Apidologiesupplementary Material

APIDOLOGIESupplementary Material

The density of feral honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in South East Australia is greater in undisturbed than in disturbed habitats

Eloise M. HINSON, Michael DUNCAN, Julianne LIM, Jonathan ARUNDEL, Benjamin P. OLDROYD*

*Corresponding author:

Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences A12, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

Table S1. Estimates of the density of wild (native) and feral (exotic) honey bee colonies from across the world, ordered from lowest to highest density.

Location / Habitat / Climate / Colonies km-2 / Reference
Australia – South Australia / Heath / Temperate / 0.1 / Paton (1996)
Australia – Victoria / Agricultural land / Semi-arid / 0.15 / This study
Europe – Russia / Temperate forest / Continental / 0.17 / Galton (1971)
North America – California, Santa Cruz Island / Arid Island / Subtropical / 0.25 / Wenner (1989)
Australia – Victoria / Agricultural land / Semi-arid / 0.25 / This study
Australia – NSW / Rural town/Agricultural land / Temperate / 0.25 / This study
Europe – Russia / Temperate forest / Continental / 0.3 / Galton (1971)
Australia – South Australia / Heath / Temperate / 0.4 / Paton (1996)
Australia – NSW / Dry sclerophyll forest / Temperate / 0.4 / This study
Australia – NSW / Agricultural land / Temperate / 0.45 / This study
North America – New York / Mixed forest / Temperate / 0.5 / Visscher and Seeley (1982)
Australia – NSW / Woodland / Temperate / 0.55 / This study
Australia – NSW / Agricultural land / Temperate / 0.55 / This study
Europe – Russia / Temperate forest / Continental / 0.57 / Galton (1971)
Australia – NSW / Agricultural land / Temperate / 0.6 / This study
Australia – NSW / Rainforest/wet sclerophyll / Temperate / 0.65 / This study
Europe – Sweden / Agricultural land / Continental / 0.8 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Australia – NSW / Woodland / Temperate / 0.8 / This study
Europe – Russia / Temperate forest / Continental / 0.96 / Galton (1971)
Australia – Victoria / Riparian woodland / Temperate - Semi-arid / 1.0 / This study
North America – Arizona / Urban/suburban/desert / Arid / 0.36-1.12 / Baum et al. (2008)
Australia – Victoria / Woodland / Temperate / 0.1 - 1.5 / Arundel et al. (2014)
Australia – Victoria / Riparian woodland / Temperate - Semi-arid / 1.5 / This study
Europe – Germany / Agricultural land / Continental / 2.2 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
North America – New York / Urban/suburban / Temperate / 2.3 / Morse et al. (1990)
Europe Germany / Nature reserve / Continental / 2.4 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Central Asia– Tjurgen-Aka-Suu / Agricultural land / Semi-arid / 2.6 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Europe – Ireland / Agricultural land / Temperate / 2.8** / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Australia – Victoria / Woodland / Temperate / 2.9 / Goodman and Hepworth (2004)
Central Asia– Kyrgyzstan / Agricultural land / Semi-arid / 3.1** / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Europe – Germany / National Park / Continental / 2.4 - 3.2 / Moritz et al. (2007)
Europe – Germany / Nature reserve / Continental / 3.5 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Europe – Ireland / Agricultural land / Temperate / 3.9 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Australia – Victoria / Agricultural land / Temperate / 0.1 – 4 / Arundel et al. (2014)
Africa – Botswana / Desert/savannah / Subtropical / 4.2 / McNally and Schneider (1996)
Africa – Sudan / Agricultural land / Arid/semi-arid / 4.2 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Europe– Spain / Agricultural land / Temperate / 4.9 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Australia – Victoria / Burnt woodland / Temperate / 0.1 – 5 / Arundel et al. (2014)
Central America – Mexico / Agricultural land / Tropical / 5 / Ratnieks et al. (1991)
North America – Arizona / Semi-desert canyon / Arid / 2.9 - 5.1 / Taber (1979)
Africa – South Africa / Nature reserve / Arid / 5.7 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Europe – Croatia / Agricultural land / Continental / 5.9* / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Central America – Mexico / Agricultural land / Tropical / 6.2 / Ratnieks et al. (1991)
Africa – South Africa / Agricultural land / Arid / 6.4 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Africa – South Africa / Agricultural land / Temperate / 6.7 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Africa– South Africa / Nature reserve / Temperate / 6.7* / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Europe– Germany / Agricultural land / Continental / 6.7 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Europe – Croatia / Agricultural land / Continental / 6.7* / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Central America – Panama / Various / Tropical / 4.7 - 7.1 / Boreham and Roubik (1987)
Europe – Italy / Agricultural land / Temperate / 7.6 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Africa – South Africa / Desert/savannah / Subtropical / 7.8 / Schneider and deGrandi-Hoffman (2003)
Europe – Italy / Nature reserve / Temperate / 8.2 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Central America – Mexico / Agricultural land / Tropical / 9 / (Ratnieks et al., 1991)
Africa – South Africa / Nature reserve / Temperate / 9 / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Africa – South Africa / Nature reserve / Temperate / 9.4* / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Africa – South Africa / Nature reserve / Temperate / 9.8* / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Australia – Victoria / Woodland / Temperate / 0.1 – 10 / Arundel et al. (2014)
Australia – Victoria / Woodland / Temperate / 0.15 – 10 / Arundel et al. (2014)
Australia – Victoria / Agricultural land / Temperate - Semi-arid / 0.15 – 10 / Arundel et al. (2014)
Australia – Victoria / Riparian woodland / Temperate - Semi-arid / 0.2 – 10 / Arundel et al. (2014)
Africa – South Africa / Nature reserve / Temperate / 10.2* / Jaffé et al. (2010)
Africa – South Africa / Desert / Arid / 10.6 / Moritz et al. (2008)
Australia– South Australia / Woodland / Temperate / 11.1 / Paton (1996)
USA – Texas / Coastal prairie / Temperate - subtropical / 3.8 - 12.5 / Baum et al. (2005)
Africa - South Africa / Nature reserve / Temperate / 12.4 - 17.6* / Moritz et al. (2007)
Mexico – Chiapas and Yucatan / Various / Dry tropical / 15.3-17.4 / Moritz et al. (2013)
Australia - South Australia / Woodland / Temperate / 22.5-40 / Paton (1996)
Australia - South Australia / Woodland / Temperate / 40 / Paton (1996)
Australia – Victoria / Riparian woodland / Temperate - Semi-arid / 77.1 / Oldroyd et al. (1994)
Australia – Victoria / Riparian woodland / Temperate / 91 / Goodman and Hepworth (2004)
Australia – Victoria / Riparian woodland / Temperate - Semi-arid / 50 – 150 / Oldroyd et al. (1997)

* Density estimate revised by Arundel et al. (2013) based on synthetic sampling distributions.

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