• 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.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.46 no.1 s.145
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• pp.123-129
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• 2007

An artificial insemination instrument of bumblebee queens was firstly developed. This instrument consists of location tube, transfer tube, holding tube, head product, and probe apparatus for reproductive tract etc. This instrument was designed to minimize stress and damage of reproductive tract of bumblebee queens. The regulator handle apparatus in artificial insemination instrument was used the principle of lever, that manipulates easy, accurate and rapid insemination of bumblebee queens. By using this instrument, the insemination rate was over 90%. This instrument will be useful for the breeding and conservation of excellent character of bumblebees.

• 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.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.191-197
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• 2002

Seasonal occurrence and visiting flowers species of overwintered bumblebee queens were investigated during the spring season of 2000. A total of 1,277 overwintered bumblebee queens were collected, consisting of seven species of Bombus and one species of Psithyrus. The dominant species were Bombus ardens Smith and Bombus ignitus Smith. The heydays of their occuring season were the early April for B. ardens and the second half of the May for B. ignitus. B. ignitus was mainly collected on Prunus yedoensis Matsumura and Corydalis speciosa Min, and B. ardens on the Rhodldendron mucronulatum Turcz and Prunus yedoensis.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.167-174
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• 2011

The large bumblebee $Bombus$ $terrestris$, indigenous to Europe and adjacent areas and used extensively for high-value crop pollination, has been artificially introduced to several parts of the world. Here we show the occurrence of interspecific hybridization between the bumblebee species $B.$ $hypocrita$ $sapporoensia$ and $B.$ $terrestris$ under laboratory conditions. The mating and oviposition percentages resulting from the interspecific hybridization of a $B.$ $terrestris$ queen with a $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$ male were higher than those resulting from the intraspecific mating of $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$. Furthermore, a competitive copulation experiment indicated that the mating of $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$ males with $B.$ $terrestris$ queens was 1.2-fold more frequent than the mating of these males with $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$ queens. The interspecific hybridization of a $B.$ $terrestris$ queen with a $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$ male produced either $B.$ $terrestris$ workers or the $B.$ $terrestris$ male phenotype, and the hybridization of a $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$ queen with a $B.$ $terrestris$ male produced $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$ males. Our results indicated that interspecific hybridization occurred between $B.$ $h.$ $sapporoensis$ and $B.$ $terrestris$. These results suggest that such hybridization will have a negative competitive impact and will cause genetic contamination of native bumblebees.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.229-235
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• 2009

We have cloned and characterized a lipocalin from the bumblebee Bombus ignitus (Bi-lipocalin). The Bi-lipocalin gene spans 2284 bp and consists of four exons coding for 270 amino acid residues. Sequence analysis revealed that Bi-lipocalin possesses three structurally conserved regions (SCTs) that characterize lipocalins. Recombinant Bi-lipocalin, expressed as a 37 kDa protein in baculovirus-infected insect cells, was N-glycosylated, indicating that the carbohydrate moieties are necessary for secretion. Tissue distribution analysis revealed ubiquitous expression of Bi-lipocalin in all tissues examined. Bi-lipocalin transcripts were upregulated by stress, such as wounding, $H_2O_2$ exposure, and external temperature shock. These results indicate that Bi-lipocalin is a stress-inducible protein that acts on wounding, $H_2O_2$ overexposure and temperature stimulation.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.249-253
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• 2012

In this study, we prepared alcohol extracts of the larva, pupa, queen, and cocoon (clony) of B. ignitus, B. terrestris, and B. h. sapporoensis, and tested the anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts by using a rat model of adjuvant-induced edema. The extracts derived from the queen of B. ignitus, the queen of B. terrestris, and the cocoon of B. ignitus decreased hind paw edema after 1 day of i.p. administration. These extracts also induced vasorelaxation and NO production in calf pulmonary artery endothelial cells. These results suggest that bumblebee alcohol extracts has anti-inflammatory and vasorelaxant properties.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.382-390
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• 2008

This study was performed to evaluate the acute toxicity and residual toxicity of the 69 kinds of agrochemicals (41 insecticides, 18 fungicides, and 10 acaricides) against honeybee, Apis mellifera and bumblebee, Bombus terrestris. According to the IOBC standard, the toxicity showed below 30% was classified as non-toxic. Among 41 insecticides, five insecticides (acetamiprid, chlorfenapyr, thiacloprid, milbemectin, and buprofezin+amitraz) against the honeybee; eight insecticides (methomyl, thiodicarb, acetamiprid, chlorfenapyr, thiacloprid, abamectin, spino sad, buprofezin+amitraz) against the bumblebee did not show any toxic effect. Therefore, it thought to being safe. Other 18 fungicides and 10 acaricides were safe against the honeybee and bumblebee. In residual toxicity against the honeybee, eight insecticides (dichlorvos, methomyl, imidachlorprid, emamectin benzoate, spinosad, cartap hydrochloride, chlorfenapyr, and endosulfan) among 41 insecticides tested were safe at three days after treatment; however, sixteen insecticides (dimethoate, fenitrothion, fenthion, methidathion, phenthoate, pyraclofos, fenpropathrin, clothianidin, dinotefuran, thiamethoxam, abamectin, acetamiprid+ethofenprox, acetamiprid+indoxacarb, bifenthrin+imidacloprid, ethofenprox+phenthoate, imidacloprid+methiocarb) still remain high toxicity at eleven days after treatment. Against the bumblebee, residual toxicity showed as safe in seven insecticides (dimethoate, methidation, a-cypermethion, ethofenprox, indoxcarb, chlorpyrifos+a-cypennethrin, esfenvalerate+fenitrochion) at three days after treatment; however, eight insecticides (fenitrothion, pyraclofos, clothianidin, fipronil, acetamiprid+ethofenprox, chlorpyrifos+bifenthrin, ethofenprox+phenthoate, imidacloprid+methiocarb) still showed high toxicity at seven days after treatment. From above results, it will be useful information to select insecticides being safe and effective against the honeybee and bumblebee.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.71-71
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• 2005

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2005

We investigated oviposition and colony development of Bombus ignitus and B. terrestris depending on different pollen. In five kinds of pollen blend, the colony development in fresh-freezing pollen blend produced in Korea (Korea-FFP) was the best performance, although egg-laying characteristics is lower than that of pollen blend for oviposition imported from Korppert company (Kopport-FOP). The Kopport-FOP proved that it was suitable to use for oviposition of bumblebees. The Korea-FFDP, freezing dried-fresh pollen blend produced in Korea, is lower rather than the Korea-FDP although it is similar to the KopportFOP in colony development. It is not efficient to use commercial pollen for bumblebee because it is expensive in cost. The dried pollen blend for honeybee feeding imported from China (China-DP) was not suitable for rearing of bumblebee because it did not form colony although the worker emerged. In types of pollen, the oviposition and colony development of B. ignitus were not affected by the fresh-freezing pollen and dried-freezing pollen. This result also indicated that dried pollen, dried in the shade for 5 - 6 days, is possible to use as commercial pollen for bumblebee reproduction.