- Title
- Wax discrimination in the Lesser Honeyguide Indicator minor
- Creator
- Hepburn, H Randall
- Subject
- To be catalogued
- Date
- 2009
- Type
- text
- Type
- article
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/448440
- Identifier
- vital:74730
- Identifier
- https://doi.org/10.2989/OSTRICH.2009.80.2.11.838
- Description
- Beeswaxes consist of complex mixtures of homologous neutral lipids that vary among species of honeybees but share many compounds in common (Aichholz and Lorbeer 1999). However, the beeswaxes of subspecies of the honeybee, Apis mellifera, can only be distinguished after careful calculation of the peak elution pattern area ratios of selected compounds (Brand-Garnys and Sprenger 1988). This is of interest in an ornithological context because honeyguides (Indicatoridae) subsist in large measure on the pillage of the combs of honeybees (Friedman 1955) and their enzymic capacity to digest beeswax has been demonstrated experimentally (Friedmann and Kern 1956, Diamond and Place 1988, Downs et al. 2002). Honeyguides can utilise olfactory orientation to find beeswax (Stager 1967, Archer and Glen 1969) and can even detect and seek out the combs of honeybees stored in hives devoid of bees in darkened out-buildings (HRH pers. obs.).
- Format
- 3 pages, pdf
- Language
- English
- Relation
- Ostrich, Hepburn, H.R., 2009. Wax discrimination in the Lesser Honeyguide Indicator minor. Ostrich, 80(2), pp.119-120, Ostrich volume 80 number 2 119 120 2009 1727-947X
- Rights
- Publisher
- Rights
- Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Taylor and Francis Online Terms and Conditions Statement (https://www.tandfonline.com/terms-and-conditions)
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Collections
Hepburn, H Randall (Prof Emeritus)
SDG 15. Life On Land
RU Department of Zoology and Entomology
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details | SOURCE1 | Wax discrimination in the Lesser Honeyguide Indicator minor.pdf | 655 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details |