Quantitative Bestimmung Der 9-Oxodecensäure Im Lebenszyklus Der Kapbiene (Apis Mellifera Capensis Escholtz)

Abstract

SUMMARY QUANTIFICATION OF 9-OXO-DECENOIC ACID IN THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE CAPE HONEYBEE (APIS MELLIFERA CAPENSIS ESCHOLTZ)9-oxo-decenoic acid was quantified by a new, direct gaschromatographic analysis. Single newly emerged Cape honeybee workers were kept together each with 70-80 young workers of Apis mellifera carnica in small cages. The Cape bees started with oviposition on the 8th and 9th day under these conditions. 9-OD was found in 78 % of all Cape workers in the experiments. The first occurrence of 9-OD was noticed on the fourth day (after emergence) and the quantity of 9-OD increased with the age. On the 10th day an average of 50 p g 9-OD and on the 80th day 300hg 9-OD per worker were found.Both, 9-OD production and oviposition were observed in 79 workers, while 8 worker bees had no 9-OD though they layed eggs. 12 out of 18 bees, which did not oviposit, produced 9-OD. So oviposition and 9-OD production are not directly correlated. ZUSAMMENFASSUNGMit Hilfe einer neuen direkten gaschromatographischen Methode wurde die 9-Oxodecensäure (9-OD) quantitativ bestimmt.

Pheromone mimicry by Apis mellifera capensis social parasites leads to reproductive anarchy in host Apis mellifera scutellata colonies

“…4; Simon et al, 2001). A week later the A. m. capensis workers can produce 50 µg of 9ODA which can rise to as much as 300 µg at 80 days, a concentration comparable to that found in queens (Hemmling et al, 1979). Not only do some queenless Pheromone mimicry by the Cape honeybee 147 A. m. capensis workers produce very high proportions of 9ODA but they also synthesise a composite signal that has almost the full range of queen compounds which assists them in establishing themselves as pseudoqueens (Figs.…”

“…Switching from worker pathway synthesis to a queen's biosynthetic pathway is relatively easy for A. m. capensis workers who readily secrete queen-like mandibular gland secretions (Fig. 1), dominated by 9ODA Hemmling et al, 1979;Crewe and Velthuis, 1980;Plettner et al, 1993). Honeybee workers belonging to other races can produce 9ODA, but it is always in much lower proportions than 10HDA.…”

“…This automatically gives A. m. capensis a pheromone advantage over other races and this leads to a reproductive advantage. Reproductively dominant individuals frequently produce 9ODA which seems to precede ovary activation (Crewe and Velthuis, 1980;Sasaki et al, 1989), however workers with activated ovaries can and do secrete very worker-like signals, so the relationship between signal development and ovary activation is inconsistent (Hemmling et al, 1979;Hepburn et al, 1988;Hepburn and Allsopp, 1994). On a developmental pheromone continuum, the biosynthetic capabilities of the mandibular glands begins with mated queens, followed by virgin queens together with A. m. capensis pseudoqueens, 142 T.C.…”

Reproductive cycling and hierarchical competition in Cape honeybees, Apis mellifera capensis Esch

“…As more of the brood of the former queen is capped, reproductive differentiation of the workers becomes derepressed which in turn inhibits queen-cell construction and may even include the destruction of existing queen cells (Hepburn et al, 1988 (Hepburn et al, 1988(Hepburn et al, , 1991. Both the bouquet (Hemmling et al, 1979) and the amount of 9ODA (Crewe 1988) in the mandibular gland varies with age, resulting in a wide pheromonal spectrum of bees from workerlike to queenlike (Hepburn, 1992). Ovarial development and becoming pheromonally queenlike covary (Hepburn, 1992), and, with differentiation, a dominance hierarchy also develops among them (Hillesheim and Moritz, 1987) Hepburn, 1991).…”

“…Ovarial development and becoming pheromonally queenlike covary (Hepburn, 1992), and, with differentiation, a dominance hierarchy also develops among them (Hillesheim and Moritz, 1987) Hepburn, 1991). worker ovarial development (Velthuis et al, 1990) and changes in the pheromonal bouquet of other workers (Hemmling et al, 1979). They are also trophallactically dominant (Hillesheim et al, 1989) and evoke retinue formation in other workers (Velthuis, 1985).…”