Pheromonal control of dealation and oogenesis in virgin queen fire ants

In the fire ant Solenopsis invicta, sexually mature virgin females are prevented from shedding their wings and becoming functional egg layers by the presence of the mated queen. Experimental data suggest that this inhibitory effect results from the action of a relatively nonvolatile primer pheromone (or pheromones) produced by the mated queen and distributed by the workers. Target ants are both virgin queens and workers.     

蜜蜂（Apis mellifera L.）幼虫级型分化差异蛋白质组分析

【目的】对蜜蜂（Apis mellifera L.）蜂王与工蜂级型分化期的蛋白质组进行比较,以探明蜂王和工蜂在级型分化时期蛋白质表达调控方面的异同。【方法】采用双向电泳建立蜂王和工蜂级型分化期蛋白质组表达 谱,获得图谱中蛋白质表达的数量、表达量、等电点和分子量等信息,然后进行比较蛋白质组研究。【结果】在幼虫3日龄,蜂王表达288个蛋白质,工蜂表达259个蛋白质,2种级型蜂共有蛋白质为156个,其中25个蛋白质在蜂王中的表达量显著大于（P＜0.05）工蜂,34个蛋白质工蜂表达量显著大于（P＜0.05）蜂王,而蜂王和工蜂的特异蛋白质分别为132个和103个;到幼虫5日龄时,蜂王表达274个蛋白质,工蜂为236个,这2种级型蜂共有蛋白质点为95个,其中蜂王15个蛋白质的表达量显著大于（P＜0.05）工蜂,工蜂26个蛋白质的表达量显著大于（P＜0.05）蜂王,而蜂王特异蛋白质点为179个,工蜂特异蛋白质点为141个;到蛹11日龄时,蜂王蛋白质组有311个蛋白质点,而工蜂则有278个蛋白质点,2种蜂共有蛋白质点为194个,其中蜂王45个蛋白质的表达量显著大于（P＜0.05）工蜂,工蜂35个蛋白质的表达量显著大于（P＜0.05）蜂王,而蜂王的特异蛋白质点为117个,工蜂特异蛋白质点为84个。【结论】在蜜蜂3日龄、5日龄、11日龄时,蜂王和工蜂的蛋白质表达谱存在显著差异,蜂王表达的蛋白质总数和特有蛋白质数都较工蜂多,说明蜂王幼虫的基因表达和代谢比工蜂幼虫更加旺盛。2种级型蜂发育中所表达的共有蛋白质可能是它们发育所必须的管家蛋白质,但级型间部分共有蛋白质的表达模式存在较大差异,在3个日龄中蜂王和工蜂中所表达的特异蛋白质表明在级型分化中,不同级型需要不同的蛋白质来调节各自的发育。这些特异蛋白质是否是级型发育相关的功能蛋白质,还有待进一步的研究。     

Conditional Manipulation of Sex Ratios by Ant Workers: A Test of Kin Selection Theory

Variable queen mating frequencies provide a unique opportunity to study the resolution of worker-queen conflict over sex ratio in social Hymenoptera, because the conflict is maximal in colonies headed by a singly mated queen and is weak or nonexistent in colonies headed by a multiply mated queen. In the wood ant Formica exsecta, workers in colonies with a singly mated queen, but not those in colonies with a multiply mated queen, altered the sex ratio of queen-laid eggs by eliminating males to preferentially raise queens. By this conditional response to queen mating frequency, workers enhance their inclusive fitness.     

免移虫育王和两种酯类幼虫信息素对中华蜜蜂蜂王质量的影响

【目的】比较中华蜜蜂(Apis cerana cerana)免移虫育王和人工移虫育王培育的蜂王质量,明确幼虫信息素中的甲基棕榈酸酯（methyl palmitate,MP）和甲基亚油酸酯（methyl linoleate,ML）在育王过程中能否提高蜂王质量。【方法】以中华蜜蜂为试验材料,选择蜂群群势、蜂王年龄、子脾面积等基本一致的健康蜂群3群作为哺育群,群势均为5框,采用郎氏标准蜂箱饲养。另选择一群健康、蜂王产卵性能好的蜂群作为母群。免移虫育王和人工育王的比较过程中,每个哺育群中每种育王方式至少育王3次。幼虫信息素试验过程中,每个哺育群每种信息素至少采用人工育王法育王3次。试验期间,对蜂群进行奖励饲喂,提高工蜂哺育积极性。利用自主研制的塑料免移虫育王生产器进行免移虫育王,人工移虫育王则采用自制的蜡质王台。测定育王过程中的幼虫接受率和蜂王出房率,待蜂王出房后测定蜂王初生重、胸重、胸宽,将蜂王的单侧卵巢制成石蜡切片进行卵巢管计数,并采用荧光定量PCR测定蜂王腹部的卵黄原蛋白基因（Vitellogenin,Vg）和转铁蛋白基因（Transferrin,Trf）表达量,从而比较蜂王的质量。为了研究中蜂幼虫信息素中MP和ML在人工育王中使用能否提高蜂王的质量,采用人工移虫育王,在幼虫60—63 h的王台内分别注射1 µL MP和ML（浓度梯度为0、0.1%、1.0%、10.0%）,同样测定蜂王初生重、胸重、胸宽和卵巢管数以及其腹部Vg和Trf表达量等指标。【结果】免移虫育王的幼虫接受率为40.87%,蜂王出房率38.52%;人工移虫育王的幼虫接受率为74.38%,蜂王出房率69.13%。显然工蜂对于人工移虫育王中的蜡质王台更易于接受。免移虫育王培育的蜂王在初生重、胸重、胸宽、单侧卵巢管数和Trf表达量等与人工移虫育王的比较均差异不显著（P＞0.05）,平均值也较接近,但蜂王腹部Vg表达量显著高于人工移虫育王（P＜0.05）。在人工移虫育王蜂王幼虫60—63 h时加入MP（或ML）,不同浓度的MP对蜂王的各项指标均无显著影响（P＞0.05）;0.1% ML对蜂王质量也无显著影响（P＞0.05）;1.0% ML显著降低蜂王初生重、胸重及其腹部Vg的表达（P＜0.05）,对卵巢管数量无显著影响（P＞0.05）;10.0% ML显著降低蜂王的各项指标（P＜0.05）。MP和ML对蜂王Trf表达量均无显著影响（P＞0.05）。【结论】免移虫育王与人工移虫育王相比,王台接受率显著偏低（P＜0.05）,蜂王腹部的Vg表达量增加,但在蜂王初生重、胸部指标、单侧卵巢管数量及Trf表达量方面均无显著差异（P＞0.05）。MP和ML在人工移虫育王过程中的应用并不能达到提高蜂王质量的作用。     

Queen control of sex ratio in fire ants

The haplodiploid sex-determination system of ants gives rise to conflict between queens and workers over colony sex ratios, and the female-biased allocation ratios seen in many species suggest that workers often prevail in this conflict. We exchanged queens between male- and female-specialist colonies of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta. These exchanges quickly reversed the sex-ratio biases of adopting colonies. The sex ratio of queen-laid eggs differed strongly between male- and female-specialist colonies. These findings suggest that queens can force workers to raise male sexuals by limiting the number of female brood and help to explain why sex investment ratios lie between the queen and worker equilibria in this and many other ant species.     

应用微卫星DNA技术研究中华蜜蜂群内工蜂监督效果

【目的】研究不同中华蜜蜂（Apis cerana cerana）群内的工蜂繁殖现象,探讨蜂群的工蜂监督效果。【方法】以中华蜜蜂为试验材料,对处女蜂王分别进行单雄和双雄人工授精,并以蜂王自然交尾的蜂群作为对照。蜂王成功繁殖后7周,利用蜜蜂微卫星DNA技术检测蜂群内的雄蜂是由蜂王产的未受精卵发育而成,还是由工蜂产的未受精卵发育而成。【结果】所有蜂群中的雄蜂都是由蜂王产的未受精卵发育而成。【结论】在人工授精和自然交尾蜂群中都明显存在工蜂监督行为。     

山西省火红熊蜂生物学特性观察

对山西五台山地区火红熊蜂的生物学特性和生活史进行连续观察,发现了火红熊蜂的年生活史:每年5月中旬越冬存活的蜂王陆续出蛰,大约取食2周后开始产卵;6月中旬第1批工蜂出房,并参加巢内各种工作,6月下旬蜂王开始产下第1批未受精卵;7月下旬雄蜂出房,8月中旬新一代的蜂王开始出房,出房后8～10 d性成熟,8月下旬在合适的天气出巢飞行进行交配;10月上旬交配成功的蜂王开始在选定的洞穴内进入休眠越冬状态。了解和掌握火红熊蜂的生物学特性和生活史,对火红熊蜂的人工饲养和繁育具有重要意义。     

王台数量对蜂王外部形态和质量的影响研究

为了探讨王台数量对育出蜂王的影响,利用复式移虫法培育出两批蜂王进行蜂王外部形态和质量的研究。结果表明:王台数量在一定范围内对蜂王的外部形态和质量没有显著影响。     

意蜂蜂王酒精提取液对中蜂行为的影响

每天以一定剂量的意大利蜜蜂 (意蜂 )蜂王酒精提取液 ,点滴在有分蜂热的中华蜜蜂 (中蜂 )蜂群的上梁上 ,可明显抑制中蜂群的分蜂 .表现在 :中蜂群春季自然换王时间推迟至秋季 ,王台内小蜂王幼虫被拖弃和台基被完全毁掉 ;秋季蜂王自然交替时间延长 ,且有新、老蜂王同巢产卵和越冬前新王停产推迟现象 .对照群在春季如期营造自然王台和分蜂 ,越冬前蜂王停产早 .蜂群失王后 ,如果立即连续点滴蜂王酒精提取液 ,可抑制工蜂产卵 .无王群出现产卵工蜂后 ,如果用蜂王酒精提取液也能有效解除工蜂的产卵行为     

Genetic compatibility affects queen and worker caste determination

The development of queen and worker phenotypes in ants has been believed to be largely determined from environmental effects. We provide evidence that the production of discrete phenotypes is also influenced by genetic interaction effects. During the development of eggs into adults, some patrilines among offspring of multiply mated Pogonomyrmex rugosus ant queens became more common in workers while others became overrepresented in queens. Controlled crosses showed that these changes stem from some parental genome combinations being compatible for producing one phenotype but less compatible for the other. Genetic interaction effects on caste may be maintained over evolutionary time because the fitness of an allele depends on its genetic background.     

Queen honey bee attractiveness as related to mandibular gland secretion

The termination of mandibular gland secretion by gland removal in living mated queen honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) caused approximately 85 percent loss of queen attractiveness to worker bees. The secretion of attractants in virgin queens increased with age. Old virgins were as attractive as mated queens. A rapid assay for queen attractiveness is described.     

Nestmate and kin recognition in interspecific mixed colonies of ants

Recognition of nestmates and discrimination against aliens is the rule in the social insects. The principal mechanism of nestmate recognition in carpenter ants (Camponotus) appears to be odor labels or "discriminators" that originate from the queen and are distributed among, and learned by, all adult colony members. The acquired odor labels are sufficiently powerful to produce indiscriminate acceptance among workers of different species raised together in artificially mixed colonies and rejection of genetic sisters reared by different heterospecific queens.     

Phenotypic basis of reproductive success in a social insect: genetic and social determinants

Social insects live in societies that include both reproductive and nonreproductive adults. Understanding the factors that determine which individuals become successful reproductives is necessary to explain the evolution of these societies. The phenotypic effects of the gene Pgm-3 (or a closely linked gene) that may cause workers of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta to selectively execute all queens of a specific genotype were investigated. These effects, which involve differences in queen reproductive development, are expressed only in colonies exhibiting a particular type of social organization (multiple-queen colonies), and it is only in such colonies that selective execution on the basis of genotype occurs. This is an unusual example of genotype-environment interaction in gene expression in which the environmental component is the social environment. The queens executed are, surprisingly, those with the greatest reproductive development. Thus, there is a counterintuitive relation between the potential and realized reproductive success of queens in multiple-queen societies of this ant.     

分子生物技术在蜜蜂育种研究上的应用

综述了应用微卫星 DNA技术、线粒体 DNA(mt DNA)技术、随机扩增多态性 DNA(RAPD)、聚合酶链式反应 (PCR)和 DNA指纹等分子生物技术所进行的蜜蜂育种研究现状 .其应用主要包括估计蜂群内亚家系(父系 )的组成数目和分析工蜂间的遗传相关 ,推断蜂王的多雄水平和鉴定蜜蜂种性 ,构建连锁图和区别数量性状位点 ,鉴定基因型和区别全胞、半胞姐妹以及分析精子受精力的倾向性等     

蜜蜂精子介导GFP基因转移研究

将pGFP-2质粒线性化,利用精子介导,通过人工授精技术导入意大利蜜蜂处女王,然后将授精王介绍到无王群繁殖后代。结果:试验群产生了一群绿色荧光阳性蜜蜂;对阳性蜂群后代分析发现,1~2日龄幼虫能检测到荧光,提取蜜蜂DNA进行PCR扩增得到预想的片断,通过RT-PC分析,从转录水平上证实转导的外源基因获得表达。结论:以绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)基因为报告基因,通过精子介导法能够生产克隆转基因蜜蜂。     

单、复式移虫育王对王台接受率和蜂王初生重的影响

对单、复２种不同形式移虫育王的王台接受率和蜂王初生重进行了对比试验．试验结果显示：（１）单式移虫的王台接受率（５８．１１％）与复式移虫的王台接受率（６２．６７％）差异不显著（Ｐ＞０．０５）；（２）单式移虫育出的蜂王初生重（Ｘ＝２３５．９６ｍｇ）与复式移虫育出的蜂王初生重（Ｘ＝２４１．５７ｍｇ）差异不显著（Ｐ＞０．０５）．据此，我们认为培育蜂王应采用单式移虫以省工省时．     

不同人工育王方式对工蜂的形态差异影响

采集区域产卵和自然产卵2种不同人工育王方式培育下的蜜蜂(Apis L.)群各3群。参照Ruttner提出的38个蜜蜂形态指标进行测定,每群测定15只工蜂,每只测定40个指标。结果显示,18个跟蜜蜂体型大小相关的指标中,有15个指标试验组大于对照组,其中跗节长、第三腹板长的差异达到显著水平;而吻长、胫节长、跗节宽、第三腹板蜡镜长、第三腹板蜡镜斜长、第三腹板蜡镜间距、第六腹板长、第六腹板宽的差异达到极显著水平,说明控制蜂王在特定区域产卵的方法能使其后代工蜂的体型增大;而试验组的肘脉a和肘脉b都减小,11个翅脉角中有7个减小,后翅翅够数也减小,说明不同的育王方式能引起蜜蜂翅型和翅脉的变化,但多数差异不显著。在8个跟蜜蜂体色相关的指标中,试验组的小盾片颜色K、颜色B和喙的颜色Lab1均大于对照组,差异达到极显著水平,而试验组第四背板颜色小于对照组,差异达到极显著水平,说明不同的育王方式能引起蜜蜂体色不同程度的变化。由此表明,不同的人工育王方式能使后代工蜂的形态发生不同程度的改变,这为培育优质蜂王提供了参考。     

饲喂果葡糖浆对意大利蜜蜂蜂群的影响

以意大利蜜蜂为实验材料,通过饲喂果葡糖浆,检测其对意大利蜜蜂蜂群育王质量和抗氧化酶基因mR-NA表达量的影响,并以白砂糖为对照组。结果表明:饲喂果葡糖浆对王台接受率、单个王台产浆量、蜂王初生体质量和工蜂抗氧化酶基因mRNA的表达量与饲喂白砂糖均无显著差异。     

温度对蜜蜂受精卵和封盖王蛹发育的影响

在32、33、34、35、36℃下观察,蜜蜂受精卵的发育历期分别为3.68、3.40、3.00、2.81、2.74d.35、36℃下蜜蜂受精卵的发育历期差异不显著(P>0.05),其余各温度条件下发育历期差异均极显著(P<0.01);蜂王封盖期分别为8.80、8.19、7.93、7.04、7.08d,除35、36℃下蜂王封盖期差异不显著(P>0.05)外,其余各温度下的封盖期差异显著(P<0.05)或极显著(P<0.01).蜂王在37℃下发育,封盖期比35℃延长11h,差异极显著(P<0.01).封盖期在32-36℃之间,蜂王初生重为226.7-228.5mg,各温度间差异均不显著(P>0.05),温度升高到37℃时,蜂王的初生重(205.2mg)显著下降(P<0.05).     

入侵红火蚁生物学特性的研究

入侵红火蚁是一种杂食性害虫,它的生物学特性主要表现在它的社会性、多型性、群居地栖性、好攻击性、受惊转移和堆尸习性等,大多从卵发育为成虫需要22-38d,每个族群中有单个蚁后或多个蚁后,蚁后寿命最长可达7a,一般每天可产卵1500-5000粒,1个蚁巢可有成蚁5～50万只,盛夏和寒冬整个族群均向蚁巢下部转移,有翅繁殖蚁可四季产生,多在春末夏初飞出蚁巢在空中交配,落地后雌蚁脱翅成为蚁后,并产卵繁殖建立新的族群,主要靠人为传播和自然扩散来扩展入侵地。