Abstract: Sugar and pollen play an important role in the development and reproduction of bumble bees. The effect of feed combinations with different sugar and pollen on the reproduction of the bumblebee Bombus hypocrita Pérez was investigated by feeding micro-colonies of queenless workers. Two kinds of sugars ［sucrose (S) and honey (H)］ and five kinds of pollen ［rape (RP), apricot (AP), sunflower (SP), corn (CP) and tea (TP)］ were used in twenty-four treatments. The results showed that the workers just fed with sugar did not lay eggs with longevity significantly shorter than other treatments fed with sugar and pollen. Pollen also caused significant difference in the longevity of workers. The longevity of workers fed on corn pollen was significantly shorter than those of workers fed on other pollen. Pollen did not cause significant difference in worker’s pre-oviposition time and number of egg cups. However, feeds affected significantly the numbers of laid eggs, larval ejection, duration of male development and the number of progeny. Among all the treatments, S+AP treatment delivered the highest number of eggs, AP and TP treatments caused a lower number of larval ejection, RP and AP treatments led to shorter male development time, and AP treatment contributed to a higher number of progeny. The results suggest that the worker colony development is significantly affected by different feeds. We so suggest that different food for bumblebee colony should be provided at different developmental phases in artificial rearing of bumblebees.

Key words: Bombus hypocrita, worker bee, diet, sugar, pollen, colony development