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Queen fighting

Honey bee queen fighting occurs when there is two or more queens in one nest (temporary polygyny). As a result of the fighting there is only one queen left in the nest (monogyny). The fighting can occur during swarming, emergency queen rearing and possibly supersedure. In the fighting usually participate young virgin queens but during supersedure young virgin queen can fight with old mated queen. In experimental conditions also mated queens can fight The mechanism of queen elimination in two-queen honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies,
Journal of Apicultural Research
, Volume 33, p.87-94, (1994)
[1]. There are also fights between queens and pseudoqueens Lethal fighting between honeybee queens and parasitic workers (Apis mellifera),
Naturwissenschaften
, Volume 90, Number 8, p.378–381, (2003)
[2].

The queen fighting behaviour is induced by olfactory stimulus Rapid adaptation by paired queens of the honey bee, Apis mellifera,
Annals of the Entomological Society of America
, Volume 65, Number 4, p.825–829, (1972)
[3], source of the stimulus is located on abdominal tergites On abdominal pheromones in the queen honey bee,
XXI International Beekeeping Congress
, College Park, USA, p.58–59, (1967)
[4]Fight between virgin queens (Apis mellifera) is initiated by contact to the dorsal abdominal surface,
Apidologie
, Volume 34, Number 3, p.249–256, (2003)
[5] and it is not related to mandibular glands On abdominal pheromones in the queen honey bee,
XXI International Beekeeping Congress
, College Park, USA, p.58–59, (1967)
[4]Behavioural studies on queen introduction in honeybees. 5. Behavioural relationship between pairs of queens without worker attendance,
Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Ontario
, Volume 103, p.87-96, (1972)
[6]Zum Schwarmverhalten der sizilianischen Honigbiene (Apis mellifera sicula),
, Bremen, (1996)
[7]. Queens are able to perceive each other only when there is direct contact between them The mechanism of queen elimination in two-queen honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies,
Journal of Apicultural Research
, Volume 33, p.87-94, (1994)
[1]Fight between virgin queens (Apis mellifera) is initiated by contact to the dorsal abdominal surface,
Apidologie
, Volume 34, Number 3, p.249–256, (2003)
[5]. Sometimes short contact between two young queens does not end with fight The behavior of honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica) during queen duels,
Ethology
, Volume 107, p.1-22, (2001)
[8]. In A. m. sicula young virgin queens can tolerate each other for some time The biology of the Sicilian honeybee (Apis mellifera sicula),
Apidologie
, Volume 22, Issue 4, Number 4, p.477-479, (1991)
[9]Zum Schwarmverhalten der Sizilianischen Honigbiene Apis mellifera sicula (Montagano 1911),
Apidologie
, Volume 24, Number 4, p.365–374, (1993)
[10]. Queens refrain from fighting when one of their mandibles was removed Self assessment in insects: honeybee queens know their own strength,
PLoS One
, Volume 3, Number 1, p.1412, (2008)
[11].

During the fight queens use sting while holding each other with legs and mandibles The mechanism of queen elimination in two-queen honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies,
Journal of Apicultural Research
, Volume 33, p.87-94, (1994)
[1]. The queen which successfully stung its rival wins the fight. Sting is usually delivered into intersegmental membrane of abdomen. The fight last from 5 seconds to 15 minutes The behavior of honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica) during queen duels,
Ethology
, Volume 107, p.1-22, (2001)
[8]. In most cases stung queen is paralysed and dies within about 15 minutes. The stung queen can be immobilized by workers The behavior of honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica) during queen duels,
Ethology
, Volume 107, p.1-22, (2001)
[8] and before death it can receive from the winning queen additional stings Fight between virgin queens (Apis mellifera) is initiated by contact to the dorsal abdominal surface,
Apidologie
, Volume 34, Number 3, p.249–256, (2003)
[5]. The winning queen is usually not injured. Occasional her wings can be destroyed during fighting Widerlegung der jüngst gegen meine Theorie der Fortpflanzung der Bienen erhobene Einwände,
Bienenzeitung
, Volume 54, p.299-302, (1898)
[12].

In case of virgin queens older individuals win the fights more often The influence of queen age and quality during queen replacement in honeybee colonies,
Animal Behaviour
, Volume 59, Number 1, p.97–101, (2000)
[13], but in case of mated queens the opposite is true The mechanism of queen elimination in two-queen honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies,
Journal of Apicultural Research
, Volume 33, p.87-94, (1994)
[1]. During swarming the oldest queen have advantage only in colonies without afterswarms Queen replacement in African and European honey bee colonies with and without afterswarms,
Insectes Sociaux
, Volume 55, Number 1, p.79–85, (2008)
[14]. Heavier queens won the fights more often in one study The effects of size and reproductive quality on the outcomes of duels between honey bee queens (Apis mellifera L.),
Ethology Ecology and Evolution
, Volume 21, Number 2, p.147–153, (2009)
[15] but not in others The influence of queen age and quality during queen replacement in honeybee colonies,
Animal Behaviour
, Volume 59, Number 1, p.97–101, (2000)
[13]The influence of paternity on virgin queen success in hybrid colonies of European and African honeybees,
Animal Behaviour
, Volume 65, Number 5, p.883–892, (2003)
[16]. There are suggestions that workers can affect result of the fighting Kin recognition and virgin queen acceptance by worker honey bees (Apis mellifera L.),
Animal Behaviour
, Volume 34, Number 4, p.1061–1069, (1986)
[17]Effects of relatedness on queen competition within honey bee colonies,
Animal Behaviour
, Volume 55, Number 3, p.537–543, (1998)
[18]Levels of selection in a social insect: a review of conflict and cooperation during honey bee (Apis mellifera) queen replacement,
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
, Volume 55, Number 6, p.513–523, (2004)
[19]Queen replacement in African and European honey bee colonies with and without afterswarms,
Insectes Sociaux
, Volume 55, Number 1, p.79–85, (2008)
[14]. Young queens are harassed by workers. A behaviour called "clump" occurs when a worker close her mandibles on leg or wing base of a queen The behavior of honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica) during queen duels,
Ethology
, Volume 107, p.1-22, (2001)
[8]. Another behaviour called "grab" occurs when a workers opens and closes her mandibles against the surface of thorax and abdomen of a queen The behavior of honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica) during queen duels,
Ethology
, Volume 107, p.1-22, (2001)
[8]. However, workers do not participate in the queen fighting by stinging the queens The mechanism of queen elimination in two-queen honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies,
Journal of Apicultural Research
, Volume 33, p.87-94, (1994)
[1]. Queens that were vibrated by workers at higher rates won more fights The role of the vibration signal during queen competition in colonies of the honeybee, Apis mellifera,
Animal Behaviour
, Volume 61, Number 6, p.1173–1180, (2001)
[20]. Harassment of a queen by a worker is not affected by their relatedness Absence of nepotism in the harassment of duelling queens by honeybee workers,
Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences
, Volume 270, Number 1528, p.2045–2049, (2003)
[21] or queen quality Effect of queen quality on interactions between workers and dueling queens in honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies,
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
, Volume 55, Number 2, p.190–196, (2003)
[22].

During the fight content of hind-gut (see queen faeces) can be released by one or both queens Kin recognition and virgin queen acceptance by worker honey bees (Apis mellifera L.),
Animal Behaviour
, Volume 34, Number 4, p.1061–1069, (1986)
[17]“Spraying” Behavior During Queen Competition in Honey Bees,
Journal of Insect Behavior
, Volume 16, Number 3, p.425–437, (2003)
[23]. This behaviour (called spraying) occurs in 67% Effect of" spraying" by fighting honey bee queens (Apis mellifera L.) on the temporal structure of fights,
Insectes Sociaux
, Volume 47, Number 1, p.21–26, (2000)
[24] or 38% “Spraying” Behavior During Queen Competition in Honey Bees,
Journal of Insect Behavior
, Volume 16, Number 3, p.425–437, (2003)
[23] of fights. After the spraying the fight is usually interrupted and queens are separated Effect of" spraying" by fighting honey bee queens (Apis mellifera L.) on the temporal structure of fights,
Insectes Sociaux
, Volume 47, Number 1, p.21–26, (2000)
[24]. The queen covered with faeces is often immobilized by workers The behavior of honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica) during queen duels,
Ethology
, Volume 107, p.1-22, (2001)
[8] for 15±24 minutes “Spraying” Behavior During Queen Competition in Honey Bees,
Journal of Insect Behavior
, Volume 16, Number 3, p.425–437, (2003)
[23]. Queens that were immobilized in this way are less likely to survive the fighting “Spraying” Behavior During Queen Competition in Honey Bees,
Journal of Insect Behavior
, Volume 16, Number 3, p.425–437, (2003)
[23]. Sometimes immobilized queen is attacked and stung by free moving queen “Spraying” Behavior During Queen Competition in Honey Bees,
Journal of Insect Behavior
, Volume 16, Number 3, p.425–437, (2003)
[23]. Spraying is specific to young queens up to two weeks of age Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) queen feces: source of a pheromone that repels worker bees,
Journal of Chemical Ecology
, Volume 13, Number 3, p.583–591, (1987)
[25].

Historical references: Mémoire pour servir à l’histoire des insectes,
Imprimerie Royale
, Volume 5, p.207-728, (1741)
[26]Nouvelles observations sur les abeilles,
, Genève, p.368, (1792)
[27]On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life,
New York: D. Appleton
, London, (1859)
[28]Queen killed by rival,
Gleanings in Bee Culture
, Volume 36, p.1259–1260, (1908)
[29]
Other references: L’agressivité des reines entre-elles et des ouvrières vis-à-vis des reines lors de la création des sociétés polygynes d’Apis mellifera L,
Rev. Comp. Anim
, Volume 4, p.50–62, (1970)
[30]Honeybee queen docility noticed during queen duels,
Journal of Apicultural Science
, Volume 53, p.97-104, (2009)
[31]