The defense mechanism of Japanese honey bees makes Asian corn bees away

What a natural wonder!

To counter the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia), a Japanese honey bee team (Japanese honeybee - Apis cerana japonica) will surround the enemy, simultaneously shaking to increase the temperature of the bee bee. , baked nine wasps on the spot.

Honeybees have to find a strategy to counter this strange enemy because their stinger does not break through the outer bones of the wasps. But nature still finds a way to survive: the bees of honey bees are a powerful weapon , creating enormous heat on the body of a tiny creature.

Giant Asian wasps.

A wasp is flying around Japanese honeycomb.

According to scientists, honeybees in Europe and America are helpless before the plagues of wasps.'These wasps can loot honeybees without obstacles. Honeybees cannot burn through the wasps, 'said Wulfi Gronenburg, a neuroscientist from the University of Arizona, who did not participate in the study.

Japanese honey bees have evolved with Asian wasps, so there are some effective defense methods. One of them is to create a "bee globe" , to grill nine enemies.

The 2012 study gave the scientists a clearer look at Japan's honey bee defense mechanisms. According to the research report, thanks to the hundreds of bees that covered the wasps simultaneously vibrated, the central temperature of the bee was able to reach 47 degrees Celsius. The temperature was very hot (with a small bee ) can last up to an hour without the bees harming. Scientists were surprised by the amazing ability of a small bee.

They delve into studying decoding genes as well as redrawing the brain structure of honey bees.

The magic defense mechanism of Japanese honey bees.

They began their study by introducing bees into high-temperature environments, similar to when they carried out a "defensive bee bee" mechanism, thereby observing the activity of genes that appear in the bee's brain. The team discovered that at least one gene - which carries the mechanism of affecting other genes in honey bees - is much more powerful.

This mechanism works much stronger in Japanese honey bees, compared to its brothers from Europe.

'The more active brain region is directly related to the bee's ability to learn, memory, analyze light, taste, and many other senses,' Gronenburg said after the analysis. scientific report.

In another experiment, they conducted a fake attack on Japanese honey bees. The team also obtained similar results first.

The newly stated gene works vigorously only a few minutes after the defense mechanism is activated, so scientists have not been able to confirm its exact effect. However, it is almost possible to confirm that it plays an important role in the defense of bee defense.

'Many of the genes mentioned above are related to the bee's ability to recognize the temperature of a bee globe. Nearly a biological clock, giving signals should always stop , "said Mr Gronenburg.