Data from: Corazonin responds to nutrient stress and increases flight activity in Apis mellifera workers

We asked whether the insect peptide hormone corazonin changes honey bee flight behavior. To address this question, we injected bees with corazonin or a negative control, placed them back in their colony, and measured their daily flight activity. 

For "concentrationsFlightActivity.xlsx":

Fifty 9d old bees were injected in the head with 2µl of a low (25ng/µl), middle (125ng/µl), or high (250ng/µl) dose of CRZ peptide in 1X Ringer’s solution, or 1X Ringer’s solution alone (control). The bees were then marked according to the treatment they received and were returned to their respective hives. For 5 days post-injection (10-15d post-emergence), the entrance of each hive was monitored for 10 minutes each hour for five hours (06:00-11:00 MST, 50 minutes daily per hive). The number of painted bees that left or returned to the hive during this time and their paint color was recorded.

Columns in data sheet represent the concentration of peptide injected ("treatment"), whether a flight event was observed ("F vs NF"), hive number ("hive"), age of bee that was observed flying ("age"), and the trial ("round").

For "2019FlightActivity.xlsx":

Injections and behavioral observations were conducted in June/July 2019 for bees injected at 9d of age. Approximately 700-800 NEBs were obtained, marked, and distributed equally into four separate hives. The marked bees were collected from the hive at 9d and injected with 2µl of CRZ peptide (125ng/µl) or an equivalent concentration of scramble peptide (125ng/µl; negative control) in 1X Ringer’s solution. Each bee was then re-marked according to the treatment they received (CRZ or scramble control) and returned to their hive. Post-treatment flight activity was monitored for five days, for 50 minutes per hive each day. After each daily observation period, we also counted the number of painted bees of both treatments that were found on the frames and hive body or dead bees on the bottom board or at the hive entrance. The data represent whether an individual was observed flying ("F") or was alive but did not fly ("NF").

The columns represent whether the individual observed was injected with the control or corazonin peptide ("treatment"), whether the individual observed was flying or alive but not flying ("F vs NF"), the hive number ("hive"), and the age of the observed bee in days post-emergence ("age").

For "2020FlightActivity.xlsx":

Injections and behavioral observations were conducted in April/May/June 2020 (injected at 8d of age). Approximately 700-800 NEBs were obtained, marked, and distributed equally into four separate hives, as described above. The marked bees were collected from the hive at 8d (Trial 2) and injected with 2µl of CRZ peptide (125ng/µl) or an equivalent concentration of scramble peptide (125ng/µl; negative control) in 1X Ringer’s solution. Each bee was then re-marked according to the treatment they received (CRZ or scramble control) and returned to their hive. Post-treatment flight activity was monitored for five days (10-15d post-emergence) for 50 minutes per hive each day. After each daily observation period, we also counted the number of painted bees of both treatments that were found on the frames and hive body or dead bees on the bottom board or at the hive entrance. The data represent whether an individual was observed flying ("F") or was alive but was not flying ("NF").

The columns represent whether the individual observed was injected with the control or corazonin peptide ("treatment"), whether the individual observed was flying or alive but not flying ("F vs NF"), the hive number ("hive"), and the age of the observed bee in days post-emergence ("age").