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Are honey bees' foraging preferences affected by pollen amino acid composition?
Author(s) -
Cook Samantha M.,
Awmack Caroline S.,
Murray Darren A.,
Williams Ingrid H.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
ecological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.865
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1365-2311
pISSN - 0307-6946
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2311.2003.00548.x
Subject(s) - pollen , foraging , biology , bee pollen , honey bee , pollen source , botany , brood , brassica , pollination , ecology , pollinator
. 1. Although pollen is a vital nutritional resource for honey bees, Apis mellifera , the influence of pollen quality on their foraging behaviour is little understood. 2. In choice‐test experiments, bees showed no innate pollen‐foraging preferences, but preferred oilseed rape Brassica napus pollen over field bean Vicia faba pollen after previous foraging experience of oilseed rape. 3. The free amino acid content of oilseed rape and field bean pollen was compared using high‐performance liquid chromatography. Oilseed rape pollen contained a greater proportion of the most essential amino acids required by honey bees (valine, leucine, and isoleucine) than field bean, suggesting that oilseed rape pollen is of greater nutritional quality for honey bees than is field bean pollen. 4. Honey bee foraging preferences appeared to reflect pollen quality. The hypothesis that pollen amino acid composition affects the foraging behaviour of honey bees is discussed.