• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.41-47
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• 2012

This study was examined the characteristics on the pollinating activities of Apis mellifera, Bombus ignitus and B. terrestris as pollinators on the watermelon flowers(Citrullus vulgaris Schrad), and the effects of the pollination by pollinators compared to the artificial pollination in the watermelon green houses in Nonsan City on summer season in 2005. As a result, B. ignitus and B. terrestris could not be used for summer season, because the bumblebees were not pollinated effectively indeed even two days after hives were released at watermelon green houses during the summer cultivating period. It could not be controlled a poor watermelon house conditions; high temperature and low humidity on summer season which were the bad environment for pollinating activities of bumblebees. But this study was showed that A. mellifera could be used comparatively good pollinator instead of artificial pollination in spite of the bad environment for bee within the watermelon green houses on summer season.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.124-130
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• 2013

Bumblebees are widely used to pollinate various greenhouse crops. Among the different bumblebee species, Bombus ignitus is indigenous to Korea, China, Japan and Russia. B. ignitus undergoes one generation per year, and artificial hibernation is essential for year-round rearing of the bumblebee. Keeping the queens under low-temperature conditions for several months is an effective method for terminating their diapause and promoting colony development. In the present study, we investigated how cold temperature affects the artificial hibernation of B. ignitus queens. Under chilling temperatures of $-2.5^{\circ}C$, $0^{\circ}C$, $2.5^{\circ}C$ and $5^{\circ}C$ with constant humidity >80%, the queens stored at $2.5^{\circ}C$ exhibited the highest survival rates, which were 74.0% at one month, 67.0% at two months, 60.0% at three months, 46.0% at 4 months, 33.0% at 5 months and 24.0% at 6 months. Lower survival rates were observed at $0^{\circ}C$, $5^{\circ}C$, $7.5^{\circ}C$ and $12.5^{\circ}C$. At $2.5^{\circ}C$ the colony developmental characteristics after diapause were 1.2- to 1.5-fold greater than those when queens were stored at $5^{\circ}C$. Thus, $2.5^{\circ}C$ and 70% R.H. were the most favorable chilling temperature and humidity conditions for terminating the diapause of B. ignitus queens.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2004

Phylogenetic relationships were analyzed among bumblebees using a portion of mitochondrial (mt) 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA). Eight species of true bumblebees and one species of cuckoo bumblebee (Bombini, Apidae), collected from Korea were included in the analysis. Also, one species of true bumblebee imported from several foreign countries for pollination was included. The length of mt 16S rRNA sequence ranged from 496 bp to 508 bp and sequence divergence ranged from 1.4％ (7 bp) to 15.49％ (77bp). As expected, a high A＋T content was observed (78.5％ on average). According to the phylogeny tree derived from parsimony and maximum likelihood analysis, a monphyletic Bombus species, excluding a single cuckoo bumblebee, Psithyrus coreanus, was obtained, but the bootstrap estimate at the node supporting the monophyletic group was very weak (40％ or 46％), suggesting a very close relationship of the cuckoo bumblebee to the true bumblebee. Within Bombus species belonging to identical subgenera subgeneric specific clustering was formed with high bootstrap values, implying validity of the subgeneric names of each species: Pyrobombus for B. ardens and B. modeatus; Megabombus for B. consobrinus wittenburgi and B. koreanus; and Bombus s. str. for B. ignitus, B. hypocrita sapporoensis, and B. terrestris.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.123-125
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• 2003

We provide a molecular study intending to derive an estimate of the relationships within the genus Bombus, 10 species which span 6 subgenera common collected from several regions of Korea and B. terrestris imported from several foreign countries for pollination using a portion of mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA. (omitted)

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.357-364
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• 2013

Bee-vectoring is a new crop protection technology used for suppressing insect pests and diseases in crops by disseminating microbial agents into plants during bee pollination activities. In this study, we conducted bee-vectoring trials in cherry tomato greenhouses by using the bumble bee (Bombus terrestris), a microbial agent (Bacillus subtilis) and a new dispenser, and we measured the delivered quantity of microbial agent. Bacterial colony forming units (CFUs) in bees exiting a dispenser ranged from $9.0{\times}10^5$ to $1.9{\times}10^6$ per bee. At greenhouse trials in the National Academy of Agricultural Science (NAAS) trials, 3,300 - 8,500 CFUs per flower were counted and 80 - 100% of the flower samples contained detectable concentrations. There was no significant difference in CFU density between microbial replacement intervals (once a week vs twice a week) in the NAAS trials. In a commercial greenhouse trial, 1,800 - 2,400 CFUs per flower were found, and 83 - 93% of the flower samples contained detectable concentrations. CFUs detected in bee-vectored flowers increased by approximately 75 times before bee-vectoring. The mortality of bumble bees in the NAAS trials was, on average, 22% and little negative effects were observed on the bumble bee colonies. The yield difference for cherry tomatoes in the NAAS trials was not significant between treatments. When we select additional microbial agents that can be disseminated using this technology and create a detailed plan based on insect pests and disease incidence, we can apply this technology in greenhouses for growing tomatoes and strawberries in the near future.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.759-771
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• 2016

We compared the fruit set and the quality of the 'Niitaka' pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) among flowers pollinated by two bee species (Apis mellifera and Bombus terrestris) and pollinated artificial. The artificial pollination rate was 1.3 to 1.9 times higher than the bee pollination rate. Moreover, the artificially pollinated flowers produced fruit that was 5 to 10% higher in weight, 2 to 3% larger in size, and had a higher fruit shape index (L/D) than fruit pollinated by the bees. On economic analysis, net profit from insect pollinator was 93.5 to 97.1% of net profit from artificial pollination. Therefore, artificial pollination is more efficient than bee pollination in 'Niitaka' pear. However, regarding fruit quality and net profit, these results suggest that bee pollination can be an good alternative to artificial pollination in 'Niitaka' pear.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.157-161
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• 2014

Understanding the gene flow from genetically modified (GM) crops to conventional crops is important to prevent and mitigate seed contamination caused by pollen-mediated gene flow. We conducted a field test to investigate the gene flow from diamondback moth resistant GM cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) containing cry1Ac1 gene, to a non-GM control line AD126. GM and non-GM cabbage plants were cultivated in the field and pollinated using Bombus terrestris under the nets during the flowering periods. After seeds were collected from non-GM plants, hybrids between them and the GM cabbages were screened by multiplex PCR targeting cry1Ac1 gene. Out of 878 germinated seedlings, 168 hybrids were found and the average gene flow frequency was 19.7%. Because cabbage is mainly pollinated by insect pollinators, large-scale field tests are needed to study gene flow of GM cabbage.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.106-113
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• 2020

BACKGROUND: Bumblebees have been shown to be very effective pollinators for most greenhouse tomatoes. Neonicotinoid insecticides are one of the most widely used pesticides in tomato crops in Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study was carried out to investigate the toxicity of four neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam) to bumblebees based on the OECD guidelines (No.246, 247). The 48 hr LD₅₀ (㎍ a.i. /bumblebee) values in the acute contact toxicity tests were determined as follows: clothianidin, 0.467; dinotefuran, 3.741; imidacloprid, 3.967; and thiamethoxam, 0.747. The 48 hr LD₅₀ values in the acute oral toxicity tests were determined as follows: clothianidin, 0.005; dinotefuran, 0.056; imidacloprid, 0.325; and thiamethoxam, 0.018. The acute contact and oral toxicity of the test insecticides to bumblebees from most to least toxic was clothianidin > thiamethoxam > dinotefuran > imidacloprid. CONCLUSION: This study provided the basic toxicological data of neonicotinoid insecticides for bumblebees. In the near future, acute toxicity and mixture toxicity of other pesticides to bumblebees could be determined using this method.

• Journal of Apiculture
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.171-180
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• 2017

Slow Bee Paralysis Virus (SBPV) is a pathogenic virus against honeybee and bumblebee, causes the death of adult bee by paralyzing the fore-leg of bee. In this study, for rapid detection of SBPV from bumblebee, SBPV-specific Ultra-rapid Reverse transcription PCR was developed. After optimizing of SBPV-specific Ultra-rapid PCR, the existence of $1.0{\times}10^8$ SBPV-specific DNA molecules could be recognized in 3 minute and 35 seconds. Even $1.0{\times}10^1$ molecules of SBPV-specific DNA could be measured with quantitative manner. Meanwhile, from both imported bumblebee and bumblebee produced in Korea, SBPV were detected using proposed method. In the laboratory as well as in the field, SBPV-specific Ultra-rapid Reverse transcription PCR would be applied and might be expected as useful tools at production of bumblebee or inspection for the import and export system of bumblebee.