AnAge entry for Apis mellifera
Classification (HAGRID: 00015)
- Taxonomy
-
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda (Taxon entry)
Class: Insecta (Taxon entry)
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Genus: Apis
- Species
- Apis mellifera
- Common name
- Honey bee
- Synonyms
- Apis caffra, Apis cerifera, Apis mellifica, Apis daurica, Apis australis, Apis nigritarum, Apis gregaria, Apis fasciata, Apis cerifera, Apis aenigmaticus, Apis adansonii, Apis intermissa, Apis siciliana, Apis sicula, Apis mellifera carnica, Apis mellifera cecropia, Apis remipes armeniaca, Apis mellifera scutellata, Apis mellifera major, Apis mellifica germanica, Apis mellifera ligustica, Apis mellifera lamarckii, Apis mellifera syriaca, Apis mellifera taurica, Apis mellifera anatoliaca, Apis mellida caucasia, Apis mellifera carpatica, Apis mellifera cypria, Apis mellifera sossimai, Apis mellifera iberiensis, Apis mellifera intermissa, Apis mellifera jemenitica, Apis mellifera meda, Apis mellifera nubica, Apis mellifera siciliana, Apis mellifera capensis, Apis mellifera litorea, Apis mellifica banatica, Apis mellifera macedonica, Apis mellifera adami, Apis mellifica rodopica, Apis mellifera remipes, Apis mellifica hymettea, Apis mellifera sahariensis, Apis mellifera ruttneri, Apis mellifica nigrita, Apis mellifera simensis, Apis mellifera adansoni, Apis mellifera monticola, Apis mellifera artemisia, Apis mellifera unicolor, Apis mellifera caucasica, Apis mellifera acervorum, Apis mellifera carniolica, Apis mellifera iberica, Apis mellifera armeniaca, Apis remipes transcaucasica, Apis mellifera sicula, Apis mellifica adami, Apis mellifica cecropia, Apis mellica cypria, Apis mellica remipes, Apis mellifica sahariensis, Apis mellifica carnica
Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits
- Maximum longevity
- 8 years
- Source
- ref. 812
- Sample size
- Medium
- Data quality
- Acceptable
- Observations
As in other social insects, workers and queens have distinct lifespans in the honey bee. Queens have been reported to live up to 8 years. Workers have a short lifespan due to foraging but can live 0.2-0.4 years if prevented from foraging. In the winter, workers can develop into a stress-resistant form called the "diunitus" and live up to 0.9 years [0812]. As workers age there is a decline in cellular degradation activity [1166].
Life history traits (averages)
- No information is available on life history. Please contact us if you wish to suggest or contribute data.
Metabolism
No information on metabolism is available.
References
- [1166] Hsu et al. (2014), Changes in cellular degradation activity in young and old worker honeybees (Apis mellifera) (PubMed)
- [1143] Nussey et al. (2013), Senescence in natural populations of animals: widespread evidence and its implications for bio-gerontology (PubMed)
- [0902] Aamodt (2009), Age-and caste-dependent decrease in expression of genes maintaining DNA and RNA quality and mitochondrial integrity in the honeybee wing muscle (PubMed)
- [0831] Ward et al. (2008), Age, caste, and behavior determine the replicative activity of intestinal stem cells in honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) (PubMed)
- [0830] Williams et al. (2008), Age and natural metabolically-intensive behavior affect oxidative stress and antioxidant mechanisms (PubMed)
- [0828] Kucharski et al. (2008), Nutritional control of reproductive status in honeybees via DNA methylation (PubMed)
- [0808] Behrends et al. (2007), Cognitive aging is linked to social role in honey bees (Apis mellifera) (PubMed)
- [0806] Amdam et al. (2007), Variation in endocrine signaling underlies variation in social life history (PubMed)
- [0741] Rueppell et al. (2007), Regulation of life history determines lifespan of worker honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) (PubMed)
- [0805] Patel et al. (2007), The making of a queen: TOR pathway is a key player in diphenic caste development (PubMed)
- [0812] Haddad et al. (2007), Extended longevity of queen honey bees compared to workers is associated with peroxidation-resistant membranes (PubMed)
- [0847] Corona et al. (2007), Vitellogenin, juvenile hormone, insulin signaling, and queen honey bee longevity (PubMed)
- [0815] Seehuus et al. (2006), Cellular senescence in honey bee brain is largely independent of chronological age (PubMed)
- [0408] Seehuus et al. (2006), Reproductive protein protects functionally sterile honey bee workers from oxidative stress (PubMed)
- [0407] Amdam et al. (2005), Social reversal of immunosenescence in honey bee workers (PubMed)
- [0848] Corona et al. (2005), Gene expression patterns associated with queen honey bee longevity (PubMed)
- [0063] Omholt and Amdam (2004), Epigenetic regulation of aging in honeybee workers (PubMed)
- [0908] Page and Peng (2001), Aging and development in social insects with emphasis on the honey bee, Apis mellifera L (PubMed)
External Resources
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System
- ITIS 154396
- Animal Diversity Web
- ADW account (if available)
- Encyclopaedia of Life
- Search EOL
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Taxonomy ID 7460
- Entrez
- Search all databases
- Ageing Literature
- Search Google Scholar or Search PubMed
- Images
- Google Image search
- Internet
- Search Google