Immune responses of honeybees and their fitness costs as compared to bumblebees

• DOI: 10.1007/s13592-014-0318-x
• Publication Date: 2014-10-16T08:13:34Z
• Authors: Ulrike Riessberge...; Javier Hernández ...; Wolfgang Schuehly; Sara Crockett; Sophie Krainer; Karl Crailsheim
• Keywords: Bumblebee

Immune responses of invertebrates imply more than developing a merely unspecific response to an infection. Great interest has been raised unveil whether this investment into immunity also involves fitness costs associated the individual or group. Focusing on immune honeybees, we use well-studied insect bumblebee for comparison. Bumblebees are capable producing specific infections whereas not assessed honeybees so far. We investigated prior bacterial encounter provides protection against later exposure same different bacterium in honeybees. Additionally, studied foraging activities and bumblebees affected upon stimulation by assessing flight performance. Finally, acceptance behavior nestmates toward immune-challenged was determined. Results show that despite stimulating system no protective effects were found. Further, challenge their performance showed significant impairment. Immune-challenged lower survival rates naive individuals when introduced regular colony. Here, reveal response-cost scenarios first time.