Publications

behavioral evidence for olfactory-based location of honeybee colonies by the scarab oplostomus haroldi.	the afro-tropical scarab oplostomus haroldi (witte) is a pest of honeybees in east africa with little information available on its chemical ecology. recently, we identified a female-produced contact sex pheromone, (z)-9-pentacosene, from the cuticular lipids that attracted males. here, we investigated the kairomonal basis of host location in o. haroldi. we used coupled gas chromatography/electroantennographic detection (gc/ead) and gc/mass spectrometry to identify antennally-active compounds fro ...	2016	27534749
queens become workers: pesticides alter caste differentiation in bees.	bees are important for the world biodiversity and economy because they provide key pollination services in forests and crops. however, pesticide use in crops has adversely affected (decreased) queen production because of increased mortality among larvae. here, we demonstrated that in vitro-reared queens of a neotropical social bee species (plebeia droryana) also showed high larval mortality after exposure to an organophosphate pesticide (chlorpyrifos) via larval food. moreover, most of the survi ...	2016	27530246
impacts of neonicotinoid use on long-term population changes in wild bees in england.	wild bee declines have been ascribed in part to neonicotinoid insecticides. while short-term laboratory studies on commercially bred species (principally honeybees and bumblebees) have identified sub-lethal effects, there is no strong evidence linking these insecticides to losses of the majority of wild bee species. we relate 18 years of uk national wild bee distribution data for 62 species to amounts of neonicotinoid use in oilseed rape. using a multi-species dynamic bayesian occupancy analysis ...	2016	27529661
evidence of immunocompetence reduction induced by cadmium exposure in honey bees (apis mellifera).	in the last decades a dramatic loss of apis mellifera hives has been reported in both europe and usa. research in this field is oriented towards identifying a synergy of contributing factors, i.e. pathogens, pesticides, habitat loss and pollution to the weakening of the hive. cadmium (cd) is a hazardous anthropogenic pollutant whose effects are proving to be increasingly lethal. among the multiple damages related to cd contamination, some studies report that it causes immunosuppression in variou ...	2016	27528187
evaluating the role of seed treatments in canola/oilseed rape production: integrated pest management, pollinator health, and biodiversity.	the use patterns and role of insecticide seed treatments, with focus on neonicotinoid insecticides, were examined for canola/oilseed rape production in canada and the eu. since nearly all planted canola acres in western canada and, historically, a majority of planted oilseed acres in the eu, use seed treatments, it is worth examining whether broad use of insecticidal seed treatments (ist) is compatible with principles of integrated pest management (ipm). the neonicotinoid insecticide (nni) seed ...	2016	27527233
amino acid composition of royal jelly harvested at different times after larval transfer.	the amino acids in royal jelly (rj) have a wide range of pharmacological and health-promoting functions in humans. multiple studies on the amino acid quality and composition in rj have investigated rj harvested at 72 h after larval transfer. in contrast, the concentration of amino acids in rj harvested before 72 h remains unknown. in this study, the concentration of free amino acids (faas) and total amino acids (taas) in rj harvested at 13 time points between 24 and 72 h after transfer of ten ap ...	2016	27525943
food limitation affects parasite load and survival of bombus impatiens (hymenoptera: apidae) infected with crithidia (trypanosomatida: trypanosomatidae).	bumble bees (genus bombus) are globally important insect pollinators, and several species have experienced marked declines in recent years. both nutritional limitation and pathogens may have contributed to these declines. while each of these factors may be individually important, there may also be synergisms where nutritional stress could decrease pathogen resistance. understanding interactions between bumble bees, their parasites, and food availability may provide new insight into the causes of ...	2016	27523087
screening of pesticide residues in honeybee wax comb by lc-esi-ms/ms. a pilot study.	a developed multi-residue method using microflow-lc-esi-qqq-ms provided a wide-scope analysis for medium-polar and polar pesticide residues (120 compounds including breakdown products). honeybee wax comb samples were extracted using a generic quechers based procedure. acceptable recoveries at concentration levels of 5 and 50 μg kg(-1) were within the 70-120% range with an associated precision rsd <20%. the loq values were mostly 5 μg kg(-1) for almost all pesticides. aprox. 31 of 120 lc-amenable ...	2016	27522180
probiotic lactobacillus rhamnosus reduces organophosphate pesticide absorption and toxicity to drosophila melanogaster.	organophosphate pesticides used in agriculture can pose health risks to humans and wildlife. we hypothesized that dietary supplementation with lactobacillus, a genus of commensal bacteria, would reduce absorption and toxicity of consumed organophosphate pesticides (parathion and chlorpyrifos [cp]). several lactobacillus species were screened for toleration of 100 ppm of cp or parathion in mrs broth based on 24-h growth curves. certain lactobacillus strains were unable to reach stationary-phase c ...	2016	27520820
ultrastructure and bacterial infection of wounds in honey bee (apis mellifera) pupae punctured by varroa mites.		2003	27520624
selective sterol transfer in the honey bee: its significance and relationship to other hymenoptera.	the honey bee,apis mellifera, is one of only a few species of phytophagous insects known to be unable to convert c-24 alkyl phytosterols to cholesterol. regardless of the dietary sterols available to worker bees, the major tissue sterol of brood reared by the workers is always 24-methylenecholesterol, followed by sitosterol and isofucosterol. normally, little or no cholesterol is present in honey bee sterols. the maintenance of high levels of certain sterols is accomplished through a selective t ...	1986	27519247
stingless bees (meliponini): senses and behavior.	stingless bees (hymenoptera, apidae, meliponini) are by far the largest group of eusocial bees on earth. due to the diversity of evolutionary responses to specific ecological challenges, the meliponini are well suited for comparative studies of the various adaptations to the environment found in highly eusocial bees. of particular interest are the physiological mechanisms underlying the sophisticated cooperative and collective actions of entire colonies, which form the basis of the ecological su ...	2016	27518819
analysis of pattern orientation in the honeybee: temporal constraints.		1997	27518277
managed european-derived honey bee, apis mellifera sspp, colonies reduce african-matriline honey bee, a. m. scutellata, drones at regional mating congregations.	african honey bees (apis mellifera scutellata) dramatically changed the south american beekeeping industry as they rapidly spread through the americas following their introduction into brazil. in the present study, we aimed to determine if the management of european-derived honey bees (a. mellifera sspp.) could reduce the relative abundance of african-matriline drones at regional mating sites known as drone congregation areas (dcas). we collected 2,400 drones at six dcas either 0.25 km or >2.8 k ...	2016	27518068
speciation of bacillus spp. in honey produced in northern ireland by employment of 16s rdna pcr and automated dna sequencing techniques.	phenotypic speciation of foodborne bacillus spp. remains problematic in terms of obtaining a reliable identification. in this study, we wished to identify several bacterial isolates from honey produced in northern ireland, and which belonged to the genus bacillus, through employment of a molecular identification scheme based on pcr amplification of universal regions of the 16s rrna operon in combination with direct automated sequencing of the resulting amplicons. seven samples of honey and relat ...	2007	27517837
colony impact of pesticide-induced sublethal effects on honeybee workers: a simulation study using beehave.	research on neonicotinoids and honeybees have changed focus from direct mortality to sublethal effects. in the present study, a published honeybee model, beehave, is used to compare induced colony level impact of pesticides including direct mortality, poor brood care, disorientation, and increased handling time in oilseed rape and sunflower crops. actual effects on individual bees will depend on exposure concentrations, but in the present study large effects were enforced. in oilseed rape, poor ...	2017	27517641
proteomic analysis reveals the molecular underpinnings of mandibular gland development and lipid metabolism in two lines of honeybees (apis mellifera ligustica).	the mandibular glands (mgs) of honeybee workers are vital for the secretion of lipids, for both larval nutrition and pheromones. however, knowledge of how the proteome controls mg development and functionality at the different physiological stages of worker bees is still lacking. we characterized and compared the proteome across different ages of mgs in italian bees (itbs) and royal jelly (rj) bees (rjbs), the latter being a line bred for increasing rj yield, originating from the itb. all 2000 p ...	2016	27517116
defining the insect pollinator community found in iowa corn and soybean fields: implications for pollinator conservation.	although corn (zea mays l.) and soybeans (glycine max l.) do not require pollination, they offer floral resources used by insect pollinators. we asked if a similar community of insect pollinators visits these crops in central iowa, a landscape dominated by corn and soybean production. we used modified pan traps (i.e., bee bowls) in both corn and soybean fields during anthesis and used nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nms) to compare the communities found in the two crops. summed across both c ...	2016	27516433
specific ige sensitization to honey bee venom and auto-injector adrenaline prescriptions for japanese beekeepers.		2017	27516131
landscape spatial configuration is a key driver of wild bee demographics.	the majority of studies investigating the effects of landscape composition and configuration on bee populations have been conducted in regions of intensive agricultural production, ignoring regions which are dominated by seminatural habitats, such as the islands of the aegean archipelago. in addition, research so far has focused on the landscape impacts on bees sampled in cropped fields while the landscape effects on bees inhabiting seminatural habitats are understudied. here, we investigate the ...	2016	27512960
the correlation between anti phospholipase a2 specific ige and clinical symptoms after a bee sting in beekeepers.	beekeepers are a group of people with high exposure to honeybee stings and with a very high risk of allergy to bee venom. therefore, they are a proper population to study the correlations between clinical symptoms and results of diagnostic tests.	2016	27512356
chronic exposure to a neonicotinoid pesticide alters the interactions between bumblebees and wild plants.	insect pollinators are essential for both the production of a large proportion of world crops and the health of natural ecosystems. as important pollinators, bumblebees must learn to forage on flowers to feed both themselves and provision their colonies.increased use of pesticides has caused concern over sublethal effects on bees, such as impacts on reproduction or learning ability. however, little is known about how sublethal exposure to field-realistic levels of pesticide might affect the abil ...	2016	27512241
apitherapy products enhance the recovery of ccl4-induced hepatic damages in rats.	our objective was to identify the antioxidant properties of honeybee products from turkey, chestnut honey, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly, and their hepatoprotective activity against ccl4-induced hepatic damage in rats.	2016	27511354
gene selection for cancer classification with the help of bees.	development of biologically relevant models from gene expression data notably, microarray data has become a topic of great interest in the field of bioinformatics and clinical genetics and oncology. only a small number of gene expression data compared to the total number of genes explored possess a significant correlation with a certain phenotype. gene selection enables researchers to obtain substantial insight into the genetic nature of the disease and the mechanisms responsible for it. besides ...	2016	27510562
predicting bee community responses to land-use changes: effects of geographic and taxonomic biases.	land-use change and intensification threaten bee populations worldwide, imperilling pollination services. global models are needed to better characterise, project, and mitigate bees' responses to these human impacts. the available data are, however, geographically and taxonomically unrepresentative; most data are from north america and western europe, overrepresenting bumblebees and raising concerns that model results may not be generalizable to other regions and taxa. to assess whether the geog ...	2016	27509831
rapid identification of the botanical and entomological sources of honey using dna metabarcoding.	honey is generated by various bee species from diverse plants, and because the value of different types of honey varies more than 100-fold, it is a target for fraud. this paper describes a protocol that employs dna metabarcoding of three gene regions (its2, rbcla, and coi) to provide an inexpensive tool to simultaneously deliver information on the botanical and entomological origins of honey. this method was used to examine seven varieties of honey: light, medium, dark, blended, pasteurized, cre ...	2017	27507464
[not available].	bee and wasp stings can cause allergic reactions. although the local reactions are more frequent, anaphylaxis due to insect stings can be potentially fatal. rapid recognition of anaphylaxis is therefore critical and reactions should immediately be treated with i.m. adrenaline. patients having experienced anaphylaxis should be referred to an allergist for diagnostic evaluation and possible venom-immunotherapy (vit). the clinical history is essential in diagnosis of venom allergy as the test resul ...	2016	27505851
a novel behavioral assay to investigate gustatory responses of individual, freely-moving bumble bees (bombus terrestris).	generalist pollinators like the buff-tailed bumble bee, bombus terrestris, encounter both nutrients and toxins in the floral nectar they collect from flowering plants. only a few studies have described the gustatory responses of bees toward toxins in food, and these experiments have mainly used the proboscis extension response on restrained honey bees. here, a new behavioral assay is presented for measuring the feeding responses of freely-moving, individual worker bumble bees to nutrients and to ...	2016	27500630
viruses of commercialized insect pollinators.	managed insect pollinators are indispensable in modern agriculture. they are used worldwide not only in the open field but also in greenhouses to enhance fruit set, seed production, and crop yield. managed honey bee (apis mellifera, apis cerana) colonies provide the majority of commercial pollination although other members of the superfamily apoidea are also exploited and commercialized as managed pollinators. in the recent past, it became more and more evident that viral diseases play a key rol ...	2016	27498219
field application of menthol for japanese honey bees, apis cerana japonica (hymenoptera: apidae), to control tracheal mites, acarapis woodi (acari: tarsonemidae).	the first record of tracheal mites, acarapis woodi, in japan was made in 2010. these mites have since caused serious damage to the colonies of japanese honey bees, apis cerana japonica. in the present study, to control the mites on japanese honey bees with l-menthol, an agent used for european honey bees, apis mellifera, we investigated (1) the seasonality of menthol efficacy, (2) the overwintering mortality of menthol-treated colonies, and (3) the menthol residue in honey under field conditions ...	2016	27497591
nasal delivery of chitosan-coated poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-encapsulated honeybee (apis mellifera) venom promotes th 1-specific systemic and local intestinal immune responses in weaned pigs.	nasal delivery is a convenient and acceptable route for drug administration, and has been shown to elicit a much more potent local and systemic response compared with other drug delivery routes. we previously demonstrated that rectal administration of poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-encapsulated honeybee venom (p-hbv) could enhance systemic th 1-specific immune responses. we therefore synthesized chitosan-coated p-hbv (cp-hbv) and then evaluated the immune-boosting efficacy of nasally administered cp ...	2016	27496748
body size limits dim-light foraging activity in stingless bees (apidae: meliponini).	stingless bees constitute a species-rich tribe of tropical and subtropical eusocial apidae that act as important pollinators for flowering plants. many foraging tasks rely on vision, e.g. spatial orientation and detection of food sources and nest entrances. meliponini workers are usually small, which sets limits on eye morphology and thus quality of vision. limitations are expected both on acuity, and thus on the ability to detect objects from a distance, as well as on sensitivity, and thus on t ...	2016	27495990
a new antigenic marker specifically labels a subpopulation of the class ii kenyon cells in the brain of the european honeybee apis mellifera.	the mushroom bodies are the higher-order integration center in the insect brain and are involved in higher brain functions such as learning and memory. in the social hymenopteran insects such as honeybees, the mushroom bodies are the prominent brain structures. the mushroom bodies are composed of lobed neuropils formed by thousands of parallel-projecting axons of intrinsic neurons, and the lobes are divided into parallel subdivisions. in the present paper, we report a new antigenic marker to lab ...	2015	27493518
first complete genome sequence of chronic bee paralysis virus isolated from honey bees (apis mellifera) in china.	chronic bee paralysis virus (cbpv) is a serious viral disease affecting adult bees. we report here the complete genome sequence of cbpv, which was isolated from a honey bee colony with the symptom of severe crawling. the genome of cbpv consists of two segments, rna 1 and rna 2, containing respective overlapping fragments.	2016	27491983
linking genes and brain development of honeybee workers: a whole-transcriptome approach.	honeybees live in complex societies whose capabilities far exceed those of the sum of their single members. this social synergism is achieved mainly by the worker bees, which form a female caste. the worker bees display diverse collaborative behaviors and engage in different behavioral tasks, which are controlled by the central nervous system (cns). the development of the worker brain is determined by the female sex and the worker caste determination signal. here, we report on genes that are con ...	2016	27490820
life-long radar tracking of bumblebees.	insect pollinators such as bumblebees play a vital role in many ecosystems, so it is important to understand their foraging movements on a landscape scale. we used harmonic radar to record the natural foraging behaviour of bombus terrestris audax workers over their entire foraging career. every flight ever made outside the nest by four foragers was recorded. our data reveal where the bees flew and how their behaviour changed with experience, at an unprecedented level of detail. we identified how ...	2016	27490662
the phenotypic effects of royal jelly on wild-type d. melanogaster are strain-specific.	the role for royal jelly (rj) in promoting caste differentiation of honeybee larvae into queens rather than workers is well characterized. a recent study demonstrated that this poorly understood complex nutrition drives strikingly similar phenotypic effects in drosophila melanogaster, such as increased body size and reduced developmental time, making possible the use of d. melanogaster as a model system for the genetic analysis of the cellular mechanisms underlying rj and caste differentiation. ...	2016	27486863
notch signalling mediates reproductive constraint in the adult worker honeybee.	the hallmark of eusociality is the reproductive division of labour, in which one female caste reproduces, while reproduction is constrained in the subordinate caste. in adult worker honeybees (apis mellifera) reproductive constraint is conditional: in the absence of the queen and brood, adult worker honeybees activate their ovaries and lay haploid male eggs. here, we demonstrate that chemical inhibition of notch signalling can overcome the repressive effect of queen pheromone and promote ovary a ...	2016	27485026
in vivo evaluation of mutagenic and recombinagenic activities of brazilian propolis.	propolis is a resinous, complex mixture of compounds collected by the bee species apis mellifera. this study investigated the genotoxicity of green and brown propolis collected in southeast brazil using the somatic mutation and recombination test (smart) in drosophila melanogaster. the effect of five concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 7.5 mg/ml) of both propolis types was analyzed in standard (st) and high-bioactivation (hb) crosses, which have normal and high levels of cytochrome p450 enzy ...	2016	27484244
strain diversity and host specificity in a specialized gut symbiont of honeybees and bumblebees.	host-restricted lineages of gut bacteria often include many closely related strains, but this fine-scale diversity is rarely investigated. the specialized gut symbiont snodgrassella alvi has codiversified with honeybees (apis mellifera) and bumblebees (bombus) for millions of years. snodgrassella alvi strains are nearly identical for 16s rrna gene sequences but have distinct gene repertoires potentially affecting host biology and community interactions. we examined s. alvi strain diversity withi ...	2016	27482856
early gut colonizers shape parasite susceptibility and microbiota composition in honey bee workers.	microbial symbionts living within animal guts are largely composed of resident bacterial species, forming communities that often provide benefits to the host. gut microbiomes of adult honey bees (apis mellifera) include core residents such as the betaproteobacterium snodgrassella alvi, alongside transient parasites such as the protozoan lotmaria passim to test how these species affect microbiome composition and host physiology, we administered s alvi and/or l passim inocula to newly emerged work ...	2016	27482088
colour is more than hue: preferences for compiled colour traits in the stingless bees melipona mondury and m. quadrifasciata.	the colour vision of bees has been extensively analysed in honeybees and bumblebees, but few studies consider the visual perception of stingless bees (meliponini). in a five-stage experiment the preference for colour intensity and purity, and the preference for the dominant wavelength were tested by presenting four colour stimuli in each test to freely flying experienced workers of two stingless bee species, melipona mondury and melipona quadrifasciata. the results with bee-blue, bee-uv-blue and ...	2016	27480640
lysophosphatidylcholine acts in the constitutive immune defence against american foulbrood in adult honeybees.	honeybee (apis mellifera) imagines are resistant to the gram-positive bacterium paenibacillus larvae (p. larvae), causative agent of american foulbrood (afb), whereas honeybee larvae show susceptibility against this pathogen only during the first 48 h of their life. it is known that midgut homogenate of adult honeybees as well as a homogenate of aged larvae exhibit strong anti-p. larvae activity. a bioactivity-guided lc-hrms analysis of midgut homogenate resulted in the identification of 1-oleoy ...	2016	27480379
comparison of buckwheat, red clover, and purple tansy as potential surrogate plants for use in semi-field pesticide risk assessments with bombus impatiens.	background. bumble bees (bombus spp.) are important wild and managed pollinators. there is increased interest in incorporating data on bumble bees into risk assessments for pesticides, but standardized methods for assessing hazards of pesticides in semi-field and field settings have not yet been established for bumble bees. during semi-field studies, colonies are caged with pesticide-treated flowering surrogate plants, which must be attractive to foragers to ensure colony exposure to the test co ...	2016	27478712
gene expression profiles and neural activities of kenyon cell subtypes in the honeybee brain: identification of novel 'middle-type' kenyon cells.	in the honeybee (apis mellifera l.), it has long been thought that the mushroom bodies, a higher-order center in the insect brain, comprise three distinct subtypes of intrinsic neurons called kenyon cells. in class-i large-type kenyon cells and class-i small-type kenyon cells, the somata are localized at the edges and in the inner core of the mushroom body calyces, respectively. in class-ii kenyon cells, the somata are localized at the outer surface of the mushroom body calyces. the gene express ...	2016	27478620
consequences of a warming climate for social organisation in sweat bees.	the progression from solitary living to caste-based sociality is commonly regarded as a major evolutionary transition. however, it has recently been shown that in some taxa, sociality may be plastic and dependent on local conditions. if sociality can be environmentally driven, the question arises as to how projected climate change will influence features of social organisation that were previously thought to be of macroevolutionary proportions. depending on the time available in spring during wh ...	2017	27478300
artificial ribonucleases inactivate a wide range of viruses using their ribonuclease, membranolytic, and chaotropic-like activities.	artificial ribonucleases (arnases) are small compounds catalysing rna cleavage. recently we demonstrated that arnases readily inactivate various viruses in vitro. here, for three series of arnases (1,4-diazabicyclo [2.2.2]octane-based and peptide-like compounds) we show that apart from ribonuclease activity the arnases display chaotropic-like and membranolytic activities. the levels of membranolytic and chaotropic-like activities correlate well with the efficiency of various viruses inactivation ...	2016	27476043
dismiss: detection of stranded methylation in medip-seq data.	dna methylation is an important regulator of gene expression and chromatin structure. methylated dna immunoprecipitation sequencing (medip-seq) is commonly used to identify regions of dna methylation in eukaryotic genomes. within medip-seq libraries, methylated cytosines can be found in both double-stranded (symmetric) and single-stranded (asymmetric) genomic contexts. while symmetric cg methylation has been relatively well-studied, asymmetric methylation in any dinucleotide context has received ...	2016	27473283
royal jelly promotes daf-16-mediated proteostasis to tolerate β-amyloid toxicity in c. elegans model of alzheimer's disease.	numerous studies have demonstrated that dietary intervention may promote health and help prevent alzheimer's disease (ad). we recently reported that bee products of royal jelly (rj) and enzyme-treated royal jelly (erj) were potent to promote healthy aging in c. elegans. here, we examined whether rj/erj consumption may benefit to mitigate the ad symptom in the disease model of c. elegans. our results showed that rj/erj supplementation significantly delayed the body paralysis in ad worms, suggesti ...	2016	27472466
effects of animal venoms and toxins on hallmarks of cancer.	animal venoms are a cocktail of proteins and peptides, targeting vital physiological processes. venoms have evolved to assist in the capture and digestion of prey. key venom components often include neurotoxins, myotoxins, cardiotoxins, hematoxins and catalytic enzymes. the pharmacological activities of venom components have been investigated as a source of potential therapeutic agents. interestingly, a number of animal toxins display profound anticancer effects. these include toxins purified fr ...	2016	27471574
insulin effects on honeybee appetitive behaviour.	worker honeybees (apis mellifera) carry out multiple tasks throughout their adult lifespan. it has been suggested that the insulin/insulin-like signalling pathway participates in regulating behavioural maturation in eusocial insects. insulin signalling increases as the honeybee worker transitions from nurse to food processor to forager. as behavioural shifts require differential usage of sensory modalities, our aim was to assess insulin effects on olfactory and gustatory responsiveness as well a ...	2016	27471279
the olfactory neuroecology of herbivory, hostplant selection and plant-pollinator interactions.	plants experience often opposing energetic demands and selective pressures-for instance, where plants need to attract an insect that is both the pollinator and herbivore, or alternately, where plants attract prey (due to limited resources) and pollinators. together, these selective pressures can modify the volatile signals available to the plant's mutualistic and antagonistic partners. nevertheless, it remains an open question how changes in the information content of volatile signals modify beh ...	2016	27471226
first record of bombylisoma rondani (diptera: bombyliidae) from china and an identification key to the chinese genera of bombyliinae.	bombylisoma rondani is a genus of bee flies belonging to the subfamily bombyliinae (hull, 1973). it is easily identified by the following characters: head usually as broad as thorax; hind-margin of eyes indented; wings often small, narrowed at base with at least alula reduced; hind femora often without macrochaetae; body usually more elongate even narrow conical or cylindrical, macrochaetae usually weak often hair-like especially those posterior to the wings; cell r<sub>5</sub> open, pulvilli we ...	2016	27470722
turkish propolis supresses mcf-7 cell death induced by homocysteine.	elevated plasma homocysteine (hcy) level is a most important risk factor for various vascular diseases including coronary, cerebral and peripheral arterial and venous thrombosis. propolis is produced by honeybee from various oils, pollens and wax materials. therefore, it has various biological properties including antioxidant, antitumor and antimicrobial activities. this study investigated the effects of propolis and hcy on apoptosis in cancer cells. according to our findings, hcy induced apopto ...	2016	27470414
neuroprotective effect of bee venom is mediated by reduced astrocyte activation in a subchronic mptp-induced model of parkinson's disease.	bee venom (bv), also known as apitoxin, is widely used in traditional oriental medicine to treat immune-related diseases. recent studies suggest that bv could be beneficial for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. parkinson's disease (pd) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease next to alzheimer's disease, and pd pathologies are closely associated with neuroinflammation. previous studies have suggested the neuroprotective effects of bv in animal models of pd are due to the mo ...	2016	27469335
first detection of paenibacillus larvae the causative agent of american foulbrood in a ugandan honeybee colony.	paenibacillus larvae is a highly contagious and often lethal widely distributed pathogen of honeybees, apis mellifera but has not been reported in eastern africa to date. we investigated the presence of p. larvae in the eastern and western highland agro-ecological zones of uganda by collecting brood and honey samples from 67 honeybee colonies in two sampling occasions and cultivated them for p. larvae. also, 8 honeys imported and locally retailed in uganda were sampled and cultivated for p. larv ...	2016	27468390
phylogenomics and divergence dating of fungus-farming ants (hymenoptera: formicidae) of the genera sericomyrmex and apterostigma.	fungus-farming ("attine") ants are model systems for studies of symbiosis, coevolution, and advanced eusociality. a new world clade of nearly 300 species in 15 genera, all attine ants cultivate fungal symbionts for food. in order to better understand the evolution of ant agriculture, we sequenced, assembled, and analyzed transcriptomes of four different attine ant species in two genera: three species in the higher-attine genus sericomyrmex and a single lower-attine ant species, apterostigma mega ...	2016	27466804
neonicotinoid insecticides can serve as inadvertent insect contraceptives.	there is clear evidence for sublethal effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on non-target ecosystem service-providing insects. however, their possible impact on male insect reproduction is currently unknown, despite the key role of sex. here, we show that two neonicotinoids (4.5 ppb thiamethoxam and 1.5 ppb clothianidin) significantly reduce the reproductive capacity of male honeybees (drones), apis mellifera drones were obtained from colonies exposed to the neonicotinoid insecticides or control ...	2016	27466446
apitherapy products for medicinal use.	for the past 10 years, beekeeping has increased due to a growing awareness of the disappearance of bees since colony collapse disorder. most of the disappearance of honey bees can be attributed to the use of pesticides. apitherapy is the science and art of maintaining health with the use of products from the honeybee hive: honey, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom. we have been beekeeping for the last 10 years. we use every product from the beehive for both personal and patient use ...	2016	27463767
case of japanese carpenter bee (xylocopa appendiculata circumvolans) stings.		2016	27461863
evaluation of the radioprotective effect of turkish propolis on foreskin fibroblast cells.	propolis is a resinous bee product, rich of polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids. it is known that in different geographic zones its chemical composition varies due to the different plant sources. many biological properties including antimicrobial, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antitumoral, antigenotoxic, antimutagenic, cytostatic activities have been ascribed to propolis. these biological effects are predominantly attributed to its content of polyphenols. in this study, we aimed to evaluat ...	2017	27461686
site fidelity by bees drives pollination facilitation in sequentially blooming plant species.	plant species can influence the pollination and reproductive success of coflowering neighbors that share pollinators. because some individual pollinators habitually forage in particular areas, it is also possible that plant species could influence the pollination of neighbors that bloom later. when flowers of a preferred forage plant decline in an area, site-fidelity may cause individual flower feeders to stay in an area and switch plant species rather than search for preferred plants in a new l ...	2016	27459775
insect pollinators in iowa cornfields: community identification and trapping method analysis.	availability of mass flowering plants in landscapes dominated by agriculture can have a strong positive impact on the density of generalist, native pollinators. row-crop production in iowa accounts for 75% of the arable acres, with corn, zea mays, representing the majority of hectares planted. to date, there has been no description of the insect pollinator community found within iowa cornfields. we report a field study to determine the optimal sampling methodology to characterize the community o ...	2016	27459648
lc/ms/ms analysis of α-tocopherol and coenzyme q10 content in lyophilized royal jelly, beebread and drone homogenate.	this study shows the results of application liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (lc/ms/ms) for assay of the content of α-tocopherol and coenzyme q10 in bee products of animal origin, i.e. royal jelly, beebread and drone homogenate. the biological matrix was removed using extraction with n-hexane. it was found that drone homogenate is a rich source of coenzyme q10 . it contains only 8 ± 1 µg/g of α-tocopherol and 20 ± 2 µg/g of coenzyme q10 . the contents of assayed compounds in royal ...	2016	27459546
correction for perry et al., rapid behavioral maturation accelerates failure of stressed honey bee colonies.		2016	27457934
critical structure for telescopic movement of honey bee (insecta: apidae) abdomen: folded intersegmental membrane.	the folded intersegmental membrane is a structure that interconnects two adjacent abdominal segments; this structure is distributed in the segments of the honey bee abdomen. the morphology of the folded intersegmental membrane has already been documented. however, the ultrastructure of the intersegmental membrane and its assistive role in the telescopic movements of the honey bee abdomen are poorly understood. to explore the morphology and ultrastructure of the folded intersegmental membrane in ...	2016	27456912
camel milk and bee honey regulate profibrotic cytokine gene transcripts in liver cirrhosis induced by carbon tetrachloride.	the lack of studies regarding the mechanism of the protective effects of camel milk and bee honey against hepatotoxic compounds led us to perform this study. thirty-six male rats were divided into two main groups. the first group (n = 9) comprised control non-cirrhotic rats. the rats of the second group (n = 27) were administered carbon tetrachloride (ccl4) by intraperitoneal injection to induce liver cirrhosis. the cirrhotic rats were then divided into three equal subgroups, each comprising nin ...	2016	27455095
transcriptomic and functional resources for the small hive beetle aethina tumida, a worldwide parasite of honey bees.	the small hive beetle (shb), aethina tumida, is a major pest of managed honey bee (apis mellifera) colonies in the united states and australia, and an emergent threat in europe. while strong honey bee colonies generally keep shb populations in check, weak or stressed colonies can succumb to infestations. this parasite has spread from a sub-saharan africa to three continents, leading to immense management and regulatory costs. we performed a transcriptomic analysis involving deep sequencing of mu ...	2016	27453819
spatially resolved time-frequency analysis of odour coding in the insect antennal lobe.	antennal lobes constitute the first neurophils in the insect brain involved in coding and processing of olfactory information. with their stereotyped functional and anatomical organization, they provide an accessible model with which to investigate information processing of an external stimulus in a neural network in vivo. here, by combining functional calcium imaging with time-frequency analysis, we have been able to monitor the oscillatory components of neural activity upon olfactory stimulati ...	2016	27452956
effects of wintering environment and parasite-pathogen interactions on honey bee colony loss in north temperate regions.	extreme winter losses of honey bee colonies are a major threat to beekeeping but the combinations of factors underlying colony loss remain debatable. we monitored colonies in two environments (colonies wintered indoors or outdoors) and characterized the effects of two parasitic mites, seven viruses, and nosema on honey bee colony mortality and population loss over winter. samples were collected from two locations within hives in fall, mid-winter and spring of 2009/2010. although fall parasite an ...	2016	27448049
systemic rnai in the small hive beetle aethina tumida murray (coleoptera: nitidulidae), a serious pest of the european honey bee apis mellifera.	aethina tumida is a serious pest of the european honey bee (apis mellifera) in north america and australia. here we investigate whether laccase 2, the phenoloxidase gene essential for cuticle sclerotisation and pigmentation in many insects, and vacuolar-atpase v-type subunit a, vital for the generation of proton gradients used to drive a range of transport processes, could be potential targets for rnai-mediated control of a. tumida.	2017	27447542
the behavioral regulation of thirst, water collection and water storage in honey bee colonies.	this study investigated how a honey bee colony develops and quenches its collective thirst when it experiences hyperthermia of its broodnest. we found that a colony must strongly boost its water intake because evaporative cooling is critical to relieving broodnest hyperthermia, and that it must rapidly boost its water intake because a colony maintains only a small water reserve. we also clarified how a colony's water collectors know when to spring into action - by sensing either more frequent re ...	2016	27445400
viral prevalence increases with regional colony abundance in honey bee drones (apis mellifera l).	transmission among colonies is a central feature for the epidemiology of honey bee pathogens. high colony abundance may promote transmission among colonies independently of apiary layout, making colony abundance a potentially important parameter determining pathogen prevalence in populations of honey bees. to test this idea, we sampled male honey bees (drones) from seven distinct drone congregation areas (dca), and used their genotypes to estimate colony abundance at each site. a multiplex ligat ...	2016	27444641
functional and proteomic investigations reveal major royal jelly protein 1 associated with anti-hypertension activity in mouse vascular smooth muscle cells.	vascular smooth muscle cells (vsmcs) are a major cell type of the arterial wall and their functionality is associated with blood pressure regulation. although royal jelly (rj) has reported effects on anti-hypertension, the mechanism of blood pressure regulation by major royal jelly protein 1 (mrjp1), the most abundant rj protein, is still unknown. the mrjp1 gene was inserted into mouse vsmcs to investigate how mrjp1 influences vsmc functionality by functional and proteomic analysis. the expressi ...	2016	27444336
royal decree: gene expression in trans-generationally immune primed bumblebee workers mimics a primary immune response.	invertebrates lack the cellular and physiological machinery of the adaptive immune system, but show specificity in their immune response and immune priming. functionally, immune priming is comparable to immune memory in vertebrates. individuals that have survived exposure to a given parasite are better protected against subsequent exposures. protection may be cross-reactive, but demonstrations of persistent and specific protection in invertebrates are increasing. this immune priming can cross ge ...	2016	27442590
viral epidemiology of the adult apis mellifera infested by the varroa destructor mite.	the ectoparasitic mite varroa destructor has become one of the major worldwide threats for apiculture. varroa destructor attacks the honey bee apis mellifera weakening its host by sucking hemolymph. however, the damage to bee colonies is not strictly related to the parasitic action of the mite but it derives, above all, from its action as vector increasing the transmission of many viral diseases such as acute paralysis (abpv) and deformed wing viruses (dwv), that are considered among the main ca ...	2016	27441276
scarcity of ecosystem services: an experimental manipulation of declining pollination rates and its economic consequences for agriculture.	ecosystem services (es) such as pollination are vital for the continuous supply of food to a growing human population, but the decline in populations of insect pollinators worldwide poses a threat to food and nutritional security. using a pollinator (honeybee) exclusion approach, we evaluated the impact of pollinator scarcity on production in four brassica fields, two producing hybrid seeds and two producing open-pollinated ones. there was a clear reduction in seed yield as pollination rates dec ...	2016	27441108
corrigendum to "bee nutrition and floral resource restoration" [curr. opin. insect sci. 10 (2015) 133-141].		2016	27436746
wind alters landing dynamics in bumblebees.	landing is an important but understudied behavior that flying animals must perform constantly. in still air, insects decelerate smoothly prior to landing by employing the relatively simple strategy of maintaining a constant rate of image expansion during their approach. however, it is unclear whether insects employ this strategy when faced with challenging flight environments. here, we tested the effects of wind on bumblebees (bombus impatiens) landing on flowers. we find that bees' approach pat ...	2016	27436135
biophysical characterization of the honeybee dsc1 orthologue reveals a novel voltage-dependent ca2+ channel subfamily: cav4.	bilaterian voltage-gated na(+) channels (nav) evolved from voltage-gated ca(2+) channels (cav). the drosophila melanogaster na(+) channel 1 (dsc1), which features a d-e-e-a selectivity filter sequence that is intermediate between cav and nav channels, is evidence of this evolution. phylogenetic analysis has classified dsc1 as a ca(2+)-permeable na(+) channel belonging to the nav2 family because of its sequence similarity with nav channels. this is despite insect nav2 channels (dsc1 and its ortho ...	2016	27432995
influence of climatic factors on the flight activity of the stingless bee partamona orizabaensis and its competition behavior at food sources.	stingless bees have evolved several ways to share contested resources to ensure the coexistence between different species. partamona orizabaensis quickly exploits food sources by fast and direct recruitment that does not rely on scent marks deposited on substrates. in this study we show that the flight activity of p. orizabaensis is influenced by weather conditions, with higher activity during periods of colder temperatures, higher relative humidity and even during rainfall. we showed that the o ...	2016	27431445
predicting plant attractiveness to pollinators with passive crowdsourcing.	global concern regarding pollinator decline has intensified interest in enhancing pollinator resources in managed landscapes. these efforts frequently emphasize restoration or planting of flowering plants to provide pollen and nectar resources that are highly attractive to the desired pollinators. however, determining exactly which plant species should be used to enhance a landscape is difficult. empirical screening of plants for such purposes is logistically daunting, but could be streamlined b ...	2016	27429762
significant traumatic intracranial hemorrhage in the setting of massive bee venom-induced coagulopathy: a case report.	bees and wasps of the hymenoptera order are encountered on a daily basis throughout the world. some encounters prove harmless, while others can have significant morbidity and mortality. hymenoptera venom is thought to contain an enzyme that can cleave phospholipids and cause significant coagulation abnormalities. this toxin and others can lead to reactions ranging from local inflammation to anaphylaxis. we report a single case of a previously healthy man who presented to the emergency department ...	2016	27427329
honey bee (apis mellifera) drones survive oxidative stress due to increased tolerance instead of avoidance or repair of oxidative damage.	oxidative stress can lead to premature aging symptoms and cause acute mortality at higher doses in a range of organisms. oxidative stress resistance and longevity are mechanistically and phenotypically linked; considerable variation in oxidative stress resistance exists among and within species and typically covaries with life expectancy. however, it is unclear whether stress-resistant, long-lived individuals avoid, repair, or tolerate molecular damage to survive longer than others. the honey be ...	2016	27422326
correction: using a hazard quotient to evaluate pesticide residues detected in pollen trapped from honey bees (apis mellifera) in connecticut.	[this corrects the article doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077550.].	2017	27414799
pteridine levels and head weights are correlated with age and colony task in the honey bee, apis mellifera.	background. the age of an insect strongly influences many aspects of behavior and reproduction. the interaction of age and behavior is epitomized in the temporal polyethism of honey bees in which young adult bees perform nurse and maintenance duties within the colony, while older bees forage for nectar and pollen. task transition is dynamic and driven by colony needs. however, an abundance of precocious foragers or overage nurses may have detrimental effects on the colony. additionally, honey be ...	2016	27413635
effect of bee venom or proplis on molecular and parasitological aspects of schistosoma mansoni infected mice.	the present study was performed to elucidate the efficacy of apis mellifera l bee venom (bv) or proplis (200 mg/kg orally for three consecutive days) on schistosoma mansoni infected mice. the results recorded reduction in the total worm burden, numbers of immature eggs and the ova count in hepatic tissue in bv (sting or injection) or proplis treated groups as compared to the infected group. histological examination illustrated a significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in the diameter of hepatic granulom ...	2016	27413311
neonicotinoid-contaminated pollinator strips adjacent to cropland reduce honey bee nutritional status.	worldwide pollinator declines are attributed to a number of factors, including pesticide exposures. neonicotinoid insecticides specifically have been detected in surface waters, non-target vegetation, and bee products, but the risks posed by environmental exposures are still not well understood. pollinator strips were tested for clothianidin contamination in plant tissues, and the risks to honey bees assessed. an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) quantified clothianidin in leaf, nectar, ...	2016	27412495
an unusual recruitment strategy in a mass-recruiting stingless bee, partamona orizabaensis.	foragers of several stingless bee species deposit attractive scent marks on solid substrates to precisely recruit nestmates to food. interestingly, partamona workers quickly recruit large numbers of nest mates to resources, likely even without the deposition of attractive scent marks. however, systematic studies of the recruitment system of these bees are lacking. we now studied the recruitment behavior of p. orizabaensis. our findings show that foragers of this species can recruit large numbers ...	2016	27412298
proline as a fuel for insect flight: enhancing carbohydrate oxidation in hymenopterans.	bees are thought to be strict users of carbohydrates as metabolic fuel for flight. many insects, however, have the ability to oxidize the amino acid proline at a high rate, which is a unique feature of this group of animals. the presence of proline in the haemolymph of bees and in the nectar of plants led to the hypothesis that plants may produce proline as a metabolic reward for pollinators. we investigated flight muscle metabolism of hymenopteran species using high-resolution respirometry perf ...	2016	27412285
pheromone lure and trap color affects bycatch in agricultural landscapes of utah.	aerial traps, using combinations of color and attractive lures, are a critical tool for detecting and managing insect pest populations. yet, despite improvements in trap efficacy, collection of nontarget species ("bycatch") plagues many insect pest surveys. bycatch can influence survey effectiveness by reducing the available space for target species and increasing trap screening time, especially in areas where thousands of insects are captured as bycatch in a given season. additionally, bycatch ...	2016	27412193
effects of habitat composition and landscape structure on worker foraging distances of five bumble bee species.	bumble bees (bombus spp.) are important pollinators of both crops and wildflowers. their contribution to this essential ecosystem service has been threatened over recent decades by changes in land use, which have led to declines in their populations. in order to design effective conservation measures, it is important to understand the effects of variation in landscape composition and structure on the foraging activities of worker bumble bees. this is because the viability of individual colonies ...	2016	27411246
bee pollen: living up to its hype?		1985	27410451
a revision of chilicola (heteroediscelis), a subgenus of xeromelissine bees (hymenoptera, colletidae) endemic to chile: taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography, with descriptions of eight new species.	the bee subgenus chilicola (heteroediscelis) toro & moldenke, 1979 (hymenoptera, colletidae, xeromelissinae) is revised. the subgenus is considered endemic to chile and occurs across a broad range of habitats. eight new species are described: chilicola (heteroediscelis) charizard monckton, sp. n., chilicola (heteroediscelis) curvapeligrosa monckton, sp. n., chilicola (heteroediscelis) guanicoe monckton, sp. n., chilicola (heteroediscelis) katherinae monckton, sp. n., chilicola (heteroediscelis) ...	2016	27408541
think regionally, act locally: metals in honeybee workers in the netherlands (surveillance study 2008).	in june 2008, a surveillance study for metals in honeybees was performed in the netherlands. randomly, 150 apiaries were selected. in each apiary, five colonies were sampled. per apiary, the hive samples were pooled. the apiary sample was analysed for al, as, ba, cd, co, cr, cu, li, mn, mo, ni, sb, se, sn, sr, ti, v and zn. all metals could be detected in all apiaries. as, li, sb, sn and v were detected in part of the apiaries. the overall picture showed a regional pattern. in apiaries in the ea ...	2016	27406208
bees use the taste of pollen to determine which flowers to visit.	pollen plays a dual role as both a gametophyte and a nutritional reward for pollinators. although pollen chemistry varies across plant species, its functional significance in pollination has remained obscure, in part because little is known about how floral visitors assess it. bees rely on pollen for protein, but whether foragers evaluate its chemistry is unclear, as it is primarily consumed by larvae. we asked whether the chemical composition of pollen influences bumblebees' foraging behaviour. ...	2016	27405383
effects of residual novaluron on reproduction in alfalfa leafcutting bees, megachile rotundata f. (megachilidae).	the chitin synthesis inhibitor novaluron can suppress pests that affect alfalfa seed production, but can negatively affect reproductive success in the alfalfa pollinator megachile rotundata. novaluron is considered to be a reduced-risk insecticide because it disrupts ecdysis and is non-lethal to adult insects, but some exposed adults have fewer eggs and suppressed egg hatch. for this experiment, bees nested in field cages where they were exposed to alfalfa that had never been treated with novalu ...	2017	27405042
bee venom for the treatment of parkinson disease - a randomized controlled clinical trial.	clinicaltrials.gov nct01341431.	2016	27403743
agrochemical-induced stress in stingless bees: peculiarities, underlying basis, and challenges.	the toxicological stress induced by pesticides, particularly neonicotinoid insecticides, and its consequences in bees has been the focus of much recent attention, particularly for honey bees. however, the emphasis on honey bees and neonicotinoids has led to neglect of the relevance of stingless bees, the prevailing pollinators of natural and agricultural tropical ecosystems, and of other agrochemicals, including other pesticides and even leaf fertilizers. consequently, studies focusing on agroch ...	2016	27401560
comprehensive phylogeny, biogeography and new classification of the diverse bee tribe megachilini: can we use dna barcodes in phylogenies of large genera?	classification and evolutionary studies of particularly speciose clades pose important challenges, as phylogenetic analyses typically sample a small proportion of the existing diversity. we examine here one of the largest bee genera, the genus megachile - the dauber and leafcutting bees. besides presenting a phylogeny based on five nuclear genes (5480 aligned nucleotide positions), we attempt to use the phylogenetic signal of mitochondrial dna barcodes, which are rapidly accumulating and already ...	2016	27400629