10.5061/DRYAD.FM0R1
Benaets, Kristof
KU Leuven
Van Geystelen, Anneleen
KU Leuven
Cardoen, Dries
KU Leuven
De Smet, Lina
Ghent University
De Graaf, Dirk C.
Ghent University
Schoofs, Liliane
KU Leuven
Larmuseau, Maarten H.D.
KU Leuven
Brettell, Laura E.
University of Salford
Martin, Stephen J.
University of Salford
Wenseleers, Tom
KU Leuven
Larmuseau, Maarten H. D.
KU Leuven
Data from: Covert deformed wing virus infections have long-term
deleterious effects on honeybee foraging and survival
Dryad
dataset
2017
honeybees
behavioural ecology
Virology
radio-frequency identification tags
bee declines
2017-01-09T15:29:29Z
2017-01-09T15:29:29Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.2149
126001 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Several studies have suggested that covert stressors can contribute to bee
colony declines. Here we provide a novel case study and show using
radiofrequency identification tracking technology that covert deformed
wing virus (DWV) infections in adult honeybee workers seriously impact
long-term foraging and survival under natural foraging conditions. In
particular, our experiments show that adult workers injected with low
doses of DWV experienced increased mortality rates, that DWV caused
workers to start foraging at a premature age, and that the virus reduced
the workers' total activity span as foragers. Altogether, these
results demonstrate that covert DWV infections have strongly deleterious
effects on honeybee foraging and survival. These results are consistent
with previous studies that suggested DWV to be an important contributor to
the ongoing bee declines in Europe and the USA. Overall, our study
underlines the strong impact that covert pathogen infections can have on
individual and group-level performance in bees.
Data files and R scriptAll data files and the R script used for the
analyses presented in this paperdata_and_R_script.zip
Belgium