Genetic diversity in honey bee colonies enhances productivity and fitness

Honey bee queens mate with many males, creating numerous patrilines within colonies that are genetically distinct. The effects of genetic diversity on colony productivity and long-term fitness are unknown. We show that swarms from genetically diverse colonies (15 patrilines per colony) founded new colonies faster than swarms from genetically uniform colonies (1 patriline per colony). Accumulated differences in foraging rates, food storage, and population growth led to impressive boosts in the fitness (i.e., drone production and winter survival) of genetically diverse colonies. These results further our understanding of the origins of polyandry in honey bees and its benefits for colony performance.     

影响蜜蜂为农作物授粉效能的因素分析

授粉不足日益成为影响国内农业生产的一项严重问题。蜜蜂是高效的授粉昆虫,在我国大规模饲养,应在解决作物授粉不足问题上发挥重要作用。在实际利用蜜蜂进行授粉时,因不同群势大小的蜂群内部需求不一样,蜜蜂采集的偏好性不同。而授粉对象作物的泌蜜、泌粉情况也是不同的,对蜜蜂的吸引力也有所差别。这些差异最终导致在利用蜜蜂为农作物授粉时的效率差别较大。为高效利用蜜蜂为作物授粉,探究为不同泌蜜和泌粉状况作物授粉的合适蜂群,笔者分析了不同开花作物的泌蜜、泌粉类型,以及不同大小群势蜂群的内在需求、采集行为和偏爱性等与授粉相关的生物学特性,得出了利用强群为泌蜜较多或者蜜粉均较多类作物授粉,以及利用3~4脾左右小群为粉多蜜少类作物授粉的结论。该结果具有一定的理论意义和实践价值。     

加强质量控制保证食品安全

食品的质量安全问题是关系到国计民生的大问题。本文通过论述食品源头性污染、生产加工环节污染和食品流通环节造成的污染等影响食品质量安全的重要因素,提出应从加快食品质量标准体系建设、加强食品质量监管力度和加强舆论信息工作等措施入手加强食品质量控制,保证食品质量安全。     

东方蜜蜂采集行为初步观察

 分析了东方蜜蜂发生采集行为的基本条件,研究了采集粉蜜的同一性,并初步测定了采集范围.结果表明:东方蜜蜂具有调整蜂群结构以最大生态效率来利用自然资源的特性.     

银狐气味对根田鼠觅食的影响

以银狐气味作为捕食风险源,对根田鼠提供花生、玉米、兔颗粒饲料3种食物项目,测定捕食风险对根田鼠觅食行为的影响。结果表明,银狐气味对根田鼠雄体的食物摄入量、觅食时间、觅食频次以及能量摄入并无显著影响,但对于雌体,银狐气味可极显著增加其24h内对食物的摄入总量（P<0.01）,但对其食物摄入量、觅食时间和觅食频次均无显著影响。银狐气味条件下,根田鼠个体的最终体质量未发生显著变化。     

Mortality of the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.): Avian Predation at Five Overwintering Sites in Mexico

Analyses of predated butterflies on the forest floor at five monarch overwintering sites in Mexico and observations of birds foraging in mixed flocks indicate that individual birds of several species have learned to penetrate the monarch's cardenolide-based chemical defense. Predation is inversely proportional to colony size and appears to be one evolutionary explanation of the dense aggregations.     

Neural mechanisms of foraging

Behavioral economic studies involving limited numbers of choices have provided key insights into neural decision-making mechanisms. By contrast, animals' foraging choices arise in the context of sequences of encounters with prey or food. On each encounter, the animal chooses whether to engage or, if the environment is sufficiently rich, to search elsewhere. The cost of foraging is also critical. We demonstrate that humans can alternate between two modes of choice, comparative decision-making and foraging, depending on distinct neural mechanisms in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) using distinct reference frames; in ACC, choice variables are represented in invariant reference to foraging or searching for alternatives. Whereas vmPFC encodes values of specific well-defined options, ACC encodes the average value of the foraging environment and cost of foraging.     

Changes in wind pattern alter albatross distribution and life-history traits

Westerly winds in the Southern Ocean have increased in intensity and moved poleward. Using long-term demographic and foraging records, we show that foraging range in wandering albatrosses has shifted poleward in conjunction with these changes in wind pattern, while their rates of travel and flight speeds have increased. Consequently, the duration of foraging trips has decreased, breeding success has improved, and birds have increased in mass by more than 1 kilogram. These positive consequences of climate change may be temporary if patterns of wind in the southern westerlies follow predicted climate change scenarios. This study stresses the importance of foraging performance as the key link between environmental changes and population processes.     

鼎突多刺蚁取食习性的观察

在浙江省永康县城东南10km的山坡上,观察了鼎突多刺蚁的取食习性,发现它主要取食蚜和蚧的分泌物、小昆虫活体或大昆虫的尸体.回巢工蚁中有47.7％的工蚁在嗉囊内携带食物,在上颚间携带食物者有6.8％,不携带食物的工蚁为45.6％.5～6月和9～11月,工蚁取食率较高,7～8月因气候炎热而取食率较低.工蚁的取食道路很明显,邻近蚁巢问取食道路联成网络,成一个取食整体.不移巢或不分巢时的取食道路常较固定,每条取食道路上的工蚁也较固定.     

Deep-sea foraging behavior: its bathymetric potential in the fossil record

Spiral and meander foraging traces in the deep sea are not distributed in proportion to assumed food availability. Data collected by means of deep-sea photography failed to reveal a bathymetric gradient in behavioral complexity or sensitivity. The foraging paradigm developed by numerous trace fossil studies does not adequately predict the modern environment.     

云南大中山黑颈长尾雉冬季植物性食物显微分析

为了确定冬季黑颈长尾雉Syrmaticus humiae越冬取食对策,2007年12月,在大中山采集20堆46粒黑颈长尾雉粪便和38科92种对照植物样本,采用粪便显微分析法研究冬季黑颈长尾雉的植物性食物,并探讨其采食对策。结果表明,冬季黑颈长尾雉食谱主要由12科18种植物组成。按相对频率值将黑颈长尾雉的植物性食物分为3类。第1类为主要食物,有顶果蹄盖蕨Athyriumguan gnanense和大叶假冷蕨Pseudocystopteris spinulosa等2种,占采食食物总量的31.5%;第2类是常见食物,包括朱砂根Ardisia crenata,鱼鳞蕨Acrophorus stipellatus,高山栲Castanopsis delavayi,虎皮楠Daphnipyllum oldhamii,华南毛柃Eurya ciliata,木锥花Gomphostemma microdon,鞭打绣球Hemiphragma hetero-phyllum,木果石栎Lithocarpus xylocarpus,银叶杜茎山Maesa argentea,长梗崖豆藤Millettia longipedunculata,锥连栎Quercus franchetii,菝葜Smilax china,厚皮香Ternstroemia gymnanthera和乌饭树Vaccinium bracteatum等14种,占采食食物总量的52.7%;第3类食物是偶尔采食食物,有细齿叶柃Eurya nitida和绒毛山胡椒Lindera nacusua等2种,占1.2%。分析发现,影响黑颈长尾雉食谱的主要因素是植被种类组成和垂直结构特征。在取食斑块中,选择质量高的食物是冬季黑颈长尾雉的主要采食对策;采食所有适于取食的食物则是冬季黑颈长尾雉的辅助对策。     

Cuckoos combat socially transmitted defenses of reed warbler hosts with a plumage polymorphism

In predator-prey and host-parasite interactions, an individual's ability to combat an opponent often improves with experience--for example, by learning to identify enemy signals. Although learning occurs through individual experience, individuals can also assess threats from social information. Such recognition could promote the evolution of polymorphisms if socially transmitted defenses depend on enemy morph frequency. This would allow rare variants to evade detection. Female brood parasitic common cuckoos, Cuculus canorus, are either gray or rufous. The gray morph is a Batesian mimic whose hawk-like appearance deters host attack. Hosts reject this disguise through social learning, increasing their own defenses when they witness neighbors mobbing a cuckoo. Our experiments reveal that social learning is specific to the cuckoo morph that neighbors mob. Therefore, while neighbors alert hosts to local cuckoo activity, frequency-dependent social information selects for a cuckoo plumage polymorphism to thwart host detection. Our results suggest that selection for mimicry and polymorphisms comes not only from personal experience but also from social learning.     

农村居民对食品安全的认知及消费行为调查——基于河北省6地市的调查

2009年7月在河北省6地市进行了农村居民对食品安全的认知及消费行为调查。结果表明:河北省农村居民食品安全意识不高。究其原因,主要是农村经济发展水平不高、农村地区食品市场信息不对称、农村居民的维权意识差以及相关制度不够完善。     

华南地区桑园和荒地生境内红火蚁食物组成研究

通过对红火蚁觅食搬运的和弃尸堆中的动植物残片取样和鉴定,研究了华南地区桑园和荒地两种生境中红火蚁的食物组成。结果表明:在桑园和荒地中,红火蚁的食物残片无论是在觅食搬运中还是在弃尸堆中均以动物残片为主,分别高达94.92%和68.44%以上,而且两种生境红火蚁食物组成种类相近,只是各类群所占比例略有不同。红火蚁觅食搬运的食物残片种类比弃尸堆中的丰富,在桑园和荒地中,觅食残片共收集到的类群数比弃尸堆残片的类群多8个。     

新烟碱类杀虫剂对蜜蜂行为与生理影响的研究进展

在过去的30年间,世界上农药种类的发展已经从有机磷酸酯类和氨基甲酸酯类转变成能够与昆虫乙酰胆碱受体结合的新烟碱类.新烟碱类杀虫剂通过作用于昆虫的乙酰胆碱受体,释放乙酰胆碱受体抑制剂,阻碍昆虫神经传导,影响昆虫正常生理行为,最终导致昆虫麻痹死亡.蜜蜂作为重要的授粉昆虫,在采集过程中,会经常接触到这类农药,不仅会对蜜蜂个体造成影响,蜜蜂采集归巢后,杀虫剂还会污染整个蜂群,这无疑给世界养蜂业带来了很大威胁.本文从蜜蜂的行为与生理方面进行综述,总结近年来有关新烟碱类杀虫剂对蜜蜂健康影响的报道,以期为后续相关研究与实践提供理论基础.     

曲阜河滨两种鸻形目鸟类觅食行为对人为干扰的响应

以曲阜的南沙河(沂河曲阜段)和北沙河(泗河曲阜段)两地作为对青脚鹬(C.temminck)和金斑鸻(P.dominica)2种鸻形目鸟类的观察研究基地,采用目标动物取样法和人为干扰实验法对2种鸟类进行初步研究。结果表明,青脚鹬和金斑鸻主要在河岸浅水和滩涂中觅食,金斑鸻更喜沙质基底。其食物主要为小鱼、小虾、蚯蚓、蝌蚪以及水生昆虫等动物性食物。2种鸻形目鸟类的取食频率和惊飞距离等参数在无人干扰和不同的干扰级别下都存在着显著差异,而且滨鸟觅食区的人为活动已经严重影响到以上2种鸟的觅食行为。     

基于信息觅食理论的高校图书馆出版物信息获取研究

采访工作是图书馆文献资源建设的基础性工作,将信息觅食理论引入到高校图书馆的图书采访工作中,试图更好地指导采访人员对出版物信息资源的有效获取。采访人员应增强信息线索意识,划定信息斑块,组建核心作者及核心出版社数据库,强化信息觅食技巧,构建共建共享机制,通过协同觅食提升整体采访能力。     

Capuchin stone tool use in Caatinga dry forest

Wild capuchin monkeys inhabiting dry forest were found to customarily use tools as part of their extractive foraging techniques. Tools consisted of twigs and sticks, often modified, which were used to probe for insects and, most frequently, of stones of a variety of sizes and shapes used for cracking and digging. The use of tools for digging has been thought to be restricted to humans. These monkeys, living in a harsh dry habitat, survive food limitation and foraging time constraints through their extensive tool use.     

Communication of direction by the honey bee

In the presence of controls for site- and path-specific odors, observer and food-source scents, Nasanov gland and alarm odors, visual cues, wind, and general site taxis, recruited bees were able to locate the food source indicated by the dances of returning foragers in preference to a food source located at an equal distance in the opposite direction. This was true even when foragers were simultaneously dancing to indicate two different stations. Recruitment in the absence of dancing was very low, while in the absence of foraging it was virtually zero. Thus, under the experimental conditions used, the directional information contained in the dance appears to have been communicated from forager to recruit and subsequently used by the recruit.