INAF - Pollinator Crisis Exam 3

amino acids

simple building blocks of a protein

acetylcholine

neurotransmitter that sends signals between neurons

acetylcholinesterase

enzyme that breaks down achetylcholine to prevent continuous stimulation

caste system

queen bees, drone bees, worker bees

central place foragers

animals that return back to a fixed home base between foraging trips for nectar/pollen to feed their brood

conflict of interest

the competition between native bees and managed honey bees for resources

compound eyes

eyes composed of thousands of tiny lenses that are ultrasensitive to motion and light to help bees find nectar/pollen rich flowers

global biodiversity information facility

organization dedicated to the recording, research, and data collection of bees

ecological risk assessment

scientific process used to estimate likelihood of bee exposure to stressors

eusocial

animals that live in groups, collectively care for the young, division of labor, and overlap of generations

fat body tissue

vital in honeybees for maintaining immune functions, breaking down pesticides, surviving overwinter, and colony sanitation

food security

when all people have access to sufficient, nutritious food

foraging generalist vs specialist

animals that consume a varied diet vs animals that consume very specific/restricted diet

superorganism

when a colony functions like a single organism and individuals cannot survive on their own

Haplodiploidy/ Haplodiploidy Hypothesis

suggests that eusociality evolved because of the asymmetry in relatedness that results from the haplodiploidy sex determination system

haploid vs diploid gametes

one copy of each chromosome vs two copies of each chromosome

harmonic radar tracking

remote sensing technique to track individual bee flight and used to study how bees navigate their environment

inclusive fitness theory

individuals can influence the transmission of their genes to future generations by influencing either their own reproductive success of that of related individuals

integrated pest management

implementation of diverse methods of pest control, paired with monitoring to reduce unnecessary pesticide application (chemical → biological → physical/mechanical → cultural)

israeli acute paralysis virus

possible cause for CCD because study shows various colonies with CCD also had traces of IAPV, however this is correlation, not causation

landmark memory

memory of notable landmarks or things around the pollen source in order to find it again after returning

learning/orientation flight

when honeybees use color/shape of nearby landmarks to determine where the pollen source or hive is

meta analysis

the analysis of data from various studies to come to a final conclusion regarding the topic

motion parallax/optic flow

honeybees understand that items closer tend to move faster (visually) during movement than items farther away — this allows to them understand where each item is distance wise

native bees

solitary animals that specialize in indigenous crop pollination

neonicotinoids

type of pesticides considered to be less toxic than others and best for agriculture

polarized light

bees use polarized light to navigate by detecting the angle of sunlight scattering the atmosphere — allows them to navigate even when it is cloudy outside

pollinators

animals like bees, butterflies, birds, beetles, etc. that move pollen around and fertilize plants to produce plants, fruits, and new seeds

precautionary principle

EU standard for neonicotinoids — until proof is found that they were safe, they will be banned

proboscis extension response

a natural reflex where a bee extends its proboscis (tongue) to feed when its antennae are stimulated with a sugar solution

sterols

essential fat-like nutrients in bee pollen critical for honeybee growth

sub-lethal effects

effects that don’t outright kill bees but hinger their health and performance — ex. slower/shorter flights, slowed cognitive abilities

sulfaoxaflor

proposed alternative to neonicotinoids — works similarly but better however evidence has been found that it still harms bee

super sister

two bee sisters that share 75% of their DNA

varroa mite

parasite that feeds on the fat body tissue of honeybees

vector memory

to store specific flight directions and distances (vectors) from their hive to foraging locations in their long-term memory, enabling precise navigation

waggle dance

dance bees perform to indicate the location of the source relative to the sun and distance