Ecological comparison of native (Apis mellifera mellifera) and hybrid (Buckfast) honeybee drones in southwestern Sweden indicates local adaptation.

ABSTRACT: Honeybee drones' only known task is to mate with a virgin queen. Apart from their mating behaviour, their ecology has been little studied, especially in comparison to honeybee females. Previous knowledge is primarily based on short-term direct observations at single experimental hives, rarely, if ever, addressing the effect of drones' genetic origin. Here, Radio Frequency Identification Technology was utilised to gather drone and worker bee lifetime data of Apis mellifera mellifera and Apis mellifera x (hybrid Buckfast) colonies over one mating season (spring and summer) with the ultimate goal to investigate differences at subspecies level. This technique enabled continuous monitoring of tagged bees at the hive entrance and recording of individuals' movement directions. The results confirm

SUBMITTER: Schaumann F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11321565 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature