Growth Characteristics of Commercial Bumblebee Colonies in Open Field Conditions May Be Evidence for Their Invasion Potential

Abstract

Colony parameters of laboratory reared Bombus terrestris L. colonies that placed to the field at the beginning of the social phase were observed. Founder queen of these field colonies was reared in commercially produced colonies. When the colony population reached about ten workers, they were transferred to the open field. No sugar syrup or pollen was supplied to colonies and was checked twice a week. The time of the first young queen and male observing, switch point, competition point and number of individuals produced in colonies were recorded during the colony controls. The first male and young queen emerging time after the end of the diapause were calculated as 85.00±3.21 and 62.33±2.67 days respectively. Competition point time was 40.50±1.32 days, while switch point time was 16.00±3.70 days in the social phase of colonies. Colonies produced 9.67±5.93 young queens (gynes) and 39.50±14.20 males during their life cycle. Results of this study revealed that commercially produced B. terrestris colonies can survive and produce sexuals in the native habitat.

Keywords

• Bombus terrestris
• Commercial colonies
• Invasion potential
• Sex production

References

1. Bulus, I.Y. (2019). Comparison of colony foundation performances and colony development traits of young queens mated with males produced by queens and workers in Bombus terrestris (Master thesis). Isparta University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Graduate Education, Isparta, Turkey.
2. Dafni, A., Kevan, P., Gross, C.L., & Goka, K. (2010). Bombus terrestris, pollinator, invasive, and pest: An assessment of problems associated with its widespread introductions for commercial purposes. Applied Entomology and Zoology, 45(1), 101–113.
3. Donovan, B. J. (1980). Interactions between native and introduced bees in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Ecology, 3, 104–116.
4. Duchateau M. J., & Velthuis H. H. W. (1988). Development and reproductive strategies in Bombus terrestris colonies. Behaviour, 107(3-4), 186–207.
5. Goka, K., Okabe, K., Yoneda, M., & Niwa, S. (2001). Bumblebee commercialization will cause worldwide migration of parasitic mites. Molecular Ecology, 10(8), 2095–2099.
6. Goka, K. (2010). Introduction to the special feature for ecological risk assessment of introduced bumblebees: Status of the European bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, in Japan as a beneficial pollinator and an invasive alien species. Applied Entomology and Zoology, 45(1), 1–6.
7. Gosterit, A., & Baskar, V. C. (2016). Impacts of commercialization on the developmental characteristics of native Bombus terrestris (L.) colonies. Insectes Sociaux, 63(4), 609–614.
8. Gosterit, A., & Oytun Çiçek, G. (2017). Effects of vitamin additive diets on colony foundation success in bumblebee, Bombus terrestris. Scientific papers, Series D., Animal Science, LX, 240–243.

9. Goulson, D. (2003). Effects of introduced bees on native ecosystems. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 34(1), 1–26.
10. Hanley, M. E., & Goulson, D. (2003). Introduced weeds pollinated by introduced bees: Cause or effect? Weed Biology and Management, 3(4), 204-212.
11. Hingston, A. B., & McQuillan, P. B. (1998). Does the recently introduced bumblebee Bombus terrestris (Apidae) threaten Australian ecosystems? Australian Journal of Zoology, 23(6), 539-549.
12. Ings, T. C., Ings, N. L., Chittka, L., & Rasmont, P. (2010). A failed invasion? Commercially introduced pollinators in Southern France. Apidologie, 41(1), 1–13.
13. Ozansoy Aksoy, A., & Gösterit, A. (2020). How does the constricted nest area affect colony dynamics in bumblebee. Süleyman Demirel University, Journal of Faculty of Agriculture, 15(2), 138–142.
14. Rasmont, P., Coppee, A., Michez, D., & De Meulemeester, T. (2008). An overview of the Bombus terrestris (L.1758) subspecies (Hymenoptera:Apidae). Annals de la Societe Entomologique de France, 44, 43–250.
15. Tuna, B. (2016). Effects of pre-diapause feeding on diapause performance and colony development in Bombus terrestris queens (Master thesis). Süleyman Demirel University, Graduate School of Applied and Natural Sciences, Isparta, Turkey.
16. Tuna, B., & Gosterit, A. 2017. Effects of pre-diapause feeding on colony foundation success in Bombus terrestris queens. Süleyman Demirel University, Journal of Faculty of Agriculture, 12(1), 49–55.
17. Velthuis, H. H. W., & Van Doorn, A. (2006). A century of advances in bumble bee domestication and the economic and environmental aspects of its commercialization for pollination. Apidologie, 37(4), 421–451.
18. Williams, P. H. (1998). An annotated checklist of bumblebees with an analysis of patterns of description. Bulletin of the Natural History Museum: Entomology Series, 67, 79–152.