Biodiversity of honeybees: Some behavior diversity of Apis dorsata, A. florea and A. andreniformis

Fanning behavior of three open nesting Apis species, A. florea, A. andreniformis, and A. dorsata were observed in Thailand. The body postures of the fanner bees were observed in different parts of the combs. When the ambient temperature (Ta) was raised above the 29.5 deg C, A. andreniformis started fanning whereas A. florea started fanning at 33 deg C. Similarly, and A. dorsata started fanning at 31.5 deg C. A. andreniformis and A. dorsata began to fanning their nests earlier and stopped later than A. florea. The peak fanning time for A. and reniformis and A. florea was 11:30-13:30 h. min. whereas for A. dorsata between was 13:30-15:30 h. min. The results indicated that the number of fanner bees fanning the nests were directly correlated with the ambient temperature and exposure of nests to the sun. A. higher number of the fanner bees were observed on the south-face of the nest side rather than on the north-face of the nests. During the nest fanning time, the fanner bees of A. andrenifotmis were kept their head downwards whereas A. florea fanner bees always kept their head upwards. Simultaneously, A. dorsata fanner bees were kept their head downwards. The solution of this behavior has different pattern in each specie as will as in A. cerana and A. mellifera. Another behavior of those species are different patterns which is observed how to protect the broods from the rain water and lower temperature as well as the rain proof or wing umbrella activity. The other behavior diversity is found in A. dorsata which is a seasonally migratory species. In northem Thailand, swarms arrive in the dry season when flowers are blooming (November-April). During this period, they forage, store food and reproduce their members of the colony. Their foraging behavior plays an important role in the pollination of various economic crops and forest trees. Later, at the beginning of the rainy season, they migrate to a forest in which they survive until the nest season. Nest sites are frequently reoccupied in subsequent seasons and it has recently been shown that the same individual colony can return to the same nest site year after year. A. dorsata has been reported to migrate up to 100 km in distance. Colony migration over long distances is not found in A. florea and A. andreniformis, but they seasonally abscond during dearth periods.