Abstract - In order to identify genes that are influencing defensive 
behaviors, we have taken a new approach by dissecting colony-level 
defensive behavior into individual behavioral measurements using two 
families containing backcross workers from matings involving European 
and Africanized bees. We removed the social context from stinging 
behavior by using a laboratory assay to measure the stinging response 
of individual bees. A mild shock was given to bees using a 
constant-current stimulator. The time it took bees to sting in response 
to this stimulus was recorded. In addition, bees that were seen 
performing guard behaviors at the hive entrance were collected. We 
performed QTL mapping in two backcross families with SNP probes within 
genes and identified two new QTL regions for stinging behavior and 
another QTL region for guarding behavior. We also identified several 
candidate genes involved in neural signaling, neural development 
and muscle development that may be influencing stinging and guarding 
behaviors. The lack of overlap between these regions and previous 
defensive behavior QTL underscores the complexity of this behavior and 
increases our understanding of its genetic architecture.

 

A Genetic Analysis of the Stinging and Guarding Behaviors of the Honey 
Bee

 John R. Shorter •  Miguel Arechavaleta-Velasco • Carlos Robles-Rios •  Greg 
J. Hunt

Received: 12 July 2011 / Accepted: 31 January 2012 / Published online: 
11 February 2012
Behavioral Genetics

 

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