Pathogen-associated self-medication behavior in the honeybee Apis mellifera
Date:
09 Aug 2014
Pathogen-associated self-medication behavior in the honeybee Apis mellifera
Honeybees, Apis mellifera,
have several prophylactic disease defense strategies, including the
foraging of antibiotic, antifungal, and antiviral compounds of plant
products. Hence, honey and pollen contain many compounds that prevent
fungal and bacterial growth and inhibit viral replication. Since these
compounds are also fed to the larvae by nurse bees, they play a central
role for colony health inside the hive. Here, we show that honeybee
nurse bees, infected with the microsporidian gut parasite Nosema ceranae,
show different preferences for various types of honeys in a
simultaneous choice test. Infected workers preferred honeys with a
higher antibiotic activity that reduced the microsporidian infection
after the consumption of the honey. Since nurse bees feed not only the
larvae but also other colony members, this behavior might be a highly
adaptive form of therapeutic medication at both the individual and the
colony level.
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