In the present study, the 17,694-bp long complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the dwarf honey bee, Apis florea (Hymenoptera: Apidae), is described with an emphasis on the noteworthy triplicated tRNAser(AGN) region and an extraordinary long A+T-rich region with repeat regions. The gene arrangement of A. florea mitogenome is identical to that of A. mellifera, but has triplicated tRNASer(AGN), each of which contains the precedent 44 bp-long and following another 64 bp-long repeats plus one complete first repeat abutting to tRNAMet. A total of 1,610-bp long two repeat regions in 1,987 bp-long A+T-rich region is composed of nearly identical 141 ~ 219-bp long five tandem repeats and 50 ~ 52-bp long 12 tandem repeats that are encompassed by three non-repeat sequences. One of the common interpretations for such repeat sequence is slipped-strand mispairing and unequal crossing-over events during DNA replication.

Worldwide studies on Apis cerana variation for biogeography and genetic diversity depended largely on a 86~93 bp-long mitochondrial non-coding region (internal spacer region) located between tRNALeu and COII (named as NC2), possibly due to higher variability among available markers. In order to incorporate the A. cerana occurring in South Korea into world extensive data, we also sequenced the NC2 from 118 A. cerana samples collected over nine Korean localities and 66 A. cerana samples over seven Asian localities, such as China, Vietnam, and Thailand. These data were combined with preexisting world data to scrutinize genetic relationships of A. cerana in South Korea to outside distributional range. Sequencing of 184 samples provided a total of ten haplotypes: five from Korea, six from China, one from Vietnam, and two from Thailand. Among them eight were new, whereas two were previously reported ones. Phylogenetic analysis of A. cerana NC2 haplotypes so far found including ours has confirmed the presence of four major groups of A. cerana (Asian mainland group, Sundaland group, Palawan group, and Luzon-Mindahnao group) and all haplotypes found in this study also were included in the Asian mainland group. In order to find further variable regions that can be used as sequence-based marker several mitochondrial non-coding regions and nuclear intron regions are in the middle of testing.

Nosema disease caused by Nosema apis which belongs to fungi is a major cause of honey production loss and is worldwide in distribution. N. apis infects the epithelial cells of the digestive system of adult honeybees. Nosema causes significant losses in population size of honeybee. There are about 25 thousand beekeepers caring for approximately 1,697,000 colonies in Korea. Honey production totaled almost 38,505 metric tons in 2010. This production was estimated to be worth about 274 billion Korean won. To determine infection level of nosema disease during the season, adult worker bees were collected from two colonies of experiment apiary from January to October. Our results indicate that the infection level of nosema disease was increased in spring and autumn. Also we initiated a survey of honeybee colonies on the blooming period of Acacia to determine the prevalence of N. apis. Twenty two hives owned by 18 beekeepers were sampled for this study. Bees were collected on 24th and 25th May of 2012. Nosema spore counts ranged from zero to 5,266,000 spores per bee. The average number of nosema spores per bee was calculated to be 1,375,000. Approximately 86% of the apiaries examined were infected with nosema, based on the presence of spores in the flowering period of Acacia. This indicates that nosema is the predominant species affecting honeybee colonies.

We investigated the molecular and kinetic properties of two acetylcholinesterases (AmAChE1 and AmAChE2) from the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera. Western blot analysis revealed that AmAChE2 has most of catalytic activity rather than AmAChE1, further suggesting that AmAChE2 is responsible for synaptic transmission in A. mellifera, in contrast to most other insects. AmAChE2 was predominately expressed in the ganglia and head containing the central nervous system (CNS), while AmAChE1 was abundantly observed not only in the CNS but also in the peripheral nervous system/non-neuronal tissues. Both AmAChEs exist as homodimers; the monomers are covalently connected via a disulfide bond under native conditions. However, AmAChE2 was associated with the cell membrane via the glycophosphatidylinositol anchor, while AmAChE1 was present as a soluble form. The two AmAChEs were functionally expressed with a baculovirus system. Kinetic analysis revealed that AmAChE2 has approximately 2,500-fold greater catalytic efficiency toward acetylthiocholine and butyrylthiocholine than AmAChE1, supporting the synaptic function of AmAChE2. In addition, AmAChE2 likely serves as the main target of the organophosphate (OP) and carbamate (CB) insecticides as judged by the lower IC50 values against AmAChE2 than against AmAChE1. When OP and CB insecticides were pre-incubated with a mixture of AmAChE1 and AmAChE2, asignificant reduction in the inhibition of AmAChE2 was observed, suggesting a protective role of AmAChE1 against xenobiotics. Taken together, based on their tissue distribution pattern, molecular and kinetic properties, AmAChE2 plays a major role in synaptic transmission, while AmAChE1 has non-neuronal functions, including chemical defense.

Climate change and global warming are directly effecting the population dynamics of insects of medical importance and insect pests of agricultural commodities during the last few years. The outbreak of some insect-borndiseases and decreasing yield of agricultural products are both caused and results of climate change are known everywhere in the world. Recent reports of honey bee diseases and out breaks, as well as increase in the incidence of CCD(Collapse Colonial Disease) are causing great concerns and pose big problem for our bee keepers in many countries in North America and Europe. These important infectious diseases are possible carried and propagated by bee mites primarily by Varroa mites, which have recently experienced increasing populations in USA and UK includes some European countries. Recently some Asian honey bees adapted to live in the urban areas as the example of Apis dorsata move to Mae Fah Luang Campus more than 30 colonies and even in Chulalonkorn Campus more than 10 colonies increase from few colonies in the the last few years. Apis florea have been found more than 161 colonies this year in Kanchanaburi (River Kwai province) this year(2009). The discussion of some wild honey bees migration will concentrate on research program of our bee research unit of the university in Thailand.

본 연구에서는 양봉사 내부환경을 보다 효율적으로 조절할 수 있는 환기팬 작동방식을 구명하기 위하여 시뮬레이션을 통해 얻어진 환기팬 작동방식에 대한 연 구결과를 양봉사에 직접 적용하여 실험을 실시하였으며, 양봉사 내부의 온도 및 습도변화에 대한 시율레이션과 실험결과를 비교 · 분석하여 양봉사 설계시 양봉사 열환경 해석 프로그램의 적용성을 검토하고, 실험결과를 이용하여 환기팬 작동방식별 양봉사 내부환경의 조절 성능을 분석하였다. 기 개발된 양봉사 열환경 해석 프로그램은 앞으로 양봉사 설계에 적절하게 이용할 수 있을 것으로 판단되었다. 외부기온이 비슷한 조건에서는 환기팬 작동방식 B의 경우가 A의 경우보다 양봉사의 내부온도가 대체로 더 낮았으며, 평균적으로 벌통 내부는 2.8℃, 양봉사 내부는 2.1℃ 더 낮았다. 이것은 Lee 등(1998b)이 제시한 환기팬 작동방식에 따라 양봉사 내부의 승온억제를 최고 2.8℃까지 할 수 있다는 내용을 뒷받침하는 실험결과이다. 환기팬 작동방식 A와 B 모두 꿀벌이 월동하기에 적합한 상대습도 범위 (50~75%) 였으나, 방식 B가 A 보다 양봉사 내부 습도의 최고 및 최저편차가 약 2%, 평균습도가 약 5% 적게 나타나 습도환경조절에 있어 좀 더 안정적인 것으로 판단되었다. 따라서 환기팬 작동방식 B는 A 에 비하여 양봉사 내부환경조절 성능이 더욱 우수하고 효율적인 것으로 판단되었다.

Quality changes of Korean native-bee honey were investigated during processing and preseration at different temperature. There were no changes of HMF(Hydroxy methyl furfural) and proline contents, color and diastase activity in Korean native-bee honey, when the honey separated from honey combs at 20 and 40. However, at 50 and 80, browning of Korean native-bee honey was shown, HMF content was increased rapidly and proline content and diastase activity were decreased. There were no changes of chemical composition in Korean native-bee honey during storage at 4 for 6 months. But color was darken and HMF content was increased slowly in Korean native-bee honey during storage at 20. During storage at 30 and 40, HMF content was increased highly, proline content, diastase activity and total acidity was decreased rapidly. It is recommended that Korean native-bee honey is separated from honey comb and purified at less than 40 and stored at 4 through 20.