Reproductive responses to photoperiod and temperature by artificially hibernated bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) queens

Md Ruhul Amin, Sang Jae Suh, Yong Jung Kwon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Post-hibernated bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) queens were kept for 1 week under photoperiodic conditions of 8 h light : 16 h dark, and at four different temperatures (24, 28, 32 and 36°C). The reproductive performance of the queens was then observed. It was found that exposure temperature and hibernation duration did not affect the oviposition rate. The pre-oviposition period was found to be shortest (3.8 ± 0.7 days) for queens that had hibernated for 4.0 months and had been activated at 28°C. Timing of the initiation of the switch-point was not affected by exposure temperature and hibernation duration. Significantly higher numbers of workers (268.0 ± 31.4) and sexual queens (119.3 ± 16.8) were produced by the queens that had hibernated for 3.0 months and had been activated at 28 and 36°C, respectively. The queens that had hibernated for 4.0 months and had been activated at 36°C produced the highest number of males (296.2 ± 32.3).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)250-256
Number of pages7
JournalEntomological Research
Volume38
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2008

Keywords

  • Bombus terrestris
  • Photoperiod
  • Temperature

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