Predictive Threshold Modeling of Evolutionary Plasticity and Colony Collapse Risk in Apis Mellifera Through Climate-Driven Architectural Degradation, BehavioralEnergetics, And Material Economy Using YOLO-Seg, and Sentinel-3 Framework

Abstract Climate-induced change now stands out as a critical driver of how social insects adjust their behavior and build nests - though exactly how temperature links to nest architecture still lacks clear quantification. A method combining artificial intelligence with satellite data helps track niche architectural drift in Apis mellifera , focusing on the degradation of hexagonal comb symmetry when the weather turns unstable. Satellite records from Sentinel-3, along with MODIS and ERA5-Land systems, feed into a detailed climate picture spanning 24 years, stretching back to 1999 and reaching toward 2026. Google Earth Engine processes these inputs across three areas marked by different ecosystems: one in Canada near Prince Albert at 53.13°N and 106.35°W, another in Morocco’s Rabat region located at 33.97°N and 6.84°W, plus a third site situated eastward in Lithuania’s capital zone, Vilnius, around 54.68°N and 25.27°E. To evaluate high-resolution comb images from detailed comb scans, a Symmetry Coefficient (S c ) emerged using YOLOv11-seg for instance segmentation alongside OpenCV-driven symmetry calculations. Instance segmentation mapped each cell position, and the behavior patterns quantification followed through pose estimation models like OpenBeePose and VGG-19. Instead of relying on surface metrics, material flow was assessed via Wax-to-Storage Ratio (WSR), built from 3D reconstructions to evaluate material efficiency. Data point to one clear trend: when heat fluctuation rises, hive structure weakens significantly (β = −0.08495, p < 0.01). Below a critical symmetry threshold, S c value of 0.6214, survival odds drop sharply, with collapse probability reaching 70%. As temperatures climb, information in waggle signals loses coherence; entropy measures expose systemic breakdowns deeper than mere shape changes. By this comparative study, differential phenotypic plasticity is confirmed, which shows how Boreal groups handle change compared to Mediterranean ones - their stability score sits at 0.852, noticeably higher resilience than the 0.665 found southward. The research develops a predictive ecological threshold paradigm that connects behavior, energetics, environmental stress, and structural effects. Instead of just measuring shifts, it builds bridges between machine learning and real-world animal actions amid warming climates. Early warnings for bee network instability become possible through this lens, scaling across regions without losing precision.

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Publication Details

Journal
Research Square
Published
2026-11-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10766826/v1
Primary Topic
Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
Type
preprint
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preprint

Predictive Threshold Modeling of Evolutionary Plasticity and Colony Collapse Risk in Apis Mellifera Through Climate-Driven Architectural Degradation, BehavioralEnergetics, And Material Economy Using YOLO-Seg, and Sentinel-3 Framework

M. R. K. Pathan
Research Square
Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
preprint

Predictive Threshold Modeling of Evolutionary Plasticity and Colony Collapse Risk in Apis Mellifera Through Climate-Driven Architectural Degradation, BehavioralEnergetics, And Material Economy Using YOLO-Seg, and Sentinel-3 Framework

M. R. K. Pathan
preprint en

Abstract

Abstract Climate-induced change now stands out as a critical driver of how social insects adjust their behavior and build nests - though exactly how temperature links to nest architecture still lacks clear quantification. A method combining artificial intelligence with satellite data helps track niche architectural drift in Apis mellifera , focusing on the degradation of hexagonal comb symmetry when the weather turns unstable. Satellite records from Sentinel-3, along with MODIS and ERA5-Land systems, feed into a detailed climate picture spanning 24 years, stretching back to 1999 and reaching toward 2026. Google Earth Engine processes these inputs across three areas marked by different ecosystems: one in Canada near Prince Albert at 53.13°N and 106.35°W, another in Morocco’s Rabat region located at 33.97°N and 6.84°W, plus a third site situated eastward in Lithuania’s capital zone, Vilnius, around 54.68°N and 25.27°E. To evaluate high-resolution comb images from detailed comb scans, a Symmetry Coefficient (S c ) emerged using YOLOv11-seg for instance segmentation alongside OpenCV-driven symmetry calculations. Instance segmentation mapped each cell position, and the behavior patterns quantification followed through pose estimation models like OpenBeePose and VGG-19. Instead of relying on surface metrics, material flow was assessed via Wax-to-Storage Ratio (WSR), built from 3D reconstructions to evaluate material efficiency. Data point to one clear trend: when heat fluctuation rises, hive structure weakens significantly (β = −0.08495, p < 0.01). Below a critical symmetry threshold, S c value of 0.6214, survival odds drop sharply, with collapse probability reaching 70%. As temperatures climb, information in waggle signals loses coherence; entropy measures expose systemic breakdowns deeper than mere shape changes. By this comparative study, differential phenotypic plasticity is confirmed, which shows how Boreal groups handle change compared to Mediterranean ones - their stability score sits at 0.852, noticeably higher resilience than the 0.665 found southward. The research develops a predictive ecological threshold paradigm that connects behavior, energetics, environmental stress, and structural effects. Instead of just measuring shifts, it builds bridges between machine learning and real-world animal actions amid warming climates. Early warnings for bee network instability become possible through this lens, scaling across regions without losing precision.

Research Square
University of Chittagong (BD)
Climate action, Sustainable cities and communities
Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
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