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Data from: Stress-induced loss of social resilience in honeybee colonies and its implications on fitness

Ulgezen, Zeynep Neziha1; van Langevelde, Frank1; van Dooremalen, Coby1

Published Jan 02, 2024 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.2280gb60c

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Abstract

Stressors may lead to a shift in the timing of life-history events of species causing a mismatch with optimal environmental conditions, potentially reducing fitness. In honeybees, the timing of brood rearing and nest emergence in late winter/early spring is critical, as colonies need to grow fast after winter to prepare for reproduction. However, the effects of stress on these life-history events in late winter/early spring and the possible consequences are not well understood. Therefore, we tested whether (1) honeybee colonies shift timing of brood rearing and nest emergence as a response to stressors, and (2) if there is a consequent loss of social resilience, reflected in colony fitness (survival, growth and reproduction). We monitored stressed (high load of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor or nutrition-restricted) colonies and presumably non-stressed colonies from the beginning of 2020 till the spring of 2021. We found that honeybee colonies do not shift the timing of brood rearing and nest emergence in spring as a coping mechanism to stressors. However, we show that there is a loss of social resilience in stressed colonies, leading to reduced growth and reproduction. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the effects of stressors on social resilience in eusocial organisms.