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Male meliponine bees (Scaptotrigona aff. depilis) produce alarm pheromones to which workers respond with fight and males with flight

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Abstract

In highly social hymenopteran societies, males mainly serve reproductive purposes. Semiochemicals enable the different hymenopteran sexes and castes to communicate with each other and to coordinate important functions within colonies. I hereby show that sexual dimorphism in meliponine bees incorporates the alarm and defence communication system. I chemically analysed the mandibular glands of Scaptotrigona aff. depilis using GCMS methods and conducted behavioural experiments in both males and female workers using cephalic and mandibular gland extracts. In addition, behaviour studies with male cephalic extracts were also conducted in Scaptotrigona bipunctata and Partamona cupira. Males and female worker bees showed differences in the content of the mandibular glands, which are responsible for alarm communication in meliponines. Males never attacked but usually fled when confronted with the mandibular gland extract content of other conspecific males or females. Interestingly, however, meliponine males were still able to raise alarm and to induce substantial amounts of aggression at nest entrances, which is different from the much better known and studied honey bees. Potential reasons are briefly discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This study would not have been possible without the generous hospitality of Paulo Nogueira Neto at the Fazenda Aretuzina, and Ronaldo Zucchi as well as Fabio Nascimento, Michael Hrncir and Túlio Nunes in Ribeirão Preto. I also thank J.M.F. Camargo, Sidnei Mateus and S.R. de Menezes Pedro for meliponine species verification. Izabel C. C. Turatti and Norberto P. Lopes (University of São Paulo) generously allowed access to their chromatographic equipment. I thank Robert Twele and Wittko Francke (University of Hamburg, Germany) for input in structure assignments of volatiles at the beginning of this study. Research was conducted in accordance with Brazilian laws, SISBIO 65469826, Nr. 15200/1. Finally, I thank Paul G. Becher (SLU, Alnarp) for motivating me to publish the results of this study.

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  1. Unit of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden

    Dirk Louis P. Schorkopf

  2. Sørengkaia 115, C-106, 0194, Oslo, Norway

    Dirk Louis P. Schorkopf

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Schorkopf, D.L.P. Male meliponine bees (Scaptotrigona aff. depilis) produce alarm pheromones to which workers respond with fight and males with flight. J Comp Physiol A 202, 667–678 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-016-1109-9

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