THE SOCIAL ORGANISATION OF HONEYBEES IBD

Sinopse

The honeybee is one of the most intensively studied insects and many of the findings haveáwide implications and have stimulated research on other organisms. Recent study of theáhoneybee colony has greatly advanced our knowledge of its organization, and of how theábehavioural and physiological repertoires of the individual members of a colony interact,áand how the individuals communicate with each other and coordinate their activities, soáthat the colony functions as a coherent whole. These latest findings, many of which haveáonly previously appeared in scientific journals, have been incorporated into an objective,áconcise, yet readily readable account of the social organization of the honeybee colony.Topics discussed include: colony structure and organization, physiological mechanismsáof caste determination, the activities and adaptability of worker bees, temperatureáregulation, reproduction, seasonal cycle of activities, the special part that pheromonesáplay in regulating colony activities, communication of the location of forage, and theáprinciples of foraging behaviour.