Whole colonies of Bacillus cereus, B. megaterium, B. mycoides CN2495, Corynebacterium hofmanni NCTC1938, Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus acidophilus NCIB1899, Nocardia graminis NCTC4728, Pseudomonas viscosa, and Serratia marcescens were prepared for scanning electron microscopic examination by freeze-drying and metal-coating. The arrangement of individual cells within colonies could be seen. Ce...

Thirteen different laboratory colonies of Leptotrombidim chiggers [L. chiangraiensis Tanskul & Linthicum, L. deliense Walch and L. imphalum (Vercammen-Grandjean &Langston)] were evaluated for their ability to transmit Orientia tsutsugamushi (Hyashi) to mice. Of 4,372 transmission attempts using individual chiggers from all 13 colonies, 75% (n = 3,275) successfully infected mice. Transmission ra...

In response to intraand interspecific competition, ant colonies have evolved mechanisms to maximize early colony growth. Through the analysis of photographic images, this study describes the individual effect of two different strategies, pleometrosis and pupae transplantation, on the growth of Lasius niger colonies. Results showed that both methods had an overall positive effect on colony produ...

We tested six commercial sources of honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), whose breeding incorporated the trait of Varroa sensitive hygiene (VSH). VSH confers resistance to the parasitic mite Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman by enhancing the ability of the bees to hygienically remove mite-infested brood. VSH production queens (i.e., queens commercially available for use in be...

Transgenic corn producing the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin Cry3Bb1 has been useful for controlling western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, one of the most economically important crop pests in the United States. However, rapid evolution of resistance by this beetle to Bt corn producing Cry3Bb1 has been reported previously from the laboratory, greenhouse, and field. He...

A long-term study on the production of sexual offspring in relation to food stores was conducted in the stingless bee Melipona beecheii. Firstly, the production of sexuals was followed during one year in 10 colonies kept under natural conditions. Of the brood produced, 22.9 % were males, and of all female brood, 14.6 % were queens. Secondly, we measured the effect of experimentally manipulating...

Temporal and spatial analyses are seldom utilized in the study of colony genetic structure, but they are potentially powerful methods which can yield novel insights into the mechanisms underlying variation in breeding systems. Here we present the results of a study which incorporated both of these dimensions in an examination of genetic structure of subterranean termites in the genus Reticulite...

—Breeding bird surveys were conducted at most American White Pelican ( Pelecanus erythrorhynchos ) colonies in North America from 1979-81 and the number of American White Pelicans was estimated at >109,000 breeding individuals in 55 colonies. Although many pelican colonies have not been surveyed since the early 1980s, we present the most current survey numbers available for North American colon...

How do animals in groups organize their work? Division of labour, i.e. the process by which individuals within a group choose which tasks to perform, has been extensively studied in social insects. Variability among individuals within a colony seems to underpin both the decision over which tasks to perform and the amount of effort to invest in a task. Studies have focused mainly on discrete tas...