CONCENTRATION OF HEMOLYMPH-PROTEINS DURING POSTEMBRYONIC WORKER DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICANIZED HONEY-BEES IN BRAZIL AND CARNIOLANS IN EUROPE

The profiles of hemolymph protein content during postembryonic develop ment of honey bees (Apis mellifera) were determined for the first time . Larval and pupal worker stages of Africanized honey bees in Brazil a nd Carniolans in Germany were studied. A rapid increase in protein con centration was found in the late larval stages, followed by a decrease in prepupae and a minimum amount near the pupal moult period. In the early pupal stages, the protein concentration increased again, and the n decreased until adult eclosion. Only the first protein peak in spinn ing L5 was more pronounced in the Africanized honey bees. No differenc es between the hemolymph protein profiles of Africanized bees and Carn iolans could be detected during pupal development. The duration of sev eral larval and pupal stages was shorter in Africanized than in Carnio lan workers. The data reflect the general characteristics of the Afric anized biotype reared in tropical conditions exhibiting accelerated pa tterns of development and lower body weight at emergence in comparison to the European Apis subspecies reared in temperate conditions, The o ntogenetic patterns described for hemolymph protein concentration in p reimaginal honey bee development are also discussed, specifically in r egard to the regulation of metamorphosis in holometabolous insects.