Post-ingestive effect of plant phenolics on the feeding behaviour of the honeybee Apis cerana

Abstract

As the staple food of honey bees, honey is rich in plant phenolics derived from pollen, nectar and resin. Most studies concentrate on the temporary response of bees' peripheral chemoreceptors to these chemicals, and the post-ingestive effects of plant phenolics are largely ignored. In the present study, a series of feeding experiments are conducted to test whether plant phenolics modulate the response thresholds and rhythmic behaviour of the honeybee Apis cerana (Ruttner). The results of the study demonstrate that bees fed with syrup containing high concentrations of phenlics reduce their response thresholds greatly, and shift their feeding rhythms significantly. Because the forager response thresholds determine their foraging choice, and their rhythmic behaviour is required for timing visits to flowers, enhanced plant phenolics as a result of global environment change may change the bees' pollination service in our changing world. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 The Royal Entomological Society.