How Does the Constricted Nest Area Affect Colony Dynamics in Bumblebees?

Abstract

In this experiment, it was investigated that how the constricted nest area affects the critical traits which determine the colony dynamics such as number and production time of males and gynes in Bombus terrestris. A total of 100 B. terrestris queens which diapaused and were ready to found colony were used in the study. In the social phase, while 20 of the 40 colonies that reached to 10 workers were transferred to rearing box with a floor area of about 300 square centimeters (short edge, long edge, height; 16 cm, 19 cm, 5 cm), the remaining 20 colonies were transferred to rearing box with a floor area of about 600 square centimeters (short edge, long edge, height; 23 cm, 26 cm, 14 cm). Colony developments were observed during the life cycle. Results showed that constricted nest area did not cause a significant difference in terms of switch point, competition point and first gyne production time. However, while narrower nest area decreased the number workers and males, increased the number of gynes produced in B. terrestris colonies.

Keywords

• Bombus terrestris
• colony development
• sexual production
• stress

Daraltılmış Yuva Alanı Bombus Arılarında Koloni Dinamiklerini Nasıl Etkiler?

Öz

Bu çalışmada Bombus terrestris kolonilerinde yuva alanının daraltılmasının ana ve erkek arı üretim zamanı ve bu bireylerin sayısı gibi yaşam döngüsünü belirleyen koloni dinamiklerini nasıl etkilediği araştırılmıştır. Araştırmada diyapoz dönemini tamamlamış ve koloni oluşturmaya hazır 100 adet B. terrestris ana arısı kullanılmıştır. Sosyal fazda (ilk işçi arıların çıkışı) 10 adet işçi arı sayısına ulaşan 40 koloniden 20 tanesi yaklaşık 300 santimetrekare (en, boy, yükseklik; 16 cm, 19 cm, 5 cm), geriye kalan 20 tanesi ise yaklaşık 600 santimetrekare (en, boy, yükseklik; 23 cm, 26 cm, 14 cm) taban alanına sahip olan yetiştirme kutularına transfer edilmiş ve koloni gelişimleri yaşam döngüsü sonuna kadar takip edilmiştir. Sonuçlar daraltılmış yuva alanının kolonilerde dönüşüm noktası, rekabet noktası ve ilk ana arı üretim zamanı bakımından önemli bir farklılığa neden olmadığını göstermiştir. Ancak yuva alanının daraltılması B. terrestris kolonilerinde işçi ve erkek arı sayısını azaltırken, üretilen genç ana arı sayısını önemli düzeyde artırmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Bombus terrestris
• cinsiyet üretimi
• koloni gelişimi
• stres

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