DOI: 10.5061/dryad.x3ffbg7x3
title: Data from: Investigation of the effect of temperature and colonial air on the ontogeny of circadian rhythms in young worker honey bees Apis mellifera

description: Circadian rhythms are essential for predicting environmental changes;
 however, little is known about factors regulating their ontogeny. Honey
 bee workers emerge from the pupae with no behavioural circadian rhythms
 but show strong rhythms later in their lives. Although a previous study
 showed that temperature in a colony plays a role in accelerating the
 ontogeny of circadian rhythms in young bees, it is still unknown whether
 there is an optimal temperature for the acceleration of the rhythm
 ontogeny. In the present study, we examined the influence of four
 different temperatures (25, 29, 34, and 38°C) for 48 h and found that as
 the temperature increased, more bees exhibited circadian activity rhythms
 for a 5 d observation period. We also examined the influence of
 temperature and other factors in a colony by exposing bees to air inside
 the hive at 34°C (a temperature nearly identical to bood nest tempearture)
 or 29°C. We found that regardless of whether bees were exposed to colony
 air, they maintained their temperature at 34°C during their first 48 h and
 were more likely to exhibit circadian activity rhythms during the 5 d
 observation period compared with bees maintained at 29°C. These results
 suggest that the temperature in a colony is the main factor influencing
 the ontogeny of circadian rhythms in young bees. We also demonstrate the
 presence of a critical period during which this temperature effect
 significantly accelerates rhythm ontogeny. 
description: # Data from: Investigation of the effect of temperature and colonial air
 on the ontogeny of circadian rhythms in young worker honey bees Apis
 mellifera Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.x3ffbg7x3](10.5061/dryad.x3ffbg7x3)
 ## Description of the data and file structure Description of the data and
 file structure These data were generated from experiments designed to
 examine the effect of temperature in a colony on the acceleration of
 circadian rhythms ontogeny in young bees. Files and variables **File:
 Data_25-38degree_v2.2.xlsx** Description: Data on the percentage of
 rhythmic bees for Experiment 1 Variables * Temperature: Ambient
 temperature during first 48 h - Percentage: the percentage of rhythmic
 bees **File: Data_colony1801_1802_1901v2.6.xlsx** Description: Individual
 data on the strength of circadian rhythms (power) in each colony for
 Experiment 2 Variables * Colony: colonyID Group: * forager = bees that
 returned to their hives with pollen loads on their hind legs - colony 48 h
 = bees that kept in a field colony for their first 48 h after emergence *
 colony air 34℃ = bees that were kept in an incubator at 34℃ with colonial
 air for their first 48 h after emergence - colony air 29℃ = bees that were
 kept in an incubator at 29℃ with colonial air for their first 48 h after
 emergence * 29℃ = bees that kept in an incubator at 29℃ for their first 48
 h after emergence - 34℃ = bees that kept in an incubator at 34℃ for their
 first 48 h after emergence * Period: the period when the data were
 collected. Month/date. - Camera: cameraID * ID: the ID of each bee in each
 camera - Power: the strength of circadian rhythms (power) **File:
 Data_colony2001_2002v2.5.xlsx** Description: Individual data on the
 strength of circadian rhythms (power) in each colony for Experiment 3
 Variables * Colony: colonyID Group: * Colony 48h-&gt;29℃ = bees that were
 kept in a field colony for their first 48 h after emergence, then
 monitored their locomotor activity at 29℃ for five days - colony
 48h-&gt;34℃ = bees that were kept in a field colony for their first 48 h
 after emergence, then monitored their locomotor activity at 34℃ for five
 days * 25℃48h-&gt;29℃ = bees that were kept in an incubator at 25℃ for
 their first 48 h after emergence, then monitored their locomotor activity
 at 29℃ for five days - 25℃48h-&gt;25℃ = bees that kwere ept in an
 incubator at 25℃ for their first 48 h after emergence, then monitored
 their locomotor activity at 25℃ for five days * 29℃48h = bees that kwere
 ept in an incubator at 29℃ for their first 48 h after emergence, then
 monitored their locomotor activity at 29℃ for five days - 34℃48h-&gt;29℃ =
 bees that kwere ept in an incubator at 34℃ for their first 48 h after
 emergence, then monitored their locomotor activity at 29℃ for five days *
 34℃48h-&gt;34℃ = bees that kwere ept in an incubator at 34℃ for their
 first 48 h after emergence, then monitored their locomotor activity at 34℃
 for five days - ID: the ID of each bee in each measurement * Power: the
 strength of circadian rhythms (power)