Peter D writes:
> Certainly the authors of this paper point to an important difference between the immune capacity of cerana and mellifera that they imply could be related to a lesser degree of selection away from the wild state in cerana. This presumably confers a greater ability of that species to cope with bacterial infections.
Honestly, I thought the paper went way out on a limb and hung there.
Read the following unedited "discussion" and see if you can make any
sense of it. I especially liked the use of the phrase "It is easy to
infer".
I thought the authors were trying to make a case for preserving Apis
cerana, which is already inherently worthwhile. However, so far as I
know, they are not endangered in any sense, except perhaps in China,
where the paper was written.
> Discussion
> As eusocial insects, honeybees have evolved both communal and individual traits that reduce the impact of their numerous parasites and pathogens. Among the individual traits, innate-immune responses have the potential to reduce both individual mortality and the spread of pathogens among colony members. Propolis is a resinous substance variously composed of chewed tree buds mixed with pollen collected by honeybees as well as enzymes secreted by the bees. It has many functions in the defense of the nest, brood and stored food, and plays an important role in protecting the honeybee larvae by preventing diseases and parasites from entering the hive. It’s puzzling that the Asiatic honeybee does not produce propolis. How does the Asiatic honeybee protect the larvae? When the workers visit plant flowers to collect pollen and honey, they are inevitably acting as potential disease vectors of different pathogens, such as bacteria, fungus and virus, and even some parasitic mites and insects. Thus the innate immune systems of adult workers are likely to play an important role not only in self defense, but also in helping to insure that the larvae and the queen are shielded from pathogens. In the wild, the Asiatic honeybee may pollinate many more plant species than the Western honeybee, and may therefore be at higher risk of contacting pathogens. It is easy to infer that the Asiatic honeybee may be under stronger selection to defend against pathogens and parasites than the Western honeybee.
--
Peter Loring Borst
Ithaca, NY USA
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