H. Shimanuki

In vitro phagocytosis of Nosema apis spores by honey-bee hemocytes

Abstract Phagocytozed Nosema apis spores caused hemocytes of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, to rupture. This phenomenon may be responsible for the weakened state and the ensuing death of the insect.

Mineral requirements for brood-rearing by honeybees fed a synthetic diet.

SummaryHoneybees, Apis mellifera, fed a chemically defined diet containing 10 essential and 8 non-essential amino acids, and 10 water-soluble vitamins, were able to rear brood for 10 weeks. When this diet was improved by the addition of pollen ash, bees fed diets containing 1% ash reared more brood than bees fed only the synthetic diet or bees fed 0–5% or 2–8% pollen ash. Quantitative analysis by atomic absorption spectrophotometry revealed that pollen ash contained more potassium and less calcium and sodium than a commercial salt mixture.

Brood rearing and food consumption by honeybee colonies fed pollen substitutes supplemented with starch-encapsulated pollen extracts.

SummaryThe whole lipid fraction of fresh bee-collected pollen was encapsulated in a starch polymer and added to a whey-yeast pollen substitute. Honeybee colonies fed pollen substitute supplemented with 2, 4, 6 or 8% (dry weight) of the lipid reared significantly more brood to the sealed stage than did colonies fed the substitute without lipid. Colonies fed 2 or 4% lipid reared as much brood as colonies fed pollen. Addition of the starch-coated pollen lipid to the pollen substitute also improved its consumption, but not in proportion to the improvement in brood production; thus the pollen lipid may have influenced brood production directly as well as by increasing protein intake.

Coagulation of hemolymph of the larval honey bee (Apis mellifera L.)

Haemolymphe der HonigbieneApis mellifica wurde auf das Vorhandensein von verschiedenen Koagulantien untersucht, die im menschlichen Blut vorkommen. Die Haemolymphe gerann nicht, weil sie kein Proconvertin enthielt. Zudem konnte ein zirkulierendes Anticoagulans nachgewiesen werden.

Susceptibility of Bacillus Larvae to Ethylene Oxide and Tetracycline Hcl

SummaryIsolates of Bacillus larvae spores obtained from various geographical areas in the USA were surveyed as to susceptibility to tetracyline and to ethylene oxide (ETO). No evidence of resistance to tetracycline HCI was found, nor was there any difference in the resistance of isolates collected before and after tetracyclines were used to control bee diseases. When B. larvae spores from 28 of these sources were treated with ETO (450 mg. litre at 38°C and 50% RH), more than 99% of the spores were killed by a 60-min exposure, and only chance growth occurred after a 90-min exposure. There was no evidence of significant variations in the suceptibility of the various isolates of B. larvae to ETO.

Blood Cells of the Worker Honeybee

SummaryWorker honeybee haemolymph, or blood, was found to contain 7 types of haemocytes and 2 kinds of stem cells. However, not all 7 types are present at any one life stage of the insect.

Total hemocyte counts of honey bee larvae (Apis mellifera L.) from various elevations

Ausgewertet wurde die Gesamtzahl der Hemocyten (GZH) von Proben von Honigbienenlarven, die aus verschiedenen Höhenregionen in Bereichen von 48 bis 2160 m über dem Meeresspiegel stammten. Die Untersuchung des Zusammenhanges der beiden Grössen mittels Regressionsanalyse mit logarithmischer Auftragung von log10 GZH gegen log10 Meereshöhe ergaben eine deutliche Beziehung zwischen der Zahl der Hemocyten pro mm3 und der Meereshöhe, aus der die Insekten entnommen wurden.

Effect of the Size of Outdoor Flight Cages on Brood Rearing and Food Consumption by Honeybees

SummarySmall colonies were maintained for 10 weeks in outdoor flight cages of various sizes. Both brood rearing and food consumption decreased significantly with cage size, and were significantly correlated. Colonies maintained in the largest cage (3·6 m3) behaved similarly to free-flying controls, and 1·8 m3 cages were less satisfactory. Bees housed in small cages reared brood only for some weeks (7 in 0·23 m3, 3 in 0·03 m3); in the smallest cage many adult bees died initially, and flight behaviour was absent or abnormal.