INVESTIGADORES
MONMANY Ana Carolina
artículos
Título:
Landscape analysis of drone congregation areas of the honey bee, Apis mellifera
Autor/es:
GALINDO-CARDONA, ALBERTO; MONMANY, A. CAROLINA; MORENO-JACKSON, RAFINÉ; RIVERA-RIVERA, CARLOS; HUERTAS-DONES, CARLOS; CAICEDO-QUIROGA, LAURA; GIRAY, TUGRUL
Revista:
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
Editorial:
UNIV ARIZONA
Referencias:
Lugar: Arizona; Año: 2012 vol. 12 p. 1 - 15
ISSN:
1536-2442
Resumen:
Male honey bees fly and gather at Drone Congregation Areas (DCAs), where drones and queens
mate in flight. DCAs occur in places with presumably characteristic features. Using previously
described landscape characteristics and observations on flight direction of drones in nearby
apiaries, 36 candidate locations were chosen across the main island of Puerto Rico. At these
locations, the presence or absence of DCAs was tested by lifting a helium balloon equipped with
queen-sex-pheromone-impregnated bait, and visually determining the presence of high numbers
of drones. Because of the wide distribution of honey bees in Puerto Rico, it was expected that
most of the potential DCAs would be used as such by drones and queens from nearby colonies.
Eight DCAs were found in the 36 candidate locations. Locations with and without DCAs were
compared in a landscape analysis including characteristics that were described to be associated
with DCAs and others. Aspect (direction of slope) and density of trails were found to be
significantly associated with the presence of DCAs.