• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.167-174
• /
• 2011

The large bumblebee $Bombus$ $terrestris$, indigenous to Europe and adjacent areas and used extensively for high-value crop pollination, has been artificially introduced to several parts of the world. Here we show the occurrence of interspecific hybridization between the bumblebee species $B.$ $hypocrita$ $sapporoensia$ and $B.$ $terrestris$ under laboratory conditions. The mating and oviposition percentages resulting from the interspecific hybridization of a $B.$ $terrestris$ queen with a $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$ male were higher than those resulting from the intraspecific mating of $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$. Furthermore, a competitive copulation experiment indicated that the mating of $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$ males with $B.$ $terrestris$ queens was 1.2-fold more frequent than the mating of these males with $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$ queens. The interspecific hybridization of a $B.$ $terrestris$ queen with a $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$ male produced either $B.$ $terrestris$ workers or the $B.$ $terrestris$ male phenotype, and the hybridization of a $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$ queen with a $B.$ $terrestris$ male produced $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$ males. Our results indicated that interspecific hybridization occurred between $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$ and $B.$ $terrestris$. These results suggest that such hybridization will have a negative competitive impact and will cause genetic contamination of native bumblebees.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.115-121
• /
• 2012

The bumblebee Bombus terrestris is widely used in greenhouses to pollinate crops. Here, we report the molecular cloning and characterization of chymotrypsin inhibitor and chitin-binding protein homologs from B. terrestris. Two cDNAs encoding chymotrypsin inhibitor (Bt-CI) and chitin-binding protein (Bt-CBP) homologs were cloned from B. terrestris. Gene sequence analysis showed that Bt-CI gene consists of three exons encoding 75 amino acids, including a predicted 20-amino acid signal peptide, while Bt-CBP consists of two exons encoding 78 amino acids, including a predicted 26-amino acid signal peptide. The mature Bt-CI and Bt-CBP peptides contain ten and six conserved cysteine residues, respectively. Database searches using the deduced sequences of Bt-CI and Bt-CBP showed similarity to those from B. impatiens (96% peptide sequence identities). Bt-CI and Bt-CBP were expressed in both the venom gland and fat body of B. terrestris worker bees. The recombinant Bt-CI and Bt-CBP peptides were expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells. Taken together, our findings describe the molecular characterization of Bt-CI and Bt-CBP from B. terrestris.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.11 no.6
• /
• pp.523-529
• /
• 2001

The foraging activities of bumblebee, Bombus terrestris were surveyed to compare with two types of cherry-tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum. M) house as Nutriculture and Sawdustculture on southern part of Korea in winter . The summary of the result obtained for this purpose are below: In the interval of blooming time from Sawdustculture type. In the interval of the time from the first visting on the flower by a worker of B. terrestris after a flower of cherry-tomato bloomed. nutriculture type was more shorter than Sawdustculture type. Therefore there was no difference in the average pollination time from the flower's blossoming according to the inflorescence of the first visiting time of B. terrestris worker on the each flower between Nutriculture type and Sawdustculture type. The foraging activites of B. terrestris worker in two kinds of cherry-tomatio cultivating house had shown same patterns. and han not been found to the differences.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
• /
• 2005.04a
• /
• pp.71-71
• /
• 2005

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.41-48
• /
• 2009

The large bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, indigenous to Europe and used extensively for high-value crop pollination, has been artificially introduced in several parts of the world. Here we show the interspecific hybridization between bumblebee species, B. terrestris and B. ignitus, under laboratory conditions. The mating and oviposition percentages of the interspecific hybridization of a B. terrestris queen with a B. ignitus male were higher than those of the intraspecific mating of B. ignitus. Furthermore, the competitive copulation experiment indicated that the mating of B. ignitus males with B. terrestris queens was 1.8-fold more frequent than with B. ignitus queens. The interspecific hybridization of a B. ignitus queen with a B. terrestris male produced either B. ignitus workers or the B. ignitus male phenotype, and the hybridization of a B. terrestris queen with a B. ignitus male produced B. terrestris males. Genetic tests using a portion of the mitochondrial COI gene for the parent and hybrid phenotypes indicated that mitochondrial DNA in the interspecific hybridization was maternally inherited. Our results indicated that interspecific hybridization occurred between B. ignitus and B. terrestris, which suggests that the hybridization will have a negative impact of competition and genetic pollution of native bumblebees.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Entomolohy Conference
• /
• 2005.05a
• /
• pp.98-98
• /
• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Entomolohy Conference
• /
• 2005.05a
• /
• pp.99-99
• /
• 2005

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.93-98
• /
• 2010

Bumblebees are widely used to pollinate various crops, especially tomato, in greenhouses and fields. An artificial hibernation is essential for year-round rearing of the bumblebee, which passes through one generation per year. Here, we investigated whether a chilling temperature and humidity affect artificial hibernation of the bumblebee queen Bombus terrestris. In chilling temperature regimes of $0^{\circ}C$, $2.5^{\circ}C$, $5^{\circ}C$, $7.5^{\circ}C$ or $12.5^{\circ}C$ under constant humidity >70%, the queens stored at $2.5^{\circ}C$ exhibited the highest rate of survival, which was 74.0% at one month, 67.0% at two months, 60.0% at three months, 46.0% at 4 months, 33.0% at 5 months, and 24.0% at 6 months. Rates of survival decreased at the following temperatures: $0^{\circ}C$, $5^{\circ}C$, $7.5^{\circ}C$ and $12.5^{\circ}C$. Colony developmental characteristics after diapause were 1.2- to 1.5-fold higher than those of queens stored at $5^{\circ}C$. In terms of chilling humidity, the queens hibernated at 70% under $2.5^{\circ}C$ exhibited the highest rate of survival, which was $93.3{\pm}3.4%$ at one month, $83.3{\pm}0.0%$ at two months, $76.7{\pm}0.0%$ at 3 months and $36.7{\pm}12.1%$ at 5 months. The rates of oviposition, colony foundation and progeny-queen production of queens hibernated at 70% were 80.8%, 30.8% and 30.8%, respectively. These values correspond to 1.7- to 3.3-fold increases in comparison to queens stored at 50% humidity. Therefore, $2.5^{\circ}C$ and 70% R.H. were the favorable chilling temperature and humidity conditions for diapause break of B. terrestris queens.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.99-105
• /
• 2005

We investigated oviposition and colony development of Bombus ignitus and B. terrestris depending on different pollen. In five kinds of pollen blend, the colony development in fresh-freezing pollen blend produced in Korea (Korea-FFP) was the best performance, although egg-laying characteristics is lower than that of pollen blend for oviposition imported from Korppert company (Kopport-FOP). The Kopport-FOP proved that it was suitable to use for oviposition of bumblebees. The Korea-FFDP, freezing dried-fresh pollen blend produced in Korea, is lower rather than the Korea-FDP although it is similar to the KopportFOP in colony development. It is not efficient to use commercial pollen for bumblebee because it is expensive in cost. The dried pollen blend for honeybee feeding imported from China (China-DP) was not suitable for rearing of bumblebee because it did not form colony although the worker emerged. In types of pollen, the oviposition and colony development of B. ignitus were not affected by the fresh-freezing pollen and dried-freezing pollen. This result also indicated that dried pollen, dried in the shade for 5 - 6 days, is possible to use as commercial pollen for bumblebee reproduction.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.101-107
• /
• 2008

To improve mating rate of the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, temperature, photoperiod and illumination during mating periods favorable for B. terrestris were investigated. The mating rate of queen mated at $19^{\circ}C$ was 92.1%, which was 2.1-5.9% higher than that of $22^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$. $19^{\circ}C$ was more effective than at $22^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$ in death rate during mating periods. The survival rate after hibernation of queen mated at $19^{\circ}C$ was 3.0-17.7% higher than that of $22^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$. At the photoperiod regimes during mating periods, queen mated at 14 L was more effective than 12 L and 16 L in death rate during mating, survival rate after hibernation, and egg-characteristics. In case of illumination during mating periods, intensity of over 1000 lux was suitable for mating B. terrestris queen in colony development. Therefore, we supposed that mating temperature favorable for B. terrestris was $19^{\circ}C$ and photoperiod for mating was 14 L, and illumination was over 1000 lux.