Modelling the role of intracolonial genetic diversity on regulation of brood temperature in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies

摘要: In polyandrous social insects such as honey bees, a worker’s affinity for particular task may be genetically infl uenced and so some patrilines have lower stimulus thresholds commencing than others. We used simulation models to investigate the effects of intracolonial diversity in that stimulate workers engage heating cooling during nest thermoregulation. First, we simulated colonies comprised one or 15 were engaged brood nest, observed single patriline maintained, on average, less stable temperatures multiple colonies. Second with five their recording proportions bees different response changing temperatures. Both our simulations show remarkably similar qualitative patterns those previously empirically. This provides further support hypothesis geneticallybased variability among within bee is an important contributor ability precisely thermoregulate nests, suggest optimal expression range other colony-level phenotypes.