NEST DEFENSE BEHAVIOR IN COLONIES FROM CROSSES BETWEEN AFRICANIZED AND EUROPEAN HONEYBEES (APIS-MELLIFERA L) (HYMENOPTERA, APIDAE)

Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies with either European or African ized queens mated to European or Africanized drones alone or in combin ation were tested for defensive behavior using a breath test, The most defensive colonies were those with European or Africanized queens mat ed to Africanized drones. In colonies where both European and Africani zed patrilines existed, most of the workers participating in nest defe nse behavior for the first 30 s after a disturbance were of African pa trilines, Nest defense behavior appears to be genetically dominant in honey bees.