How does in vitro rearing affect the morphology of adult bees?

The body size and condition of western honey bees (Apis mellifera) can be significantly affected by environmental features – such as temperature and nutrition.

Honey bee larvae are often reared artificially to measure the risks posed to developing bees from potential stressors like pesticides and pathogens. To make sure artificial rearing is a reliable tool for future research, a greater understanding of the physiology of bees that result from in vitro rearing is needed. Key to this understanding is determining how in vitro rearing affects the morphology of adult bees.

This study, a collaboration between scientists from Plant & Food Research and research partners in the US, examined the dry body weights and morphologies of adult worker bees reared in vitro and compared these with bees reared in a hive.

The researchers did not find an effect of artificial rearing on hind wing length, basitarsus length, or head width. However, the study did indicate a reduction in dry body weight, forewing length and width, and hypopharyngeal gland size when bees are reared in vitro. Several factors may contribute to these differences – such as the in vitro diet and/or physical environment. These morphological changes could cause changes in the behaviour of bees reared in vitro (for example nursing behaviour).

Journal Reference:Mortensen A, Bruckner S, Williams G, Ellis J 2019. Comparative morphology of adult honey bees, Apis mellifera, reared in vitro or by their parental colony. Journal of Apicultural Research. Vol 8 (4) https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2019.1616976