- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
In the foreword, Thomas Seeley, the Horace White Professor in Biology in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University, describes the 512-page book as “the most comprehensive and up-to-date general reference book on honey bee biology.”
Advance orders are underway on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3J0eH1G for both the hardcover book and Kindle access.
“Honey bees are marvelously charismatic organisms with a long history of interaction with humans,” said Johnson, who received his doctorate from Cornell, studying bee behavior biology with Seeley. “They are vital to agriculture and serve as a model system for many basic questions in biology.”
The book covers everything from molecular genetics, development, and physiology to neurobiology, behavior, and pollination biology. It places special attention on the important role of bees as pollinators in agricultural ecosystems, incorporating the latest findings on pesticides, parasites, and pathogens. The book also sheds light on the possible causes of colony collapse disorder and the devastating honey bee losses underway today.
“Honey Bee Biology is the first up-to-date general reference of its kind published in decades,” Princeton University Press announced. “It is a must-have resource for social insect biologists, scientifically savvy beekeepers, and any scientist interested in bees as a model system.”
The book is drawing praised from numerous honey bee authorities:
“A detailed and meticulously researched summary of honey bees, covering aspects of physiology, behavior, evolution, and conservation. Honey Bee Biology is a triumph of integrative biology that is notable for its breadth and readability. Highly recommended for biologists and serious bee enthusiasts.”--Elizabeth Tibbetts, University of Michigan
“A tour de force. Honey Bee Biology will be the go-to textbook for college courses and serves as a readable reference for beekeepers who want to learn more about the ‘under the hood' mechanics of honey bee function, from genomics and neurobiology to foraging and pesticide detoxification. Johnson is to be applauded for assembling and updating centuries' worth of honey bee science and presenting it as a work of art.”--Marla Spivak, University of Minnesota
“Honey Bee Biology provides an engrossing and comprehensive overview of honey bee biology from a scientist who has dedicated his career to uncovering these mysteries. I thoroughly enjoyed this modern update of an amazing and continuing story.”--James C. Nieh, University of California, San Diego
“With bees in the spotlight, Johnson has produced an important and timely book that covers diverse areas of honey bee biology, with incisive synthesis and comprehensive literature reviews.”--Gene E. Robinson, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Johnson, an associate professor in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, joined the faculty in 2011 after conducting postdoctoral research at UC San Diego and UC Berkeley. He focuses his research on the behavior, evolution, theoretical biology and genomics of the honey bee.
“To date, my research has used a combination of experiments, simulation models, and computational biology to explore the evolution of advanced sociality, mechanisms of social organization, and self-organization,” Johnson says on his profile page. “Chief amongst my results are that novel genes (orphans) are important for eusocial evolution and task allocation can work via a self-organizing coupled localization diffusion process.”
“Our lab studies the genetics, behavior, and evolution of honey bees,” Johnson writes on his website. “We use experimental and theoretical approaches to all the questions we explore. Current work in our lab focuses on the evolution and genetic basis of social behavior using comparative and functional genomics, task allocation using behavioral and theoretical approaches, and honey bee health using a combination of genetics, epidemiology, and physiological approaches.”
