Subject: | |
From: | |
Reply To: | |
Date: | Thu, 26 Dec 2019 16:30:21 -0500 |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
> I also wonder what the fitness benefit is for Africanized bees
Hi all,
I think folks are oversimplifying a complex behavioral suite. Some research has shown that aggressiveness in bees may be linked to other traits, such as heightened olfactory awareness. The excess stinging that we see may be a side effect of extreme vigilance.
For example, many wasps are far more hostile than bees, but part of this hostility is their rapid response. Generally a handful of angry wasps is enough to drive off a predator. On the other hand, keeping bees in apiaries only heightens the aggressiveness of bees. In Brazil hives are often very widely spaced.
Also, it is a stretch to suppose that African bees are going to lose these traits which have been in place for millions of years. If anything, they are more widespread now than ever before. Granted, there is the case of manageable African bees in Puerto Rico, but that is an anomaly which has not been adequately explained.
At the same time, we have seen that crossing African and European bees does not generally result in a more manageable bees, since the aggressive traits appear to dominate. What about plants cultivated in gardens? Does a cactus become less spiny in a garden, where it is protected?
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
|
|
|