the beeswaxes of Apis mellifera capensis, Apis florea, Apis cerana and Apis dorsata and the plant and mineral waxes Japan, candelilla, bayberry and ozokerite as sheets placed in colonies of A. m. capensis, A. florea and A. cerana. A. m. capensis accepted the four beeswaxes but removed Japan and bayberry wax and ignored candelilla and ozokerite. A. cerana colonies accepted the wax of A. cerana, A. florea and A. dorsata but rejected or ignored that of A. m. capensis, the plant and mineral waxes. A. florea colonies accepted A. cerana, A. dorsata and A. florea wax but rejected that of A. m. capensis. The Euclidean distances for the beeswaxes are consistent with currently prevailing phylogenies for Apis. Despite post-speciation chemical differences in the beeswaxes, they remain largely acceptable interspecifically while the plant and mineral waxes are not chemically close enough to beeswax for their acceptance. ฉ 2009 Springer-Verlag.
Keywords
Apis cerana, Apis dorsata, Apis mellifera capensis, Wax discrimination
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