Do Glycogen Content and Thermal Preference in Worker Bees Vary Depending on Geographical Origin? A Comparison of Carniolan Honeybees, Central European Honeybees and Caucasian Honeybees

Przemysław Grodzicki (), Joanna Bacia, Katarzyna Piątkowska and Bartosz Piechowicz
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Przemysław Grodzicki: Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, N. Copernicus University, 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Joanna Bacia: Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, N. Copernicus University, 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Katarzyna Piątkowska: Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, N. Copernicus University, 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Bartosz Piechowicz: Department of Animal Physiology and Reproduction, Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Rzeszów, 2, 36-100 Rzeszów, Poland

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-11

Abstract: Among the honeybee subspecies, Polish beekeepers most commonly rear three of them, i.e., Apis mellifera carnica , A. m. mellifera and A. m. caucasica . They differ in morphological and physiological features. Our goal was to find a linkage between their thermal behaviour and body glycogen content that could be decisive for their wintering perspective. We compared the temperature preference and body glycogen concentration in six honeybee groups of three subspecies obtained from hives in two seasons, on 12 May 2021 (summer bees) and on 20 September 2020 (autumn bees preparing for wintering). In the Carniolan and Central European honeybees, the glycogen content in worker bodies was higher in autumn bees preparing for wintering than in summer bees. The Caucasian honeybee deviated from this pattern. The choice of ambient temperature by a given subspecies depended neither on the season nor the geographical race.

Keywords: Apis mellifera; glycogen; subspecies; thermoregulatory behaviour (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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