This study has investigated the interaction between honeybees and their forage plants and the impact of selected climatic variables on honey production in South Africa. Twenty-seven scale-hive records from 25 localities have been used as a measure of colony honey reserves. At least 944 plant species are visited by honeybees in South Africa for their nectar and/or pollen, with more than half providing both rewards. The entire honeybee flora encompasses 532 genera and 137 families. The flowering phenologies of the different reward categories of the indigenous forage plants are all significantly and positively correlated at the 0.05 level. Similarly, species offering both rewards are significantly and positively correlated with the flowering phenology of the null flora. The same results were obtained for correlations between the different reward categories of the exotic forage plants in South Africa. Of the 30 species pairs which fulfilled the criteria for selection, 23 occurred in sympatry, 5 in allopatry and 2 in possible parapatry. There is evidence for both competition and facilitation within different indigenous species pairs. The lack of geographical correlation in the intra-annual variation in honey stores and the near absence of any statistically significant (p < 0.05) honey related intra-annual intracolonial correlations may indicate that the former is more important than the latter for the determination of the level of honey reserves within a colony. Only one statistically significant correlation was found between either scale-hive record from the University of Pretoria Experimental Farm and any of the selected climatic variables. A one month lag period and/or possible seasonal effects were detected for each variable, with the exception of the duration of sunshine, in the autocorrelation analyses. A possible 12 month seasonal period was also identified in the single series fourier analyses for a number of variables. Similarly, 12 months was also the most frequently recurring period in the crossspectral results for the one scale-hive record (H42). Any activities which have an impact on the landscape have the potential to affect honeybees and/or their forage plants. Honeybee crop or plant pollination may also enhance yields for commercial farmers and facilitate rural food security.

La majorité des espèces cultivées en Europe (environ 84 %) nécessitent le service de pollinisation pour produire. Depuis plusieurs années, un important déclin des pollinisateurs est observé. Les populations d’abeilles domestiques, partie intégrante de l’agrobiodiversité, sont des bio-indicateurs sensibles de l’état de l’environnement agricole. Celles-ci sont aujourd’hui affectées par des mortalités importantes. Les interactions entre pesticides et pathogènes sont habituellement évoquées comme causes principales de ces mortalités. Cependant au sein de ces agropaysages, la perte de ressources trophiques en quantité et en diversité contribue également à l’affaiblissement des colonies. La qualité et les quantités de ressources trophiques disponibles dans le paysage influencent également leur activité de ponte et leur dynamique de développement. Au regard de ce contexte, cette thèse vise à analyser les interactions entre différents types de structures paysagères situées dans le département du Gers (32, France) et l’évolution des traits d’histoire de vie des colonies d’abeilles domestiques du genre Apis mellifera L. Elle questionne notamment le rôle de la composante ligneuse dans l’apport de ressources trophiques et ses repercussions sur l’évolution des traits d’histoire de vie. L’approche méthodologique développée consiste (i) en une analyse de l’organisation spatiale des six mosaïques paysagères différenciées par un gradient de présence de ligneux, (ii) en un suivi phénologique des ressources floristiques d’intérêt nectarifère et pollinifère, (iii) en un suivi de la dynamique de développement de 43 colonies observées durant deux ans (2010 et 2011) et (iv) en une analyse des strategies de butinage. Les résultats montrent la présence d’une grande diversité d’espèces floristiques d’intérêt nectarifère et pollinifère en contexte agricole gersois (200). Les ligneux constituent la seule sous-unité fonctionnelle permettant un apport conséquent et pérenne de ressources floristiques, tout au long de la saison en complément des cultures. La composante ligneuse et les surfaces cultivées (Brassica napus et Helianthus annuus) constituent les deux sous-unités les plus mobilisées pour la collecte de nectar. Les ligneux sont particulièrement recherchés au cours des périodes prévernale et vernale (première période) notamment au sein des structures paysagères fermées. La fluctuation des ressources floristiques disponibles impacte plus fortement le développement des colonies au sein des structures paysagères ouvertes que fermées. En effet, sur ces derniers, les ligneux permettent d’atténuer ces impacts notamment en période de disette, rendant les colonies plus résilientes. / Most of the cultivated plants in Europe (84% overall) need pollinators to produce. For several decades, a significant decline in pollinating insects is observed. Honeybees belong to associated agrobiodiversity and are sensitive bio-indicators in agricultural landscapes. They are particularly affected by these losses. Usually, interactions between pesticides and pathogens are seen as the main causes of pollinator populations’ collapse. However, the qualitative and quantitative depletion of food resources in such agricultural landscapes also contribute to the high mortality rates. The spawning activity of the colony’s queen and the metabolic balance of the colony are influenced by the quantity and the quality of plant resources in the landscape. This PhD thesis focuses on the interactions between landscapes structures and honeybees life traits’ evolution in the Gers agricultural department (France). It aims to assess the woody component’s role in supplying trophic resources and its repercussions on the evolution of life traits. The methodology consists (i) in a spatial organization analysis of six landscape mosaics, differentiated by an openess gradient based on the percentage of the woody component cover, (ii) a phenological monitoring of plant resources with pollen and nectar interests, (iii) a monitoring of 43 colonies’ life history traits during two years (2010 and 2011) and (iv) in an analysis of foraging strategies. Results reveal a wide diversity of plant species with nectar and pollen interest in the Gers agricultural context (200). Woody component is the only functional sub-unity which enables a significant and lasting supply of plant resources, during the all season, as additional resources to those of crops. Woody component and cultivated lands (Brassica napus and Helianthus annuus) are the most mobilized sub-unities for nectar gathering. Woody component is particularly looked for in prevernal and vernal periods (first period), above all in closed landscape structures. Variations of available plant resources impact colonies’ development more in open landscape structures than in closed ones. Indeed, in closed landscape structures, woody component enables to reduce consequences, especially in scarcity period, and make colonies more resilient.

Please read the abstract (Summary) in the section, 09summary and aknowledgements, of this document / Dissertation (MSc (Entomology))--University of Pretoria, 1988. / Zoology and Entomology / MSc / unrestricted

Yes / Both the season and region in which propolis is collected influence its chemical composition, resulting in variations in biological activity. Significant differences in composition and concentration of certain chemical compounds in propolis make standardisation and quality control challenging. In addition, the lack of uniformity in evaluation methodology and analytical techniques, make it extremely difficult to correlate data across the climatic zones. In this report, we focus on the gaps in propolis research and the challenges they pose for commercialisation, with suggestions as to how we might address them. We hope to stimulate further research which explores the holistic nature of propolis in order to derive a propolis bioactivity standard.

Le virus de la paralysie chronique de l'abeille (Chronic bee paralysis virus, CBPV) est l'agent étiologique d'une maladie infectieuse et contagieuse des abeilles adultes (Apis mellifera L.), appelée la paralysie chronique. Le CBPV est un virus à ARN simple brin positif qui contient 2 fragments d'ARN majoritaires. L'ARN 1 (3674 nt) et l'ARN 2 (2305 nt) codent respectivement 3 et 4 cadres ouverts de lecture (ORF). La séquence d'acides aminés de l'ORF 3 de l'ARN 1 partage des similitudes avec l'ARN polymérase ARN dépendante (RdRp) des virus des familles Nodaviridae et Tombusviridae. Par analogie avec ces familles virales, il a été suggéré que l'ARN 1 coderait les protéines non-structurales tandis que l'ARN 2 coderait les protéines structurales. Cependant, la réalité de ces protéines virales doit être démontrée expérimentalement afin d'étudier leurs fonctions, de mieux décrire ce virus et sa position taxonomique ainsi que d'améliorer les outils de diagnostic. Dans ce but, différentes approches expérimentales ont été utilisées. Une comparaison des protéomes d'hémolymphe d'abeilles non-infectées et infectées par le CBPV a été effectuée. Les protéines différentiellement exprimées ont été identifiées par empreinte peptidique massique (peptide mass fingerprint, PMF). Cette étude a permis d'identifier des protéines de l'abeille dont certaines contribueraient à une réponse immunitaire antivirale, mais aucune protéine virale n'a été identifiée par cette approche. Les ARN extraits du CBPV ont été utilisés dans des expériences de traduction in vitro. Malgré plusieurs essais réalisés en faisant varier les conditions expérimentales, cette approche s'est révélée infructueuse. / Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) is the etiological agent that causes an infectious and contagious disease in adult bees (Apis mellifera L.), called chronic paralysis. CBPV is a positive single-stranded fragmented RNA virus which contains 2 major viral RNA fragments. RNA 1 (3674 nt) and RNA 2 (2305 nt) encode 3 and 4 putative open reading frames (ORFs), respectively. The amino acid sequence of ORF 3 on RNA 1 shares similarities with the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of virus families Nodaviridae and Tombusviridae. By analogy with these viral families, it has been suggested that RNA 1 encodes non-structural proteins and RNA 2 encodes structural proteins. However, the reality of viral proteins needs to be experimentally demonstrated in order to study theirs functions, to describe CBPV biology and its taxonomic position and to improve diagnostic tools. With this aim, different experimental strategies have been used.A comparison of hemolymph proteomes between uninfected bees and bees infected with CBPV was performed. Differentially expressed proteins have been identified using peptide mass fingerprint method (PMF). This study allowed only identifying proteins of bees which could contribute to an antiviral immune response but viral proteins were not identified using this approach. Extracted CBPV RNAs were used for in vitro translation experiments. Despite several assays in varying experimental conditions, this approach has been unsuccessful. Another approach was to generate antibodies directed against different proteins or parts of viral proteins.

Sammanfattning Titel: Honungsbi-ledarskap i e-handelsföretag i Sverige - en studie av hållbart ledarskap Nivå: Examensarbete på Grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi Författare: Cecilia Rosen och Amarvir Singh Handledare: Kristina Mickelsson och Agneta Sundström Datum: 2019 - januari Syfte: Syftet med studien är att få ökad kunskap om hur företagsledare inom e-handelsföretag i Sverige hanterar hållbarhet genom honungsbi-ledarskap, riktat mot innovationsförmåga, miljö och socialt ansvar samt investering i personal. Metod: Studien utgår från en kvalitativ metod med utgångspunkt i den hermeneutiska ansatsen. En jämförande design har använts för att finna likheter och skillnader mellan de två utvalda e-handelsföretagen där totalt 10 semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med fem chefer och fem medarbetare. Varje respondent har fått en egen anonymitetskod för att inte kunna spåras tillbaka till dem. Empiri: Intervjuerna har kodats i 4 olika teman och 3 kategorier har arbetats fram ur varje tema för att på ett enklare sätt redovisa resultatet av studien. Dessa har sedan fått varsin rubrik i empirin för att på ett enklare sätt kunna följa vad som framkommit i studien. Slutsats: Studien visar att företagsledare inom e-handelsbranschen arbetar genomgående med innovationsförmåga och personalinvesteringar, dock inte lika utmärkande när det kommer till miljö och socialt ansvar. Det finns ett behov att utveckla organisationernas gemensamma miljömässiga mål samt även förmedla dessa på ett bättre sätt inom sin organisation. Ett av företagen behöver även utveckla sin förmåga att utbilda sin personal då de saknar en stark utbildningskultur. Examensarbetets bidrag: Studien har bidragit med ökad förståelse för hur enskilda principer inom honungsbi-ledarskap kan studeras inom e-handelsorganisationer. Vår studie har även medverkat till ett bidrag om hur e-handelsledare investerar i sin personal genom att rekrytera och arbeta med personal som kan ta eget ansvar. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: För att stärka vår studie rekommenderar vi att den replikeras och jämförs mellan andra e-handelsföretag med utgångspunkt i samma tre principer. En mer övergripande studie om e-handelsföretag som inkluderar flertalet eller alla principer än de vi har valt ut skulle även vara av nytta för att få en helhetsbild av hur principerna påverkar varandra och hur e-handelsföretag arbetar med honungsbi-ledarskap. Nyckelord: Honungsbi-ledarskap, Hållbart ledarskap, E-handel, Innovationsförmåga, Investering i personal, Miljö och Socialt ansvar. / Abstract Title: Honeybee leadership in e-commerce businesses in Sweden - a study of sustainable leadership Level: Student thesis, final assignment for bachelor’s degree in business administration Author: Cecilia Rosen and Amarvir Singh Supervisor: Kristina Mickelsson and Agneta Sundström Date: 2019 - January Aim: The aim of the study is to gain further knowledge of how business leaders in e-commerce businesses in Sweden handle sustainability through honeybee leadership, aimed at innovation, environmental and social responsibility, and through investment in employees. Method: This study uses a qualitative method based on the hermeneutic approach. A comparative design is applied to compare the two selected e-commerce companies where 10 semi-structured interviews have been conducted with five managers and five employees. Respondents have received their own anonymity code in order not to be traceable back to them. Empirics: The interviews have been coded into 4 different themes with 3 categories developed from each theme to present the result of the study in a simpler way. These themes have received a separate headline to follow more easily, what has been found in the study. Conclusion: The study shows that business leaders in the e-commerce industry work consistently with innovation and personnel investments, but not as distinctive when it comes to environmental and social responsibility. There is a need to develop the common environmental goals of the organizations and to convey these in a better way within their organizations. One of the companies also showed the need to develop their ability to train their staff as they lack a strong educational culture. Contribution of the thesis: The study has contributed to an increased understanding of how individual principles in honeybee leadership can be studied within organizations. Our study has also contributed to an insight on how e-commerce managers invest in their staff by recruiting and working with staff who can take responsibility. Suggestions for future research: To strengthen our study, we recommend it to be replicated and compared with other e-commerce companies based on the same three principles. A more comprehensive study of e-commerce companies that include the majority, or all principles than those we have chosen, would also be useful to get an overall picture of how the principles affect each other and how e-commerce companies work with honeybee leadership. Key words: Honeybee Leadership, Sustainable Leadership, E-commerce, Innovation,Investment in Personnel, Environment and Social Responsibility.

Submitted by Ana Damasceno (ana.damasceno@unipampa.edu.br) on 2016-09-12T20:02:35Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Relação Da Nutrição Apícola Com A Microbiota Do Pólen E Do Sistema Digestório De Abelhas Melíferas Verificada Por Sequenciamento De Nova Geração.pdf: 2887795 bytes, checksum: 12218b912a445c8eb21706a94911e90f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-12T20:02:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Relação Da Nutrição Apícola Com A Microbiota Do Pólen E Do Sistema Digestório De Abelhas Melíferas Verificada Por Sequenciamento De Nova Geração.pdf: 2887795 bytes, checksum: 12218b912a445c8eb21706a94911e90f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-16 / A microbiota e os genes funcionais ativamente envolvidos no processo de decomposição e utilização de grãos de pólen em pão de mel e no trato digestório de abelha ainda não são completamente compreendidos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a estrutura e diversidade da comunidade de bactérias e Archaeas em amostrasde pão de mel e sistema digestório de abelhas africanizadas, bem como para prever os genes envolvido na bioprocessamento microbiano do pólen, usando a tecnologia de seqüenciamento de nova geração. Um total de 11 filos bacterianos foram encontrados dentro do sistema de digestório de abelhas e 10 filos bacterianos foram encontrado dentro pão de mel. Embora a comparação a nível de filo mostre mais filos em comum, a análise filogenética mais profunda mostrou maior variação de composição taxonômica. A família Enterobacteriaceae, Ricketsiaceae, Spiroplasmataceae e Bacillaceae, foram os principais grupos responsáveis por a especificidade do intestino de abelhas, enquanto as principais famílias responsáveis pela especificidade do pão de mel foram Neisseriaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, Acetobacteraceae e Lactobacillaceae. Em termos da estrutura da comunidade microbiana, a análise mostrou que as comunidades dos dois ambientes foram bastante diferentes umas das outras, com apenas 7% dos táxons a nível de espécies compartilhados entre o sitema digestório de abelhas e o pão de mel. Os resultados indicaram a presença de um elevado nível de especialização e uma microbiota intestinal bem adaptada dentro de cada abelha e do pão de mel.A comunidade associada ao pão de mel, apresentou maior abundância relativa de genes relacionados com a degradação de aminoácidos, carboidratos, e o metabolismo lipídico, sugerindo que biodegradação do pólen ocorre predominantemente pela microbiota associada ao pão de mel. Estes resultados sugerem uma complexa e importante relação entre nutrição de abelhas e suas comunidades microbianas. / The microbiota and the functional genes actively involved in the process of breakdown and utilization of pollen grains in beebread and beeguts are not yet understood. The aim of this work was to assess the diversity and community structure of bacteria and archaea in Africanized honeybee guts and beebread as well as to predict the genes involved in the microbial bioprocessing of pollen using state of the art ‘post-light’ based sequencing technology. A total of 11 bacterial phyla were found within bee guts and 10 bacterial phyla were found within beebread. Although the phylum level comparison shows most phyla in common, a deeper phylogenetic analysis showed greater variation of taxonomic composition. The families Enterobacteriaceae, Ricketsiaceae, Spiroplasmataceae and Bacillaceae, were the main groups responsible for the specificity of the bee gut while the main families responsible for the specificity of the beebread were Neisseriaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, Acetobacteraceae and Lactobacillaceae. In terms of microbial community structure, the analysis showed that the communities from the two environments were quite different from each other with only 7 % of species-level taxa shared between beegut and beebread. The results indicated the presence of a highly specialized and well-adapted microbiota within each bee gut and beebread. The beebread community included a greater relative abundance of genes related to amino acid, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism, suggesting that pollen biodegradation predominantly occurs in the beebread. These results suggests a complex and important relationship between honeybee nutrition and their microbial communities.

Submitted by Ana Damasceno (ana.damasceno@unipampa.edu.br) on 2016-07-21T18:21:38Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Relação Da Nutrição Apícola Com A Microbiota Do Pólen E Do Sistema Digestório De Abelhas Melíferas Verificada Por Sequenciamento De Nova Geração.pdf: 2887795 bytes, checksum: 12218b912a445c8eb21706a94911e90f (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Damasceno (ana.damasceno@unipampa.edu.br) on 2016-08-23T16:34:05Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Relação Da Nutrição Apícola Com A Microbiota Do Pólen E Do Sistema Digestório De Abelhas Melíferas Verificada Por Sequenciamento De Nova Geração.pdf: 2887795 bytes, checksum: 12218b912a445c8eb21706a94911e90f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-23T16:34:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Relação Da Nutrição Apícola Com A Microbiota Do Pólen E Do Sistema Digestório De Abelhas Melíferas Verificada Por Sequenciamento De Nova Geração.pdf: 2887795 bytes, checksum: 12218b912a445c8eb21706a94911e90f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-16 / A microbiota e os genes funcionais ativamente envolvidos no processo de decomposição e utilização de grãos de pólen em pão de mel e no trato digestório de abelha ainda não são completamente compreendidos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a estrutura e diversidade da comunidade de bactérias e Archaeas em amostrasde pão de mel e sistema digestório de abelhas africanizadas, bem como para prever os genes envolvido na bioprocessamento microbiano do pólen, usando a tecnologia de seqüenciamento de nova geração. Um total de 11 filos bacterianos foram encontrados dentro do sistema de digestório de abelhas e 10 filos bacterianos foram encontrado dentro pão de mel. Embora a comparação a nível de filo mostre mais filos em comum, a análise filogenética mais profunda mostrou maior variação de composição taxonômica. A família Enterobacteriaceae, Ricketsiaceae, Spiroplasmataceae e Bacillaceae, foram os principais grupos responsáveis por a especificidade do intestino de abelhas, enquanto as principais famílias responsáveis pela especificidade do pão de mel foram Neisseriaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, Acetobacteraceae e Lactobacillaceae. Em termos da estrutura da comunidade microbiana, a análise mostrou que as comunidades dos dois ambientes foram bastante diferentes umas das outras, com apenas 7% dos táxons a nível de espécies compartilhados entre o sitema digestório de abelhas e o pão de mel. Os resultados indicaram a presença de um elevado nível de especialização e uma microbiota intestinal bem adaptada dentro de cada abelha e do pão de mel.A comunidade associada ao pão de mel, apresentou maior abundância relativa de genes relacionados com a degradação de aminoácidos, carboidratos, e o metabolismo lipídico, sugerindo que biodegradação do pólen ocorre predominantemente pela microbiota associada ao pão de mel. Estes resultados sugerem uma complexa e importante relação entre nutrição de abelhas e suas comunidades microbianas. / The microbiota and the functional genes actively involved in the process of breakdown and utilization of pollen grains in beebread and beeguts are not yet understood. The aim of this work was to assess the diversity and community structure of bacteria and archaea in Africanized honeybee guts and beebread as well as to predict the genes involved in the microbial bioprocessing of pollen using state of the art ‘post-light’ based sequencing technology. A total of 11 bacterial phyla were found within bee guts and 10 bacterial phyla were found within beebread. Although the phylum level comparison shows most phyla in common, a deeper phylogenetic analysis showed greater variation of taxonomic composition. The families Enterobacteriaceae, Ricketsiaceae, Spiroplasmataceae and Bacillaceae, were the main groups responsible for the specificity of the bee gut while the main families responsible for the specificity of the beebread were Neisseriaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, Acetobacteraceae and Lactobacillaceae. In terms of microbial community structure, the analysis showed that the communities from the two environments were quite different from each other with only 7 % of species-level taxa shared between beegut and beebread. The results indicated the presence of a highly specialized and well-adapted microbiota within each bee gut and beebread. The beebread community included a greater relative abundance of genes related to amino acid, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism, suggesting that pollen biodegradation predominantly occurs in the beebread. These results suggests a complex and important relationship between honeybee nutrition and their microbial communities.

The remarkable olfactory power of insect species is thought to be generated by a combinatorial action of G-protein-coupled olfactory receptors (ORs) and olfactory carriers. Two such carrier gene families are found in insects: the odorant binding proteins (OBPs) and the chemosensory proteins (CSPs). In olfactory sensilla, OBPs and CSPs are believed to deliver hydrophobic air-borne molecules to ORs, but their expression in non-olfactory tissues suggests that they also may function as general carriers in other developmental and physiological processes. ¶ Bioinformatics and experimental approaches were used to characterise the OBP and CSP gene families in a highly social insect, the western honey bee (Apis mellifera). Comparison with other insects reveals that the honey bee has the smallest set of these genes, consisting of only 21 OBPs and 6 CSPs. These numbers stand in stark contrast to the 66 OBPs and 7 CSPs in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae and the 46 OBPs and 20 CSPs in the beetle Tribolium castaneum. The genes belonging to both families are often organised in clusters, and evolve by lineage specic expansions. Positive selection has been found to play a role in generating a greater sequence diversication in the OBP family in contrast to the CSP gene family that is more conserved, especially in the binding pocket. Expression proling under a wide range of conditions shows that, in the honey, bee only a minority of these genes are antenna-specic. The remaining genes are expressed either ubiquitously, or are tightly regulated in specialized tissues or during development. These findings support the view that OBPs and CSPs are not restricted to olfaction, and are likely to be involved in broader physiological functions. ¶ Finally, the detailed expression study and the functional characterization of a member of the CSP family, uth (unable-to-hatch), is reported. This gene is expressed in a maternal-zygotic fashion, and is restricted to the egg and embryo. Blocking the zygotic expression of uth with double-stranded RNA causes abnormalities in all body parts where this gene is highly expressed. The treated embryos are `unable-to-hatch' and cannot progress to the larval stages. Our ndings reveal a novel, essential role for this gene family and suggest that uth is an ectodermal gene involved in embryonic cuticle formation.

No description available.