Vol.51 No.1 2007 Content Teresa Szczęsna - Concentration of selected elements in honeybee-collected pollen 5 Teresa Szczęsna - Study on the sugar composition of honeybee-collected pollen 15 Helena Rybak-Chmielewska - High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) study of sugar composition in some kinds of natural honey and winter stores processed by bees from starch syrup 23 Helena Rybak-Chmielewska - Changes in the carbohydrate composition of honey undergoing during storage 39 Piotr Rostecki, Jerzy Samborski, Jarosław Prabucki, Bożena Chuda-Mickiewicz - A comparison of various hardware for the measurement of the cubital index 49 Monika Fliszkiewicz, Zdzisław Wilkaniec - Fatty acids and amino acids in the fat body of bumblebee Bombus terrestris (L.) in diapausing and non-diapausing queens 55 Waldemar Celary, Bogdan Wiśniowski - Contribution to the bee fauna (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) of Poland. III. 65 Krzysztof Olszewski - Winter-hardiness of buckfast bees under specific weather conditions of areas with alternating influences of maritime and continental climate 73 Jolanta Bąk, Tadeusz Pawlikowski - Bumblebees and cuckoo-bumblebees (Apiformes: Bombini) of undergrowth and grassland - herbs forest environments in the territory of the Świętokrzyski National Park 83 Krystyna Żółtowska, Zbigniew Lipiński, Marek Farjan - Activity of selected hydrolases in ontogeny of drone Apis mellifera carnica 95 Zbigniew Lipiński - The calming nature of reproductory dominance of the queen in the honeybee colony (Apis mellifera L.) 101 Tadeusz Pawlikowski, Mieczysław Biliński, Andrzej Kosior, Jan Fijał - Site constancy of bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apiformes: Bombus Latr.) in the habitats of two forest successional series of the Western Carpathians 109 CONCENTRATION OF SELECTED ELEMENTS IN HONEYBEE-COLLECTED POLLEN Teresa Szczęsna Summary The objective of the study was to investigate the macro- and micro-nutrient composition of the multifloral pollen harvested in different countries (Poland, South Korea and China). A total of 27 pollen samples collected by bees as pollen loads were included in the study. The material was assayed for the contents of dry matter, total ash and selected elements. The contents were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) following wet digestion of the samples with concentrated sulfuric and nitric acids. In the honeybee-collected pollen samples from different countries the following minerals were assayed: calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), sodium (Na) and potassium (K). Potassium followed by magnesium, sodium and calcium occur in the highest concentrations. Potassium accounted for as much as 59% of total assayed minerals, magnesium for 18%, sodium for 12%, calcium for 8% and the remaining elements jointly about 3%. The contents of elements in the samples can be put in the following decreasing order: K>Mg>Na>Ca>Fe>Mn>Zn>Cu. In addition, it was found that contents of ash and of the minerals varied substantially from sample-to-sample which could be related to different botanical origin. Pollen samples harvested in Poland, as compared to those from other countries, were characterized by a significantly higher content of calcium, samples from China had a significantly higher content of sodium, potassium and manganese and samples from South Korea were significantly higher in zinc and iron. Of all the minerals under investigation manganese showed the highest variation. Pollen harvested by bees as pollen loads, due to its high content of minerals, can be used by man as a natural source of minerals. Keywords: pollen loads, ash, macro- and micro-nutrients, botanical origin, AAS. Full text PDF Back to the top STUDY ON THE SUGAR COMPOSITION OF HONEYBEE-COLLECTED POLLEN Teresa Szczęsna Summary The aim of this study was to investigate the sugar composition in bee pollen collected in different countries (Poland, South Korea and China). A total of 27 pollen samples collected by bees as pollen loads was included in the study. The collected material was assayed for dry matter content and sugar composition using HPLC technique. The study showed that sugar content of pollen loads dry matter averages 40%. Fructose to be the sugar occurring in the greatest amounts. It accounted for 46% of the total sugar content of the examined samples. The second highest sugar content - 37% - was that of glucose. Monosaccharides expressed as total fructose and glucose accounted for about 83% of the carbohydrate fraction of pollen. Of the assayed disaccharides sucrose accounted for 8% and maltose for 7%, and the remaining disaccharides (trehalose and turanose) for about 1% each. Chemical composition of bee-collected pollen varied substantially with regard to saccharide content which was probably due to its different botanical origin. As compared to pollen loads samples from South Korea and China those collected in Poland had a significantly higher fructose to glucose ratio. Keywords: pollen loads, sugars, composition, botanical origin, HPLC. Full text PDF Back to the top HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY (HPLC) STUDY OF SUGAR COMPOSITION IN SOME KINDS OF NATURAL HONEY AND WINTER STORES PROCESSED BY BEES FROM STARCH SYRUP Helena Rybak-Chmielewska Summary Sugar composition was determined in three groups of products: starch (maltose) syrup produced in Poland from wheat starch (for several years beekeepers have been trying to use it as bee food), winter store made from the syrup by bees and honey. Winter stores were analyzed in three subgroups: subgroup 1 - material collected from honeycombs of bee colonies two months after the syrup was fed to the bees in autumn (end of October of 2004); subgroup 2 - material collected from the same bee colonies following seven months of feeding (spring of 2005); subgroup 3 - samples of winter stores which crystallized in the combs collected most of the time in early spring of 2006 (sent in by beekeepers from different regions of Poland from the season of 2005/2006). Sugar content assays were made by HPLC with a refractometer detector according to Bogdanov et al. (1997). The following sugars were assayed and compared: glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, isomal- tose, turanose and trehalose. Significant differences were found for the contents of individual sugars in the stores made from syrup vs. those in the honey. Routine HPLC assays of sugars can be helpful in the identification of products made by bees from maltose syrups. The main distinguisher for those products was fructose content (lower than that in honey by 32%), high maltose content (over 5%) and low fructose to glucose (F/G) ratio (0.76 when averaged across subgroups) whereas in honey samples it was 1.18 on average. The lowest values of that parameter were found for rape honey averaging 0.98%. Another problem explained by the study was that of the crystallization of stores processed from maltose syrup following their depositing in the combs as winter storage. The crystallization occurred only in part of the apiaries that were fed maltose syrup in the season of 2005/2006. It was found in that group of samples that fructose content was significantly lower and that of glucose significantly higher than in the remaining ones (non-crystallized or partly crystallized). According to Ohe von der and Schönberger (2000) the critical point for at which a solution becomes saturated with glucose is 32 g/100 g and once that concentration is exceeded crystallization occurs. In the examined samples the concentration of glucose averaged as much as 38.98%. It caused the sugar to crystallize already in the comb cells. In the apiaries in which crystallization of maltose syrup derived stores occurred there were conditions which favoured enzymatic hydrolysis of complex sugars to simple ones. Of particular importance here is the breakdown of maltose which occurred in mal- tose syrup at a relatively high concentration of ca. 20%. The process caused glucose concentration to rise rapidly whereas accidentally more favourable weather conditions, earlier feeding of bees to prepare them for wintering, exceptionally strong colonies and other factors coincided to accelerate enzymatic hydrolysis of complex sugars thereby causing rapid crystallization of the stores. The bees processed the fed syrup so thoroughly that it led to excessive glucose concentration and consequently, to glucose crystallization in comb cells. Keywords: honey, starch syrup, wintering of bees, carbohydrates, crystallization, HPLC, adulteration. Full text PDF Back to the top CHANGES IN THE CARBOHYDRATE COMPOSITION OF HONEY UNDERGOING DURING STORAGE Helena Rybak-Chmielewska Summary Changes undergoing in the composition of honey during a half-year storage time of that product at temperatures of 20°C ą2°C and 4°C ą2°C were determined. The samples were also checked for any possible changes that could have been brought about by the thermal stabilization treatment which was performed according to the standard PN-88/A-77626 "Miód pszczeli" (Honeybee Honey) at a temperature of 100°C (in a boiling water bath) for 15 minutes. The study indicates that a honey sample can be protected against changes in carbohydrate contents for half a year by storing it in a refrigerator (in this particular experiment at 4°C ą2°C). At room temperature, during a half-year storage period of honey samples the greatest changes were recorded in sucrose content. Sucrose content dropped by as much as 79% compared to its initial value. Thermal stabilization process itself did not bring about any change in the content of the sugars tested. The stabilization of honey samples to be assayed for sugar contents proved to be warranted if the samples were to be exposed to uncontrolled ambient temperatures during storage and transport. Based on the results obtained the preparation of the reference material from honey stabilized and stored at a temperature of 4°C for up to 24 weeks was adopted for the HPLC - based research protocol to determine sugar contents. Storage of honey samples to be assayed for sugar contents and as well as that of check samples should be also performed at a low temperature (of ca. 4°C). A prerequisite to obtain comparable results of sugar content assays of honey is to observe constant and low temperatures during storage and transport of honey samples to be tested. It is of particular importance when samples for sucrose assays are handled. The assays of fructose, glucose, sucrose, turanose, maltose, isomaltose, trehalose and melezitose with erlose were run using HPLC with a refractometer detector according to Bogdanov et al. (1997). Keywords: honey, carbohydrate, thermal stabilization, storage, reference material, changes. Full text PDF Back to the top A COMPARISON OF VARIOUS HARDWARE FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF THE CUBITAL INDEX Piotr Rostecki, Jerzy Samborski, Jarosław Prabucki, Bożena Chuda-Mickiewicz Summary The common availability of hardware offers a possibility of its application in various areas of life, including morphological measurements. The application of appropriate software and commonly available office scanners enables considerable simplification of work. This study addresses a comparison of the cubital index measured with three methods. Control measurement of a preparation was carried out in triplicate with the most known method, i.e. by means of a microscope. Next, measurements of three different preparations (each in three repetitions) were performed on two types of monitors and scanners. The highest value of the cubital index, i.e. 1.92, was obtained in the microscopic measurement, whereas its values obtained from a computer measurement ranged from 1.65 at the resolution of 600 dpi and CRT type monitor to 1.85 at the resolution of 4800dpi and LCD type monitor. It can be concluded, thus, that the value most similar to that obtained in the microscopic measurement is obtained with the latter equipment combination. The statistical analysis of results demonstrated no significant difference between the types of monitors used or statistically significant differences between the applied scanning resolutions. It should be assumed, therefore, that increasing the scanning resolution affects higher accuracy of measurement, whereas the application of a scanner with the resolution of 4800 dpi enables obtaining satisfactory results. Keywords: bee, cubital index, index values, morphology, office scanner. Full text PDF Back to the top FATTY ACIDS AND AMINO ACIDS IN THE FAT BODY OF BUMBLEBEE Bombus terrestris (L.) IN DIAPAUSING AND NON-DIAPAUSING QUEENS Monika Fliszkiewicz, Zdzisław Wilkaniec Summary In a closed culture, young inseminated bumblebee queens have been observed not to fall into the state of diapause, which leads to losses in rearing. One of the conditions necessary for the inseminated queens to pass into a state of hibernation is the accumulation of an appropriate quantity of fat body. The present study was aimed at comparing the dry matter content of the fat body as well as its amino acid and fatty acid composition in diapausing and non-diapausing bumblebee queens from artificial culture. The obtained results demonstrated that the diapausing queens were characterized by a higher mean content of dry matter in the fat body and a higher content of fat in dry matter as compared to non-diapausing ones. No differences were observed, however, in the contents of fatty acids in the fat body. In contrast, contents of amino acids in the fat body appeared to differ between both groups of queens examined, yet only in the case of serine, cystine, glycine and alanine. Keywords: large earth bumblebee, Bombus terrestris (L.), diapause, fat body. Full text PDF Back to the top CONTRIBUTION TO THE BEE FAUNA (HYMENOPTERA: APOIDEA: ANTHOPHILA) OF POLAND. III. Waldemar Celary, Bogdan Wiśniowski Summary The article presents new records of 10 very rare species of long-tongued bees (Megachilidae and Apidae), known so far from only single localities in Poland: Stelis odontopyga Noskiewicz, 1925; Hoplitis claviventris Thomson, 1872; Hoplitis papaveris Latreille, 1799; Ammobates punctatus Fabricius, 1804; Nomada bifasciata Olivier, 1811; Nomada errans Lepeletier, 1841; Nomada facilis Schwarz, 1967; Nomada furva Panzer, 1798; Nomada obscura Zetterstedt, 1838 and Nomada opaca Alfken, 1913. For each and every species the following information is given: Polish localities (with UTM coordinates), distribution, as well as bionomics. Keywords: Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Megachilidae, Apidae, distribution, bionomics, Poland. Full text PDF Back to the top WINTER-HARDINESS OF BUCKFAST BEES UNDER SPECIFIC WEATHER CONDITIONS OF AREAS WITH ALTERNATING INFLUENCES OF MARITIME AND CONTINENTAL CLIMATE Krzysztof Olszewski Summary The objective of the research was the assessment of winter-hardiness of Buckfast (Bcf) bees in eastern Poland. Bcf colonies with instrumentally inseminated queens were assessed in comparison with hybrid colonies: Norwegian black bee queens instrumentally inseminated with Caucasian drones of the Woźnica line (nor x cau), 10 colonies per each of these two groups. Five colonies of each group overwintered with insulation and the other 5 without insulation of nests. Winter-hardiness was assessed on the basis of the number of dead bees collected from hive bottoms, and the number of bees that were leaving hives in wintertime, and on the degree of colony infestation by Nosema apis. Also the reactions of overwintering colonies to weather conditions were analyzed. Springtime colony development was assessed on the basis of the measurements of brood area and on brood increase between the measurements. The number of populated combs was considered to be the measure of colony strength. In Bcf colonies the number of dead bees per one comb was lower and no effect of the overwintering method was found on the number of bees that left the hives in winter. The reaction of Bcf bees to adverse weather conditions during the overwintering was weaker than that of nor x cau. Bcf colonies needed a larger food reserve than nor x cau, but that fact resulted from bigger colony strength and earlier commencement of intensive brood rearing. Both groups were characterized with similar degree of Nosema apis infestation. In spring Bcf developed intensively and built strong colonies, and harder overwintering conditions resulting from the lack of insulation exerted a positive influence on the pace of their springtime colony development, which was not observed in nor x cau. Bcf bees proved to be resistant to weather conditions of eastern Poland. As far as overwintering and springtime colony development are concerned, Bcf bees meet the expectations of beekeepers from the Lublin region, where satisfactory making use of the early nectar flow is dependent on the favourable overwintering and intensive springtime colony development. In the process of feeding Bcf bees the increased food consumption in winter, which results from the early commencement of intensive brood rearing, should be taken into consideration. Keywords: Buckfast, winter-hardiness, weather conditions. Full text PDF Back to the top BUMBLEBEES AND CUCKOO-BUMBLEBEES (Apiformes: Bombini) OF UNDERGROWTH AND GRASSLAND - HERBS FOREST ENVIRONMENTS IN THE TERRITORY OF THE ŚWIĘTOKRZYSKI NATIONAL PARK Jolanta Bąk, Tadeusz Pawlikowski Summary In the years 2001 and 2002, from April till the end of September, bumblebees and cuckoo-bumblebees (Bombini) were studied on 13 sites in the Świętokrzyski National Park. The study aimed at presenting the dynamics of the community structure of these insects in anthropogenically differentiated forest communities of the Park. In total, 11 species of bumblebees (Bombus Latr.) and five species of cuckoo-bumblebees (Psithyrus Lep.) were recorded in the study area. Bombus pascuorum (Scop.), B. lucorum (L.), B. pratorum (L.), Ps. bohemicus (Seidl.), Ps. campestris (Pz.) and Ps. rupestris (F.) were the most frequently recorded species. Those were also the dominating species in the study area. The average density of insects was the highest in Bombini communities of semi-natural and segetal habitats, and the evenness index J' reached the highest parameters (0.4) in the assemblage of Bombini communities of segetal habitats. The species and quantitative similarity of the structure of insects' communities decreased starting from natural environments, through semi-natural towards segetal and ruderal environments. Keywords: bumblebees, cuckoo-bumblebees, Bombini, assemblage structure, plant communities, the Świętokrzyski National Park. Full text PDF Back to the top ACTIVITY OF SELECTED HYDROLASES IN ONTOGENY OF DRONE Apis mellifera carnica Krystyna Żółtowska, Zbigniew Lipiński, Marek Farjan Summary An API ZYM test was used to examine the activity of 18 hydrolases in non-sealed and sealed brood and in freshly emerged drones of Apis mellifera carnica. In the entire experimental period, 10 enzymes were observed to be active and one to be inactive. The study indicted that the activity of enzymes was changing during drone development, i.e. seven of them were active only in selected developmental stages. The highest activity of most of the enzymes was observed in 4-day-old larvae and in freshly emerged drones, whereas the lowest level was at the stage of prepupa. In the pupae, the activity of hydrolases was subject to only minor fluctuations. Keywords: Apis mellifera carnica, drone brood, drones, enzymes, hydrolases. Full text PDF Back to the top THE CALMING NATURE OF REPRODUCTORY DOMINANCE OF THE QUEEN IN THE HONEYBEE COLONY (Apis mellifera L.) Zbigniew Lipiński Summary The observation that withdrawal of the queen from the colony of western honeybees (A. mellifera L.) cause it unusual agitation connected with subsequent ovary activation and unfertilized egg laying by sterile workers (Winston 1987) indicates that the calming effect of queen substance (understood as a full blend of its pheromones) enforced by a similarly acting blend of open brood pheromones known as "pheromonal queen control", is the main device of reproductive dominance of the queen. Consider that emotional system of the honeybee governs and orchestrates it behaviour with physiology. Based on this hypothesis the author presents possible signaling pathways of this reproductory dominance in context of so called Lee-Booth effect. Last findigs indicate that worker bee tissues contain some "higher" animal reproductory (FSH, LH) and sex hormones (testosterone, E2). In view of above hypothesis the author concludes that role of evolutionary conserved gonadotropic and sex hormones in regulation of reproduction in honeybees should be the object of more intensive studies. Keywords: honey bee, honeybee queen, reproduction, FSH, LH, GnRH, E 2, Lee-Boot effect. Full text PDF Back to the top SITE CONSTANCY OF BUMBLEBEES (Hymenoptera: Apiformes: Bombus Latr.) IN THE HABITATS OF TWO FOREST SUCCESSIONAL SERIES OF THE WESTERN CARPATHIANS Tadeusz Pawlikowski, Mieczysław Biliński, Andrzej Kosior, Jan Fijał Summary Site constancy of bumblebees in five habitat types of alder-swamp forest developmental (successional) series and six habitat types of Carpathian beech forest series in the Western Carpathians, NE Poland was studied. Bumblebees from the alder series were more constant in the foraging sites, where they were marked (7.0% of all marked bumblebees), and spread to other sites to a lesser extent (5.3%). A different pattern was observed in the beech series. The bumblebees were less constant to their original sites (5.6%) and spread to other sites (8.5%) to a higher extent. Quantitative contributions of bumblebees caught during the first day and those caught during the second and third days after marking were 2 : 6 : 1 in the alder series and 2 : 7 : 3 in the beech series. The higher percentage of dispersed bumblebees in the beech series indicated subordination of bumblebees to nutritional attractiveness (profusely blooming flowering vegetation) of those sites. Keywords: Bombus, bumblebees, site constancy, alder-swamp successional series, beech successional series, Western Carpathians Mts. Full text PDF Back to the top Homepage