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Effect of different narcosis procedures on initiating oviposition of prediapausing Bombus terrestris queens
Author(s) -
Tasei J.N.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
entomologia experimentalis et applicata
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.765
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1570-7458
pISSN - 0013-8703
DOI - 10.1111/j.1570-7458.1994.tb01827.x
Subject(s) - biology , photoperiodism , bombus terrestris , bumblebee , mating , zoology , diapause , botany , larva , pollen , pollinator , pollination
Four experiments aimed at the stimulation of starting oviposition were carried out with bumblebee queens ( Bombus terrestris L.) from colonies belonging to the ecotype of Central Western France and reared in a glasshouse. After mating, queens were narcotized with carbon dioxide, confined singly in small boxes (11 times 5 × 4.5 cm) and kept in a dark room at 28–29 °C and 60%‐65% r.h. They were fed on a sugar solution and a pollen‐syrup mixture. No effects were discernible if the narcosis was applied 20 to 30 days after mating instead of 5 days, nor if the queens were submitted to a 4 to 5 day period at 34 °C following narcosis. Survival rates ranged from 65% to 68%. If the queens were reared under fluorescent tubes (L 8 :D16) after narcosis the mean delays to egg‐laying were significantly reduced compared to a dark treatment (21 days instead of 39), as was their variability (s.e. = 1.6 day instead of 3.1 days). The survival rates were respectively 73% and 67%. Under the same photoperiod (L 8 :D16) the CO 2 narcosis repeated at a 24h interval had the same efficacy whether its duration was 10 min or 5 min. The delays to egg‐laying were respectively 20 days (s.e = 1.5) and 25 days (s.e. = 4.8) with survival rates close to 73%. Egg‐laying could also be induced in non‐narcotized queens with a survival rate of 54% and delays to oviposition close to those of queens narcotized 2 times 10 min.