Lipids have a key role in a variety of physiological functions in insects including energy, reproduction, growth and development. Whereas most of the required fatty acids can be synthesized endogenously, omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are essential fatty acids that must be acquired through nutrition. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) obtain lipids from pollen, but different pollens vary in nutritional composition, including of PUFAs. Low floral diversity and abundance may expose bees to nutritional stress. We tested the effect of total lipids concentration and their omega-6:3 ratio on aspects of honey bee physiology: brood development, adult longevity and body fatty acids composition. All three parameters were affected by dietary lipid concentration and omega-6:3 ratio. Higher lipid concentration in diet increased brood production, and high omega-6:3 ratio increased mortality rate and decreased brood rearing. Fatty acid analysis of the bees showed that the amount of lipids and the omega-6:3 ratio in their body generally reflected the composition of the diet on which they fed. Consistent with previous findings of the importance of a balanced omega-6:3 ratio diet for learning performance, we found that such a balanced PUFA diet, with above threshold total lipid composition, is also necessary for maintaining proper colony development.

脂质在昆虫的各种生理功能中具有关键作用，包括能量，繁殖，生长和发育。大多数所需的脂肪酸可以内源性合成，而omega-3和omega-6多不饱和脂肪酸（PUFA）是必须通过营养获取的必需脂肪酸。蜜蜂（蜜蜂））从花粉中获得脂质，但不同的花粉的营养成分（包括PUFA）的营养成分也有所不同。较低的花艺多样性和丰度可能会使蜜蜂面临营养压力。我们测试了总脂质浓度及其omega-6：3比例对蜜蜂生理学的影响：育雏，成年寿命和体内脂肪酸组成。所有三个参数均受饮食脂质浓度和omega-6：3比的影响。日粮中较高的脂质浓度可增加育雏量，而高的omega-6：3比则可提高死亡率，并减少育雏量。蜜蜂的脂肪酸分析表明，它们体内脂质的含量和omega-6：3的比例通常反映了它们所喂养的饮食的组成。与先前关于平衡omega-6重要性的发现一致：