UNTERSUCHUNGEN ÜBER DIE FLUGAKTIVITÄT UND DAS PAARUNGSVERHALTEN DER DROHNEN. V. - DROHNENSAMMELPLÄTZE UND PAARUNGSDISTANZ

Abstract

INVESTIGATIONS ON THE FLIGHT ACTIVITY AND THE MATING BEHAVIOUR OF DRONES V.-DRONE CONGREGATION AREAS AND MATING DISTANCE The experiments on drone congregation areas started in 1963 were continued in 1968 and 1970. Earlier results were confirmed and expanded. Drones of different races of Apis mellifera (Carnica, Ligustica, Mellifera, Intermissa) were found at congregation areas, sometimes several races at one place. Newcomers not familiar with the area came to the congregation places very quickly, even when placed at a distance from the local colonies. Thus it is obious that a primary orientation process exists which is probably based on optical clues. Drones visited the congregation areas from considerable distances (up to 7 km), crossing altitudes of 800-1000 m. Through a bee free alpine valley 250 genetically marked virgin queens and three groups of genetically marked drones were distributed. The comparison of the worker progeny of these queens with the composition of the drone populations at different places of this region yielded the result that only a few matings occured in the vicinity of the queens colony. The average distance between location and mating place was more than 2 km, the maximum distance being 5 km. From this a maximum possible mating distance of 12 km is to be expected. In several cases in this experiment a mating distance of 7 km was observed; matings over 5-7 km were frequent (34 per cent of the queens). 18 out of 97 queens probably mated at the drone areas checked during the experiment. As there exist also other congregation places in the experimental region, it is likely that matings preferably took place at the drone congregation areas.