Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: The Honey Bee as a Social Animal Model

Abstract

Animal models have been essential for advancing research of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in humans, but few animal species effectively replicate the behavioural and clinical signs of FASD. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a previously unexplored research model for FASD that offers the distinct benefit of highly social behaviour. In this study, we chronically exposed honey bee larvae to incremental concentrations of 0, 3, 6, and 10% ethanol in the larval diet using an in vitro rearing protocol and measured developmental time and survival to adult eclosion, as well as body weight and motor activity of newly emerged adult bees. Larvae reared on 6 and 10% dietary ethanol demonstrated significant, dose-responsive delays to pupation and decreased survival and adult body weight. All ethanol-reared adults showed significantly decreased motor activity. These results suggest that honey bees may be a suitable social animal model for future FASD research.