> This sort of reasoning implies that those who breed specific traits into lines of bees such as the MacArthur Grant winning work of Marla Spivak (the "Minnesota Hygienic Bee") are creating specific traits out of thin air, rather than via skill, talent, and long hours.
Nothing I have ever said has implied any such thing. However, I would rather quote Spivak & Danka (2021):
1) Hygienic behavior in honey bees, Apis mellifera, has been studied for over 80 years with the aim of understanding mechanisms of pathogen and parasite resistance and colony health.
2) A large population derived from diverse sources of colonies in western Canada was selected over three generations for hygienic behavior using either the freeze-killed brood test or peptide biomarkers from bees’ antennae
3) It would be helpful to clarify terms, for example, when Varroa-sensitive hygiene (VSH) is being referred to as a trait vs a bred line of bees. Referring to VSH as distinct trait, different from hygienic behavior (sometimes abbreviated HYG) is more confusing than helpful
4) Selection using these assays for hygienic behavior has not resulted in populations resistant to mites; that is, populations that do not require treatment to survive.
Spivak, M., Danka, R.G. Perspectives on hygienic behavior in Apis mellifera and other social insects. Apidologie 52, 1–16 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-020-00784-z
comment: note that "A large population derived from diverse sources of colonies." There is no mention of subspecies, race or breed of any kind, but the rather the supposition is that these traits would be present in any population irrespective of the prior heritage or lineage. I support the goal of conserving autochthonous species or ecotypes, but this has little bearing on the breeding of bees, especially in the regions where honey bees have been introduced.
PLB
***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|
