title: Defensive behaviour of Apis mellifera against Vespa velutina in France: testing whether European honeybees can develop an effective collective defence against a new predator.
abstract: We investigated the prey-predator interactions between the European honeybee, Apis mellifera, and the invasive yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutina, which first invaded France in 2004 and thereafter spread to neighbouring European countries (Spain, Portugal and Italy). Our goal was to determine how successfully honeybees are able to defend their colonies against their new predator in Europe. Experiments were conducted in the southwest of France-the point of entry of the hornet in Europe-under natural and semi-controlled field conditions. We investigated a total of eight apiaries and 95 colonies subjected to either low or high levels of predation. We analyzed hornet predatory behaviour and collective response of colonies under attack. The results showed that A. mellifera in France exhibit an inefficient and unorganized defence against V. velutina, unlike in other regions of Europe and other areas around the globe where honeybees have co-evolved with their natural Vespa predators.
authors.affiliation: CNRS, Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes et Spéciation, UPR 9034, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France; Université Paris-Sud 11, 91405 Orsay cedex, France; Unité de Recherche IRD 072, Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes et Spéciation, UPR 9034, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France.
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arca
authors.affiliation: CNRS, Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes et Spéciation, UPR 9034, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France; Université Paris-Sud 11, 91405 Orsay cedex, France; Laboratory of Animal Physiology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: alpapach@bio.auth.gr.
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papachristoforou
authors.affiliation: CNRS, Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes et Spéciation, UPR 9034, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France; Université Paris-Sud 11, 91405 Orsay cedex, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mougel
authors.affiliation: CNRS, Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes et Spéciation, UPR 9034, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France; Université Paris-Sud 11, 91405 Orsay cedex, France.
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rortais
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1065 Save, ISVV, B.P. 81, F-33883 Villenave d'Ornon Cedex, France; Université de Bordeaux, UMR1065 Save, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, B.P. 81, F-33883 Villenave d'Ornon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Monceau
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1065 Save, ISVV, B.P. 81, F-33883 Villenave d'Ornon Cedex, France; Université de Bordeaux, UMR1065 Save, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, B.P. 81, F-33883 Villenave d'Ornon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bonnard
authors.affiliation: Université de Bordeaux, Laboratoire de l'Intégration du Matériau au Système (IMS), CNRS UMR 5218, ENSCBP, 16, av. Pey Berland, F-33607 Pessac, France.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tardy
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1065 Save, ISVV, B.P. 81, F-33883 Villenave d'Ornon Cedex, France; Université de Bordeaux, UMR1065 Save, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, B.P. 81, F-33883 Villenave d'Ornon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thiéry
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche IRD 072, Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes et Spéciation, UPR 9034, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Silvain
authors.affiliation: CNRS, Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes et Spéciation, UPR 9034, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France; Université Paris-Sud 11, 91405 Orsay cedex, France.
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arnold
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000502:physiology*; D005602:France; D058865:Introduced Species; D011235:Predatory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D012919:Social Behavior; D014863:Wasps / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Apis mellifera; Defensive behaviour; Invasive species; Predation; Vespa velutina