Interspecific variation in beeswax as a biological construction material.

Interspecific variation in beeswax as a biological construction material. Research Abstract Details 

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Interspecific variation in beeswax as a biological construction material. Abstract Text:

Robert Buchwald,Michael D Breed,Alan R Greenberg,Gard Otis,

Beeswax is a multicomponent material used by bees in the genus Apis to house larvae and store honey and pollen. We characterized the mechanical properties of waxes from four honeybee species: Apis mellifera L., Apis andreniformis L., Apis dorsata L. and two subspecies of Apis cerana L. In order to isolate the material effects from the architectural properties of nest comb, we formed raw wax in to right, circular cylindrical samples, and compressed them in an electromechanical tensometer. From the resulting stress-strain curves, values for yield stress, yield strain, stress and strain at the proportional limit, stiffness, and resilience were obtained. Apis dorsata wax was stiffer and had a higher yield stress and stress at the proportional limit than all of the other waxes. The waxes of A. cerana and A. mellifera had intermediate strength and stiffness, and A. andreniformis wax was the least strong, stiff and resilient. All of the waxes had similar strain values at the proportional limit and yield point. The observed differences in wax mechanical properties correlate with the nesting ecology of these species. A. mellifera and A. cerana nest in cavities that protect the nest from environmental stresses, whereas the species with the strongest and stiffest wax, A. dorsata, constructs relatively heavy nests attached to branches of tall trees, exposing them to substantially greater mechanical forces. The wax of A. andreniformis was the least strong, stiff and resilient, and their nests have low masses relative to other species in the genus and, although not built in cavities, are constructed on lower, often shielded branches that can absorb the forces of wind and rain.

Interspecific variation in beeswax as a biological construction material. Publishing Authors By Initials

R Buchwald,MD Breed,AR Greenberg,G Otis,

For similar lipids: waxes research abstracts see: lipids: waxes research

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Interspecific variation in beeswax as a biological construction material. Journal Published:

PUBLICATION TYPE: Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov

Journal: The Journal of experimental biology

VOLUME: 209

Page Numbers: 3984-9

Journal Abbreviation: J. Exp. Biol.

ISSN: 0022-0949

DAY: 3

MONTH: Oct

YEAR: 2006

Interspecific variation in beeswax as a biological construction material. Information

Number of References:

LANGUAGE: eng

NlmUniqueID: 243705

Interspecific variation in beeswax as a biological construction material. Keywords Mesh Terms:

KEYWORDS: Waxes

MESH TERMS: chemistry

Chemical & Substance for Abstract: Interspecific variation in beeswax as a biological construction material. Information

Substance Name: beeswax

Registry Number: 8012-89-3

Grant and Affiliation Information for Interspecific variation in beeswax as a biological construction material.

AFFILIATION: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Campus Box 427, Boulder, CO 80309-0427, USA. buchwald@colorado.edu

Country: England

AGENCY: United States NIMH

GRANT: T32MH016880

ACRONYM: MH

MEDLINETA: J Exp Biol

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