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Insects
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Biology and Conservation of Honey Bees
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Biology and Conservation of Honey Bees

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Insects and Apiculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 6121

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Bin Han

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: insects; honey bee; reproduction; developmental biology; neurobiology; Varroa destructor; Tropilaelaps mercedesae; omics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Honey bees (Apis spp.) play a crucial role in ecosystems, serving as vital pollinators for numerous crops and wild plants. Despite their immense contribution to global food security and biodiversity, honey bee populations have experienced significant declines in recent decades due to a combination of factors, including habitat loss, pesticide exposure, climate change, and the spread of pathogens and parasites. This alarming trend has sparked widespread concern, highlighting the urgent need for research focused on understanding honey bee biology, behavior, and the intricate interactions they share with their environment.

This Special Issue aims to gather recent contributions (articles and reviews) that explore key aspects of honey bee biology, health, genetics, ecology, and conservation strategies. By addressing both the challenges and solutions for bee conservation, the contributions in this issue aim to inform better practices for sustaining honey bee populations. Given their ecological and agricultural importance, the conservation of honey bees is critical for maintaining the balance of natural ecosystems and ensuring the resilience of global food systems. This Special Issue will bring together interdisciplinary efforts to enhance our understanding and promote actionable conservation measures.

Dr. Bin Han
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Apis spp.
  • biology
  • health
  • genetics
  • conservation
  • pathogens and parasites
  • pesticide effects
  • pollination ecology

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 5982 KiB  
Article
Diverse Sublethal Effects of a Common Fungicide Impact the Behavior and Physiology of Honey Bees
by Xufeng Zhang, Qian Cao, Feng Wang, Yinyin Du, Wen Zhao, Yuan Guo and Olav Rueppell
Insects 2025, 16(6), 603; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16060603 - 8 Jun 2025
Viewed by 279
Abstract
Honey bees and other pollinators are key to functioning natural and managed ecosystems. However, their health is threatened by many factors, including pesticides. Spraying fungicides during flowering of fruit trees is widespread even though it directly exposes pollinators to these fungicides. Here, we [...] Read more.
Honey bees and other pollinators are key to functioning natural and managed ecosystems. However, their health is threatened by many factors, including pesticides. Spraying fungicides during flowering of fruit trees is widespread even though it directly exposes pollinators to these fungicides. Here, we report a series of experiments designed to understand how the combination of propiconazole and carbendazim, marketed in China as Chunmanchun®, affects honey bee health. With an acute oral toxicity of 23.8 μg a.i./bee over 24 h in the laboratory, we considered the acute mortality risk from normal Chunmanchun® applications as relatively low. However, our comprehensive studies revealed other diverse effects: Chunmanchun® reduced memory after classic conditioning by approximately 25% and altered the activity of protective enzymes and the composition of the honey bees’ gut microbiota. Specifically, the genus Lactobacillus was decreased by ~13%, and Bartonella and Snodgrassella were increased by ~10% and ~7.5%, respectively. The gut metabolome was also disrupted in diverse ways, possibly as a functional consequence of the microbiome changes. Thus, we demonstrated numerous sublethal effects of the combination of propiconazole and carbendazim, which adds to the growing evidence that agrochemicals and fungicides in particular can harm pollinator health in subtle ways that are not captured in simple mortality assays. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology and Conservation of Honey Bees)
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16 pages, 3340 KiB  
Article
Conservation of Giant Honey Bee (Apis dorsata F.) for Honey and Beeswax Production and Sustainable Pollination Services
by Ram Chander Sihag
Insects 2025, 16(6), 560; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16060560 - 26 May 2025
Viewed by 546
Abstract
During the past quarter-century, the natural populations of giant honey bees (Apis dorsata) have declined markedly. The loss of nesting sources is one of the many reasons for its decline. This has threatened the pollination services of several agricultural and wild [...] Read more.
During the past quarter-century, the natural populations of giant honey bees (Apis dorsata) have declined markedly. The loss of nesting sources is one of the many reasons for its decline. This has threatened the pollination services of several agricultural and wild plants in areas of its natural habitat. To sustain pollination services in the natural habitat of this honey bee, conservation efforts are crucial. For this purpose, 1 m-long, 15 cm-wide, and 0.5 m-deep wooden nesting planks were designed and prepared. The latter were hung on the eaves/projections of university buildings to attract the migratory swarms of this honey bee. The occupancy of these planks confirmed that the bees accepted them as nesting sites. The experimental trial was conducted with four treatments, each replicated four times over a period of 10 years. This honey bee accepted, occupied, and nested on only those wooden planks that were treated with molten beeswax or contained traces of beeswax and were tightly fixed to the surface of the eaves/building projections. The occupation and re-occupation indices revealed that this honey bee had strong site preferences. Spraying water on live colonies was the most effective method for safely handling this honey bee, while smoking was slightly less effective. Frequently disturbed colonies showed less aggressiveness than the undisturbed colonies. This study aids in the domestication, handling, and conservation of this honey bee in its natural habitat, where the continuous removal of nesting sources threatens the sustainability of pollination services. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology and Conservation of Honey Bees)
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Graphical abstract

18 pages, 3368 KiB  
Article
Influence of Different Diets on Growth and Development of Eastern Honey Bee (Apis cerana)
by Ruonan Liang, Cheng Liang, Yi Zhang, Jiaxing Huang and Guiling Ding
Insects 2025, 16(4), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16040383 - 3 Apr 2025
Viewed by 583
Abstract
In recent years, honey bees have been stressed by multiple factors, with malnutrition posing a significant threat to the healthy development of honey bee colonies. To keep a colony healthy and productive, beekeepers supply their colonies with supplementary pollen or commercial pollen substitutes [...] Read more.
In recent years, honey bees have been stressed by multiple factors, with malnutrition posing a significant threat to the healthy development of honey bee colonies. To keep a colony healthy and productive, beekeepers supply their colonies with supplementary pollen or commercial pollen substitutes during periods of pollen dearth or insufficient pollen quantity or quality. In this study, we evaluated the effects of four natural pollen types (oilseed rape pollen, camellia pollen, lotus pollen and buckwheat pollen) and two commercial pollen substitutes (Diet 1 and Diet 2) against a control group (sucrose solution) on Apis cerana through cage experiments. The food consumption, live body weight, longevity, hypopharyngeal gland development and midgut proteolytic enzyme activity of caged workers were measured. The food consumption rates of oilseed rape pollen and buckwheat pollen were greater than the other diets. Oilseed rape pollen and camellia pollen were recognized as excellent-quality diets for hypopharyngeal gland development and midgut proteolytic enzyme activity. Over the entire experimental period, the caged workers fed with lotus pollen had a similar diet consumption and body weight to those fed with pollen substitutes, and these bees had a significantly higher survival rate than those fed with other diets. The results indicated that the commercial pollen substitutes appeared to be less beneficial to caged A. cerana workers than the natural pollen resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology and Conservation of Honey Bees)
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14 pages, 3352 KiB  
Article
Biochemical and Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Low Temperature-Driven Oxidative Stress in Pupal Apis mellifera Neural System
by Xiangjie Zhu, Mingjie Cao, Chenyang Li, Chenyu Zhu, Han Li, Yuanmingyue Tian, Jiaqi Shang, Jiaqi Sun, Bingfeng Zhou, Xianda Wu, Shujing Zhou and Xinjian Xu
Insects 2025, 16(3), 250; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16030250 - 1 Mar 2025
Viewed by 800
Abstract
Exposure to low temperatures during honeybee development has been shown to impede brain development and affect cognitive function in adult bees. On the other hand, neuronal damage due to oxidative stress has been reported in many cases. Hence, biochemical parameters related to oxidative [...] Read more.
Exposure to low temperatures during honeybee development has been shown to impede brain development and affect cognitive function in adult bees. On the other hand, neuronal damage due to oxidative stress has been reported in many cases. Hence, biochemical parameters related to oxidative stress in honeybee pupae brain were determined. The levels of GSH in the pupal brain decreased after 24 h and 48 h of exposure to low temperatures; there were also reduced activities of SOD and CAT enzymes following 48 h of low-temperature treatment compared to the control group. Furthermore, analysis of transcriptome data post-24 h and -48 h low-temperature stress revealed the suppression of the glutathione metabolism and peroxisome pathways in pupal brains. Additionally, expression pattern clustering analysis and KEGG enrichment showed that 10 differentially expressed genes with down-regulated expression trends post-low-temperature treatment were significantly enriched in the peroxisome pathway, including PEX10, highlighting their connection to peroxisome function. RT-qPCR validation was conducted on 11 core enriched genes in pathways identified via GSEA, and all these genes exhibited a downregulated expression pattern, confirming the inhibition of glutathione metabolism and peroxisome function under low-temperature stress. The present study showed that exposing honeybee pupae to low temperatures suppressed both the glutathione metabolism and peroxisome pathways, resulting in increased oxidative stress. This research enhances our understanding of how the pupal brain reacts to cold stress and illuminates the neural damage associated with low temperatures during honeybee capped brood development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology and Conservation of Honey Bees)
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17 pages, 3347 KiB  
Article
Assessing Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Western Honey Bees in the Czech Republic Using 22 Microsatellite Loci
by Aleš Knoll, Martin Šotek, Jan Prouza, Lucie Langová, Antonín Přidal and Tomáš Urban
Insects 2025, 16(1), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16010055 - 9 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1093
Abstract
To date, no study has been conducted to investigate the diversity in honeybee populations of Apis mellifera in the Czech Republic. Between 2022 and 2023, worker bees were collected from colonies distributed throughout the Czech Republic in 77 districts, and their genetic differences [...] Read more.
To date, no study has been conducted to investigate the diversity in honeybee populations of Apis mellifera in the Czech Republic. Between 2022 and 2023, worker bees were collected from colonies distributed throughout the Czech Republic in 77 districts, and their genetic differences were examined using 22 microsatellite loci. The samples were obtained from hives (n = 3647) and through the process of capture on flowers (n = 553). Genetic diversity parameters were assessed for both populations in all 77 districts. The findings demonstrated that honeybee populations exhibit moderate genetic diversity, as evidenced by the number of observed alleles, the Shannon index, and heterozygosity values. There was no discrepancy in diversity between hive and flower samples. Diversity characteristics were determined: mean observed heterozygosity 0.55 (hives) and 0.56 (flowers), and fixation index 0.58 for both populations. The average number of alleles per locus was 13.77 and 11.18 from hives and flowers, respectively. The low FST and FIS values (they measured the level of genetic differentiation between populations and the level of inbreeding, respectively) suggest the absence or minimal genetic diversity within and among studied populations. The genetic variation was calculated as 2% and 1% between populations, 8% and 6% between individuals within populations, and 91% and 93% between all individuals in samples from hives and flowers, respectively. Cluster and DAPC (discriminant analysis principal component) analysis classified the bee samples collected from across the country into three and five to six distinguishable groups, respectively. The honeybee population in the Czech Republic displays sufficient diversity and a partial structure. However, there appears to be no correlation between the genetic groups and the geographic regions to which they are assigned. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology and Conservation of Honey Bees)
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Figure 1

13 pages, 3094 KiB  
Article
Fat Body Metabolome Revealed Glutamine Metabolism Pathway Involved in Prepupal Apis mellifera Responding to Cold Stress
by Xinjian Xu, Mingjie Cao, Chenyu Zhu, Lingqing Mo, Huajiao Huang, Jiaying Xie, Bingfeng Zhou, Shujing Zhou and Xiangjie Zhu
Insects 2025, 16(1), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16010037 - 2 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 926
Abstract
Thermal condition affects the development and growth of ectotherms. The stenothermic honeybee brood, particularly the prepupae, are sensitive to low rearing temperature. The fat body plays important roles in energy reserve and metabolism during the honeybee brood development. To date, the fat body [...] Read more.
Thermal condition affects the development and growth of ectotherms. The stenothermic honeybee brood, particularly the prepupae, are sensitive to low rearing temperature. The fat body plays important roles in energy reserve and metabolism during the honeybee brood development. To date, the fat body metabolic changes in prepupae responding to cold stress have not been completely understood. In this study, the ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS)-based non-target metabolome was analyzed between the cold-treated (CT, 20 °C, 36 h) and control (CK, 35 °C) fat body in prepupal honeybees. The fat body metabolomic data showed that the levels of 1860 and 254 metabolites were significantly increased and decreased, respectively, in cold-stressed prepupae. These altered metabolites, glutamine, glutamic acid, pyroglutamic acid, and oxidized glutathione, were significantly enriched into glutamine metabolism and glutathione metabolism pathways. Furthermore, the expression levels of glutamine metabolism-related genes, glutaminase (GLS), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT-1 and GGT-7), were significantly decreased in cold-exposed prepupae compared with the control groups. Meanwhile, the oxidized glutathione (GSSG), but not the reduced glutathione (GSH) content, was increased in the cold-exposed group compared with controls. Collectively, our data revealed the fat body metabolomic changes in larva-to-pupa transition when exposed to cold stress. Our data provided new insights into stenothermic honeybee sensitivity to cold, characterized by perturbation of glutamine metabolism and oxidative stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology and Conservation of Honey Bees)
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15 pages, 4821 KiB  
Article
Alternative Splicing and Alternative Polyadenylation-Regulated Cold Stress Response of Apis cerana
by Yuanchan Fan, Dan Yao, Jinmeng Ma, Fangdong You, Xiaoping Wei and Ting Ji
Insects 2024, 15(12), 1006; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15121006 - 19 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1125
Abstract
Temperature is a pivotal ecological factor in the regulation of insect survival and reproduction [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology and Conservation of Honey Bees)
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