Research
Virus-specific impacts on honey bee flight performance are mediated by the octopamine pathway
eLife · By Michelle L Flenniken ·
The Brief
- High annual honey bee colony losses are associated with environmental and biological stressors, including virus infections.
- In insects, the octopamine pathway orchestrates the 'fight-or-flight' response, regulating energy mobilization, temperature and flight.
- The eLife study examines virus-specific impacts on honey bee flight performance and whether the octopamine pathway mediates them.
Why it matters
It links viral infections to a measurable physiological effect on flight, a key ability for foraging and pollination, and points to a neural-hormonal pathway that could explain part of colony losses.
Who’s affected
- beekeepers and apiculture researchers
- researchers in insect physiology and pollinator health
- #honey bees
- #octopamine
- #viruses
- #flight performance
- #insect physiology
High annual honey bee colony losses are associated with environmental and biological stressors, including virus infections. In insects, the octopamine (OA) pathway orchestrates the ‘fight-or-flight’ response, regulating energy mobilization, temperature, and flight. We determined…