Fueling thermogenesis: an individual-level thermography assay reveals that sucrose ingestion promotes thermogenesis in honeybees.

Abstract

Western honeybees (Apis mellifera) are remarkable among insects for their ability to generate heat endogenously and maintain a stable hive microclimate. This process relies on the activity of the indirect flight muscles, but the direct relationship between thermogenesis and carbohydrate availability has not been systematically investigated. To investigate this relationship, we developed a controlled individual-level thermography assay that provides a standardized framework for studying honeybee thermogenesis at the individual level. Starved bees showed little or no thermogenesis, whereas sucrose-fed bees exhibited substantially increased thoracic temperatures and thermogenic activity, consistent with a threshold-like activation of thermogenesis. Additionally, thermogenic performance was significantly lower in bees fed a sucralose solution used as a putatively non-nutritive control than in bees that received the same volume of sucrose solution. Together, these findings support the hypothesis that thermogenesis depends on the availability of recently ingested carbohydrates.