Chemical Mating Attractants in the Queen Honey Bee

Gary, Norman E.

doi:10.1126/science.136.3518.773

Cited by 183 publications

(86 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…These formations were termed "drone comets" or "mating comets". They build up and may disintegrate within seconds (Gary, 1962(Gary, , 1963van Praagh et al, 1980;Gries and Koeniger, 1996). No aggression within a comet was observed (Gary, 1963;Koeniger et al, 1979).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drone competition at drone congregation areas in four Apis species

et al. 2005

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-In Apis mellifera the estimated average number of drones visiting a drone congregation area (DCA) was 11 750 + 2 145. Drones of the species Apis cerana, A. koschevnikovi, A. dorsata and A. mellifera, which pursued a queen dummy moving in circular course, flew in a comet shaped formation. Median numbers of drones in a comet ranged from 9 drones (A. koschevnikovi) to 31 drones (A. mellifera).In none of the species we observed aggression between drones. Drone density behind the queen and distance to the queen seemed to be adjusted to avoid collisions between drones. The median flight speed ranged from 2.6 m/s (A. koschevnikovi) to 4.1 m/s (A. dorsata). The median duration of a drone's presence in the mating comet did not exceed 2 seconds. Drones of all species had the ability of high acceleration (10 to 20 m/s 2 ). Either by overtaking or leaving/entering the comet drones seem to compete for more promising positions. Only drones flying in a limited space of not more than 2000 cm 3 behind the queen were successful in grasping the dummy.Apis reproduction / mating behavior / drone congregation area / drone competition / drone numbers

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drone competition at drone congregation areas in four Apis species

et al. 2005

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“…Besides a suite of brood pheromones (Arnold et al 1994), a variety of semiochemicals produced in 15 pheromone glands of the queen (Blum 1992) are known to affect the regulation of division of labor, with the queen mandibular gland pheromone (QMP) playing a central role. QMP not only releases behaviors such as retinue formation ) and drone attraction (Gary 1962) among many others, it also has primer effects which inhibit juvenile hormone synthesis in worker bees (Kaatz et al 1992) and workers refrain from activating their ovaries in its presence (Hoover et al 2003(Hoover et al , 2005. Five major active compounds have been studied in detail: 9-oxo-2(E)-decenoic acid (9-ODA), the two enantiomers of 9-hydroxy-2(E)-decenoic acid (9-HDA) as well as the two aromatic compounds methyl phydroxybenzoate (HOB) and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylethanol (HVA) (Slessor et al 1988).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of the queen mandibular gland pheromone in honeybees (Apis mellifera): honest signal or suppressive agent?

Strauss

Scharpenberg

Crewe

et al. 2008

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Queen pheromones interfere with worker reproduction in social insects. However, there is still an unresolved question as to whether this pheromone acts as an "honest" signal for workers, giving a reliable indication of the queen's reproductive value, or as a suppressive agent, inhibiting worker reproduction independent of the queen's reproductive capacity. In honeybees (Apis mellifera), the queen's mandibular gland secretion, a mix of fatty acids and some aromatic compounds, is crucial for regulating the reproductive division of labor in the colony inhibiting ovary development in workers. We quantified the mandibular gland secretions of virgin, drone-laying, and naturally mated queens using gas chromatography to test whether the queens' mating, ovary activation, or the reproductive value for workers correlated with the composition of the secretion. Although the absolute amounts of the "queen substance" 9-oxo-2(E)-decenoic acid (9-ODA) were similar among the three groups, the proportions of 9-ODA decreased with increasing reproductive quality. Furthermore, the ratios of queen to worker compounds were similar in all three treatment groups, irrespective of the reproductive capacity. A multivariate analysis including all six compounds could not separate drone-laying queens from naturally mated ones, both with active ovaries but only the latter ensuring colony survival. We suggest that the mandibular gland pheromones are unlikely to function as reliable indicators of queen reproductive value and rather operate as an agent to suppress worker reproduction. This does not exclude the possibility that other "honest" pheromone signals exist in the honeybee colony, but these would have to arise from other semiochemicals, which could be produced by both the queen and the brood.

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“…Virgin queens like many female insects attract males by releasing a strong attractant, often referred to as a sex pheromone (Free 1987;Gary 1962). The first major component of QMP to be identified and characterized, 9-oxo-2-decenoic acid (9ODA; see Figure 1), plays this role.…”

Section: Qmp' S Act Ions As a Se X Pheromonementioning

confidence: 99%

Queen mandibular pheromone: questions that remain to be resolved

Jarriault

Mercer

2012

Apidologie

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-The discovery of 'queen substance', and the subsequent identification and synthesis of key components of queen mandibular pheromone, has been of significant importance to beekeepers and to the beekeeping industry. Fifty years on, there is greater appreciation of the importance and complexity of queen pheromones, but many mysteries remain about the mechanisms through which pheromones operate. The discovery of sex pheromone communication in moths occurred within the same time period, but in this case, intense pressure to find better means of pest management resulted in a remarkable focusing of research activity on understanding pheromone detection mechanisms and the central processing of pheromone signals in the moth. We can benefit from this work and here, studies on moths are used to highlight some of the gaps in our knowledge of pheromone communication in bees. A better understanding of pheromone communication in honey bees promises improved strategies for the successful management of these extraordinary animals.queen mandibular pheromone / Apis mellifera / olfactory system / biogenic amines / juvenile hormone / ecdysteroids

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Chemical Mating Attractants in the Queen Honey Bee

Cited by 183 publications

References 5 publications

Drone competition at drone congregation areas in four Apis species

Drone competition at drone congregation areas in four Apis species

The role of the queen mandibular gland pheromone in honeybees (Apis mellifera): honest signal or suppressive agent?

Queen mandibular pheromone: questions that remain to be resolved

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