PONE-D-21-04312

Evaluation of larval acceptance and royal jelly production between two different races of honey bee (Apis mellifera)

PLOS ONE

Dear Dr. Khan,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

• I have now received two reports on your manuscript. Based on the reports and my personal expertise, the manuscript can be considered for publication subject to some MAJOR revisions.
• There are no clear objective and hypothesis stated in the manuscript. Please be clear what you intend to do.
• Title and abstract did not reflect the whole story. The priming media and other associated factors remained ignored in the whole manuscript. Although plenty of text is given in MM section, these have been rarely touched in the introduction section.
• Both reviewers have annotated PDFs. The have concerns on language use. Therefore, please get your manuscript edited from a NATIVE speaker.
• Please use word bee races throughout the manuscript instead of lines.
• Please clarify statistical analysis section what you meant for groups? Bee races?
• Please correct references. There are numerous species Latin names which have not been italicized.
• Please respond to every reviewer comment given at the end of this letter and annotated files.
• I look forward receiving your manuscript soon.

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We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

Kind regards,

Shahid Farooq, Ph.D.

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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3. In your Methods, please state the source of all bees used in your study.

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: The research article evaluates and compares the queen cell acceptance rate and royal jelly production by worker bees of different honey bee races i.e. the Italian bees and Carniolan bees. The findings are interesting and well interpreted. However, I have some concerns which are highlighted in the attached pdf file that need to be addressed. A few more comments are also appended below.

(1) Title needs some further improvement to cover all the subject area.

(2) Some units in Table 2 and 3 are expressed in "g" instead of "mg". Should be corrected.

(3) In Materials and methods section Please explain, the authors didn't explain the arrangement of frames. Please explain how the frames were arranged and placed in queen less builder colonies.

(4) Some latest references are required.

Reviewer #2: Manuscript Number: PONE-D-21-04312

Title: Evaluation of larval acceptance and royal jelly production between two different races of honey bee (Apis mellifera)

My comments to the authors:

Overall the manuscript is well written, however, there are few changes required at some places which are highlighted in my comments below.

Abstract

Page no 2: Use the word "worker bee larvae" instead of "worker bee".

Page no 2: Write the word "parts" instead of "part"

Page no 2: Replace the word "to unveil" with "to investigate" .

Page no 2: Please add s with season.

Introduction

Page no 3: Use the world "royal jelly" instead of "RJ".

Results

Page no 8: Please remove "of" and rehearse the sentence accordingly.

Page no 9: Please rehearse the sentence.

Page no 10: Could improve the way of writing.

Page no 14: Please rewrite the sentence.

Page no 14: Please add "s" with word "diet".

Page no 14: Please use the word "diets" instead of "diet".

Page no 17: Please rehearse the sentence.

Discussion

Page no. 20: Remove "RJ" and use "royal jelly”.

Page no. 21: Remove "10-HDA" and use "10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid".

Conclusions

Page no. 22: Please use the word "results" instead of "result".

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Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

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Attachments

Attachment

Submitted filename: PONE-D-21-04312_reviewer.pdf

Attachment

Submitted filename: Comments to author.docx

Attachment

Submitted filename: PONE-D-21-04312_reviewer.pdf

Attachment

Submitted filename: Manuscript (4).docx

Queen cells acceptance rate and royal jelly production in worker honey bees of two Apis mellifera races

PONE-D-21-04312R1

Dear Dr. Khan,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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Kind regards,

Shahid Farooq, Ph.D.

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

I have evaluated the revised manuscript submitted by the authors. All concerns of the reviewers were properly addressed. Therefore the current version is accepted for publication.

Reviewers' comments: