Do rebel workers in the honeybee Apis mellifera avoid worker policing?

doi:10.1007/s13592-019-00689-6

Do rebel workers in the honeybee Apis mellifera avoid worker policing?

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Do rebel workers in the honeybee Apis mellifera avoid worker policing?

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punktacja MNiSW [2019]: 140

title:	Do rebel workers in the honeybee Apis mellifera avoid worker policing?
author:	Rojek Wiktoria , Kuszewska Karolina , Ostap-Chęć Monika , Woyciechowski Michał
journal title:	Apidologie
volume:	50
issue:	6
date of publication :	2019
pages:	821-832
ISSN:	0044-8435
eISSN:	1297-9678
DOI:	10.1007/s13592-019-00689-6
language:	English
journal language:	English
abstract in English:	A recent study showed that worker larvae fed in a queenless colony develop into another female polyphenic form - rebel workers. The rebel workers are more queen-like than normal workers because they have higher reproductive potential revealed by more ovarioles in their ovaries. However, it was unclear whether eggs laid by rebel workers avoided worker policing. Worker-laid eggs are normally eaten by other workers in a queenright colony. The aim of this study was to compare the survival of three classes of eggs, namely, those laid by normal workers, rebel workers, and the queen. All eggs were tested in queenright colonies. We expected that rebel workers would avoid policing by laying more queen-like eggs. Contrary to our expectations, eggs laid by rebel workers were eaten by other workers, as were eggs laid by normal workers, and only a few worker-laid eggs (both normal and rebel) survived for more than 3 h. Therefore, in a queenright colony, eggs laid by rebel workers do not avoid policing.
keywords in English:	worker policing, rebel workers, laying workers, Apis mellifera
affiliation:	Wydział Biologii : Instytut Nauk o Środowisku
type:	journal article
subtype:	academic paper