The World of the Honeybee
The mysteries of bee life are illuminated for beekeepers, entomologists and students of natural history in general.The complex and wonderful organisation of the honeybee has fascinated many naturalists and writers, but the New Naturalist is fortunate in securing for its library what is undoubtedly one of the finest and most comprehensive treatises on the subject. For many years head of the research station at Rothamsted, Dr Butler's own discoveries (particularly the existence of "queen substance") are truly remarkable.Skilfully woven into the book are the results of the work of others - such as that of von Frisch on the orientation of bees, and the almost incredible way in which information is conveyed about the distance and direction of food sources, by beautiful, extraordinary dances. The copious illustrations are all taken by the author and are marvels of close-up photography.This edition contains the finding of latest research, including the discovery of the sex attractant released by the queen and its function; and exactly how the piping sounds made by the emerging queen are produced.Reviews:"Excellent guide to the mysteries of bee life, for the general reader as well as the beekeeper and entomologist"Yorkshire Post"Important as an exposition of a most suggestive theory, that of the "queen substance". The experiments behind this are fascinating."Manchester Guardian"One of the best books of this (20th) century on bees"British Bee Journal
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William Collins
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First edition 1954
Reprinted 1958
Revised edition 1962
Reprinted 1967
Reprinted 1971
Revised edition 1974
Reprinted 1976
Reprinted 1977
Copyright © Colin G. Butler
Colin G. Butler asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
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Source ISBN: 9780007343218
Ebook Edition © JULY 2017 ISBN: 9780007406265
Version: 2017-07-31
EDITORS:
MARGARET DAVIES C.B.E. M.A. Ph.D.
JOHN GILMOUR M.A. V.M.H.
KENNETH MELLANBY C.B.E. Sc.D.
PHOTOGRAPHIC EDITOR:
ERIC HOSKING F.R.P.S.
The aim of this series is to interest the general reader in the wild life of Britain by recapturing the inquiring spirit of the old naturalists. The Editors believe that the natural pride of the British public in the native fauna and flora, to which must be added concern for their conservation, is best fostered by maintaining a high standard of accuracy combined with clarity of exposition in presenting the results of modern scientific research.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 The Origin of the Honeybee, and Evolution of the Relationship between Bees and Flowers
CHAPTER 2 The Honeybees and their Distribution today
CHAPTER 3 The Evolution of Social Life amongst Bees
CHAPTER 4 The Origin of the Members of the Colony
CHAPTER 5 On the Survival of Colonies that have lost their Queens
CHAPTER 6 The Life of a QueenâMating, Egg-laying Behaviour, etc.
CHAPTER 7 Division of Labour amongst the Workers of a Colony
CHAPTER 8 Recognition by a Colony of Honeybees of the Presence of its Queen
CHAPTER 9 Clustering and the Maintenance of Colony Cohesion
CHAPTER 10 The World of the Worker Honeybee
CHAPTER 11 Bee Stings and Bee Venom
CHAPTER 12 Colony Odour and Defence
CHAPTER 13 Colony Reproduction or Swarming
CHAPTER 14 The Food of the Honeybee
LIST OF PLATES
IN COLOUR
I A Honeybee Community (Apis mellifera)
II Colony of the Little Honeybee (Apis florea)
IN BLACK AND WHITE
1 Nest of a âStinglessâ Bee (Trigona iridipennis)
2 Details of Nest of a âStinglessâ Bee (Trigona iridipennis)
4 Life History of the Lesser Wax Moth
5 Queen Wasp seeking Nectar from the Extra-floral Nectaries on a Cornflower Bud
6 The Adult Members of a Honeybee Colony
7 The Life History of the Worker Honeybee (I)
8 The Life History of the Worker Honeybee (II)
9 The Giant Honeybee (Apis dorsata)
14 Scent Production by Worker Honeybees (I)
15 Scent Production by Worker Honeybees (II)
18 Two Mated, Laying Queens in the same Hive
19 A Mated, Laying Queen surrounded by a Group of attendant Household Bees
20 The Feeding of one Bee by another (I)
21 The Feeding of one Bee by another (II)
22 The Use of Propolis by Honeybees
23 The âBallingâ of a Queen Honeybee
30 A large Swarm of Honeybees on a Broom Bush
32 Worker Honeybee collecting Nectar and Pollen from a Dandelion Flower
34 Bees collecting Water from a Leaf-choked Gutter
36 The Dance Language of the Honeybee
37 Instrumental Insemination of a Queen Honeybee (I)
IT IS almost exactly twenty years since the first edition of The World of the Honeybee was publishedâtwenty years during which many exciting advances in our knowledge of the behaviour and physiology of the honeybee have been made. These include much more information about the chemical compounds (pheromones) produced by larvae as well as adult queens and workers and of their role in controlling the behaviour of the individuals of which a honeybee colony is composed, and thus of the colony as a whole. The sex attractant released by the queen which enables flying drones to find her has been discovered and found to be the same substance as the principal component of the âqueen substanceâ which I postulated in 1954. âQueen substanceâ in its turn is now known to be a mixture of several substances most, but perhaps not all, of which are found in the secretion of the queenâs mandibular glands; substances that not only inhibit unnecessary queen rearing by the worker bees and development of their ovaries, but also help the workers of swarms to find their queens and cluster quietly with them.
