<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Honey bee workers (<italic>Apis mellifera</italic> L.) collect nectar, honeydew and pollen from plants in orderto provide the colony with, among others, carbohydrates and protein. Whenever these sources are unavailable in the environment, bees turn to alternatives. An example of this are fungi spores collected accidentally or on purpose. This last phenomenon is the aim of this study, in which we have shown that worker bees can collect willow rust (<italic>Melampsora</italic> spp.) spores. We observed as the bees obtained spores and placed them in pollen baskets. The presence of spores was demonstrated with the use of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). This observation indicates that the honey bee may use alternative sources as a potential supplement. There are few studies in this field and it requires a deeper analysis.</p>
</abstract>

Honey bee workers (Apis mellifera L.) collect nectar, honeydew and pollen from plants in orderto provide the colony with, among others, carbohydrates and protein. Whenever these sources are unavailable in the environment, bees turn to alternatives. An example of this are fungi spores collected accidentally or on purpose. This last phenomenon is the aim of this study, in which we have shown that worker bees can collect willow rust (Melampsora spp.) spores. We observed as the bees obtained spores and placed them in pollen baskets. The presence of spores was demonstrated with the use of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). This observation indicates that the honey bee may use alternative sources as a potential supplement. There are few studies in this field and it requires a deeper analysis.

Case of Willow Rust Spores (<italic>Melampsora</italic> Spp.) Collected by Honey Bees

Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences

Journal of Apicultural Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Case of Willow Rust Spores ( Spp.) Collected by Honey Bees

Honey bee workers (Apis mellifera L.) collect nectar, honeydew and pollen from plants in orderto provide the colony with, among others, carbohydrates and...

Case of Willow Rust Spores (Melampsora Spp.) Collected by Honey Bees

Pubblicato online: 27 giu 2024

Pagine: 71 - 74

Ricevuto: 20 nov 2023

Accettato: 27 mar 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jas-2024-0003

Parole chiave
fungi spores, honey bee workers, SEM

© 2024 Paweł Migdał et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Case of Willow Rust Spores (Melampsora Spp.) Collected by Honey Bees

Pubblicato online: 27 giu 2024

Pagine: 71 - 74

Ricevuto: 20 nov 2023

Accettato: 27 mar 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jas-2024-0003

Parole chiavefungi spores, honey bee workers, SEM

© 2024 Paweł Migdał et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Parole chiave
fungi spores, honey bee workers, SEM