title: Parasite infection accelerates age polyethism in young honey bees.
abstract: Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are important pollinators and their health is threatened worldwide by persistent exposure to a wide range of factors including pesticides, poor nutrition, and pathogens. Nosema ceranae is a ubiquitous microsporidian associated with high colony mortality. We used lab micro-colonies of honey bees and video analyses to track the effects of N. ceranae infection and exposure on a range of individual and social behaviours in young adult bees. We provide detailed data showing that N. ceranae infection significantly accelerated the age polyethism of young bees, causing them to exhibit behaviours typical of older bees. Bees with high N. ceranae spore counts had significantly increased walking rates and decreased attraction to queen mandibular pheromone. Infected bees also exhibited higher rates of trophallaxis (food exchange), potentially reflecting parasite manipulation to increase colony infection. However, reduction in queen contacts could help bees limit the spread of infection. Such accelerated age polyethism may provide a form of behavioural immunity, particularly if it is elicited by a wide variety of pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0116, La Jolla, California, 92093-0166, United States of America.|University of Copenhagen, Department of Plants and Environmental Sciences - PLEN, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, DK.
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lecocq
authors.affiliation: University of Copenhagen, Department of Plants and Environmental Sciences - PLEN, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, DK.
authors.forename: Annette Bruun
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Aarhus University, Department of Agroecology - Entomology and Plant Pathology, Forsøgsvej 1, 4200 Slagelse, DK.
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kryger
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0116, La Jolla, California, 92093-0166, United States of America.
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Nieh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000469:parasitology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D016818:Nosema