Hygroregulation, a key ability for eusocial insects: Native Western European honeybees as a case study.
Sociality has brought many advantages to various hymenoptera species, including their ability of regulating physical factors in their nest (e.g., temperature). Although less studied, humidity is known to be important for egg, larval and pupal development, and also for nectar concentration. Two subsp...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2019-01-01
|
Series: | PLoS ONE |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200048 |
id |
doaj-de5538b4a65747a78b8f472c0cea7926 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-de5538b4a65747a78b8f472c0cea79262021-03-03T20:53:56ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032019-01-01142e020004810.1371/journal.pone.0200048Hygroregulation, a key ability for eusocial insects: Native Western European honeybees as a case study.Iris EouzanLionel GarneryM Alice PintoDamien DelalandeCátia J NevesFrancis FabreJérôme LesobreSylvie HouteAndone EstonbaIratxe MontesTélesphore Sime-NgandoDavid G BironSociality has brought many advantages to various hymenoptera species, including their ability of regulating physical factors in their nest (e.g., temperature). Although less studied, humidity is known to be important for egg, larval and pupal development, and also for nectar concentration. Two subspecies of Apis mellifera of the M evolutionary lineage were used as models to test the ability of a superorganism (i.e. honeybee colony) to regulate the humidity in its nest (i.e. "hygroregulation hypothesis") in four conservation centers: two in France (A. m. mellifera) and two in Portugal (A. m. iberiensis). We investigated the ability of both subspecies to regulate the humidity in hives daily, but also during the seasons for one complete year. Our data and statistical analysis demonstrated the capacity of the bees to regulate humidity in their hive, regardless of the day, season or subspecies. Furthermore, the study showed that humidity in beehives is stable even during winter, when brood is absent, and when temperature is known to be less stable in the beehives. These results suggest that humidity is important for honeybees at every life stage, maybe because of the 'imprint' of the evolutionary history of this hymenopteran lineage.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200048 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Iris Eouzan Lionel Garnery M Alice Pinto Damien Delalande Cátia J Neves Francis Fabre Jérôme Lesobre Sylvie Houte Andone Estonba Iratxe Montes Télesphore Sime-Ngando David G Biron |
spellingShingle |
Iris Eouzan Lionel Garnery M Alice Pinto Damien Delalande Cátia J Neves Francis Fabre Jérôme Lesobre Sylvie Houte Andone Estonba Iratxe Montes Télesphore Sime-Ngando David G Biron Hygroregulation, a key ability for eusocial insects: Native Western European honeybees as a case study. PLoS ONE |
author_facet |
Iris Eouzan Lionel Garnery M Alice Pinto Damien Delalande Cátia J Neves Francis Fabre Jérôme Lesobre Sylvie Houte Andone Estonba Iratxe Montes Télesphore Sime-Ngando David G Biron |
author_sort |
Iris Eouzan |
title |
Hygroregulation, a key ability for eusocial insects: Native Western European honeybees as a case study. |
title_short |
Hygroregulation, a key ability for eusocial insects: Native Western European honeybees as a case study. |
title_full |
Hygroregulation, a key ability for eusocial insects: Native Western European honeybees as a case study. |
title_fullStr |
Hygroregulation, a key ability for eusocial insects: Native Western European honeybees as a case study. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Hygroregulation, a key ability for eusocial insects: Native Western European honeybees as a case study. |
title_sort |
hygroregulation, a key ability for eusocial insects: native western european honeybees as a case study. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
series |
PLoS ONE |
issn |
1932-6203 |
publishDate |
2019-01-01 |
description |
Sociality has brought many advantages to various hymenoptera species, including their ability of regulating physical factors in their nest (e.g., temperature). Although less studied, humidity is known to be important for egg, larval and pupal development, and also for nectar concentration. Two subspecies of Apis mellifera of the M evolutionary lineage were used as models to test the ability of a superorganism (i.e. honeybee colony) to regulate the humidity in its nest (i.e. "hygroregulation hypothesis") in four conservation centers: two in France (A. m. mellifera) and two in Portugal (A. m. iberiensis). We investigated the ability of both subspecies to regulate the humidity in hives daily, but also during the seasons for one complete year. Our data and statistical analysis demonstrated the capacity of the bees to regulate humidity in their hive, regardless of the day, season or subspecies. Furthermore, the study showed that humidity in beehives is stable even during winter, when brood is absent, and when temperature is known to be less stable in the beehives. These results suggest that humidity is important for honeybees at every life stage, maybe because of the 'imprint' of the evolutionary history of this hymenopteran lineage. |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200048 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT iriseouzan hygroregulationakeyabilityforeusocialinsectsnativewesterneuropeanhoneybeesasacasestudy AT lionelgarnery hygroregulationakeyabilityforeusocialinsectsnativewesterneuropeanhoneybeesasacasestudy AT malicepinto hygroregulationakeyabilityforeusocialinsectsnativewesterneuropeanhoneybeesasacasestudy AT damiendelalande hygroregulationakeyabilityforeusocialinsectsnativewesterneuropeanhoneybeesasacasestudy AT catiajneves hygroregulationakeyabilityforeusocialinsectsnativewesterneuropeanhoneybeesasacasestudy AT francisfabre hygroregulationakeyabilityforeusocialinsectsnativewesterneuropeanhoneybeesasacasestudy AT jeromelesobre hygroregulationakeyabilityforeusocialinsectsnativewesterneuropeanhoneybeesasacasestudy AT sylviehoute hygroregulationakeyabilityforeusocialinsectsnativewesterneuropeanhoneybeesasacasestudy AT andoneestonba hygroregulationakeyabilityforeusocialinsectsnativewesterneuropeanhoneybeesasacasestudy AT iratxemontes hygroregulationakeyabilityforeusocialinsectsnativewesterneuropeanhoneybeesasacasestudy AT telesphoresimengando hygroregulationakeyabilityforeusocialinsectsnativewesterneuropeanhoneybeesasacasestudy AT davidgbiron hygroregulationakeyabilityforeusocialinsectsnativewesterneuropeanhoneybeesasacasestudy |
_version_ |
1714819948823445504 |