Domínguez-Ayala R., Moo-Valle H., May-Itzá W. de J., Medina-Peralta S., Quezada-Euán, J. J. G. (2016) Stock composition of northern neotropical honey bees: mitotype and morphotype diversity in México (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Apidologie 47: 642-652

 Abstract – The stock of honey bees in the northern neotropics is likely a composite of European and African lineages, but the genetic makeup of most populations in this region has remained unstudied.We analyzed the genetic composition of honey bees across temperate and tropical regions of Mexico using mitochondrial and morphometric analyses. The results showed that honey bees from Mexico are descendent almost in similar proportion from matrilines of African and European origins. However, morphometrics indicate that most colonies are the result of extensive introgressive hybridization with Africanized bees.While large-scale displacement of European honey bees seems to have occurred in the tropical regions, higher frequencies of colonies with a mixed range of African- European markers were identified in the temperate areas. Our results suggest that the outcome of the hybridization between Africanized and European honey bees in Mexico has been significantly associated with climate.

PDF Apidologie

Fernando Amin Fleites Ayil

Tesis de Maestría: Efecto de Nosema ceranae sobre el comportamiento de forrajeo de la abeja melífera africanizada (Apis mellifera) bajo condiciones tropicales.

Asesores: Dr Luis Medina Medina  y Dr J Javier Quezada Euán

Fecha de examen: 26 de Nov. del 2015.
 

DFG PROJECT 

TITLE: Phenotypic plasticity and reproduction-longevity life-history trade-off: investigating the underlying basis in an orchid bee at the cusp of sociality

In collaboration with , MLU Halle-Wittenberg Project Leader: Professor Robert J. Paxton

Summary: Socially polymorphic species, in which different members of the same species exhibit either solitary or social behaviour, provide unrivalled model systems for exploring the role of sociality in fundamental biological processes. Using a socially polymorphic orchid bee species which can be induced to nest in artificial observation boxes in the field, we shall describe the gene expression profiles of solitary and social (worker and queen) phenotypes to identify key genes underpinning the genetic bauplan of eusociality. By experimentally enhancing/diminishing brood food, we shall test the longevity-reproduction trade-off in the solitary phenotype and test whether there exists a longevity-reproduction correlation in the eusocial phenotype, and use gene expression profiles to identify its genetic basis.

Estancia para desarrollo de Tesis y Práctica Profesional  

P. Ing. Agrónomo Jorge Luis Hernández Vilchez

Universidad Nacional de Agricultura Catacamas, Olancho, HONDURAS

 Titulo de tesis: EFECTO DE LA EDAD EN LA MIGRACIÓN Y CONCENTRACIÓN ESPERMÁTICA EN ABEJAS REINAS DE Apis mellifera INSEMINADAS INSTRUMENTALMENTE EN ÉPOCA DE ESCASEZ DE RECURSOS EN YUCATÁN, MÉXICO 

Octubre 2015 a 25 Enero 2016

Tutor: M en C Chavier de Araujo Freitas

Reconocimiento Institucional a la trayectoria y legado del MVZ Jorge González Acereto

El Dr José de Jesús Williams (Rector de la UADY) y el M en C Marco Torres León (Director del campus) entregaron un reconocimiento a los 30 años de trayectoria incansable promoviendo la conservación de las abejas nativas y la cultura Maya en México y fuera de nuestras fronteras al académico Jorge Angel González Acereto. Con motivo del 45 aniversario de la fundación de la Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria se develó una placa con su nombre en el Meliponario del Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias en la UADY.

P Brand, SR Ramírez, F Leese, JJG Quezada-Euan, R Tollrian, T Eltz (2015) Rapid evolution of chemosensory receptor genes in a pair of sibling species of orchid bees (Apidae: Euglossini)

 Abstract

Background

Insects rely more on chemical signals (semiochemicals) than on any other sensory modality to find, identify, and choose mates. In most insects, pheromone production is typically regulated through biosynthetic pathways, whereas pheromone sensory detection is controlled by the olfactory system. Orchid bees are exceptional in that their semiochemicals are not produced metabolically, but instead male bees collect odoriferous compounds (perfumes) from the environment and store them in specialized hind-leg pockets to subsequently expose during courtship display. Thus, the olfactory sensory system of orchid bees simultaneously controls male perfume traits (sender components) and female preferences (receiver components). This functional linkage increases the opportunities for parallel evolution of male traits and female preferences, particularly in response to genetic changes of chemosensory detection (e.g. Odorant Receptor genes). To identify whether shifts in pheromone composition among related lineages of orchid bees are associated with divergence in chemosensory genes of the olfactory periphery, we searched for patterns of divergent selection across the antennal transcriptomes of two recently diverged sibling species Euglossa dilemma and E. viridissima.

Results

We identified 3185 orthologous genes including 94 chemosensory loci from five different gene families (Odorant Receptors, Ionotropic Receptors, Gustatory Receptors, Odorant Binding Proteins, and Chemosensory Proteins). Our results revealed that orthologs with signatures of divergent selection between E. dilemma and E. viridissima were significantly enriched for chemosensory genes. Notably, elevated signals of divergent selection were almost exclusively observed among chemosensory receptors (i.e. Odorant Receptors).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that rapid changes in the chemosensory gene family occurred among closely related species of orchid bees. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that strong divergent selection acting on chemosensory receptor genes plays an important role in the evolution and diversification of insect pheromone systems.

PDF BMC Evol Biol

 

 

 

 

3rd. IPBES meeting Pollinators, pollination and Food Production - Rome  27-31 July