Abstract
In dequeened honeybee colonies ovarian activation occurs in some workers, and the pheromonal bouquets of these laying workers become more queen-like. In the Asiatic honeybee, Apis cerana, we compared the amount of 9-keto-2(E)-decenoic acid (9-ODA), a mandibular gland pheromone component, between non-laying workers from queenright colonies and laying workers from queenless colonies, and further, applied synthetic 9-ODA to workers to determine whether they discriminate workers with activated ovaries based on the level of this compound. Levels of 9-ODA were higher in laying workers from dequeened colonies than in non-laying workers from queenright colonies. In both queenright and queenless colonies, workers attacked more workers treated with 9-ODA than control-treated workers. These results suggest that detection of pseudoqueens in A. cerana is mediated by changes in 9-ODA.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Crewe, R. M., and Velthuis, H. H. W. 1980. False queens: a consequence of mandibular gland signals in worker honeybees. Naturwissenschaften 67:467–469.
Hepburn, H. R. 1992. Pheromonal and ovarial development co-vary in Cape worker honeybees, Apis mellifera capensis. Naturwissenschaften 79:523–524.
Hillesheim, E., Koeniger, N., and Moritz, R. F. A. 1989. Colony performance in honeybees (Apis mellifera capensis Esch.) depends on the proportion of subordinate and dominant workers. J. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 24:291–296.
Hoover, S. E. R., Keeling, C. I., Winston, M. L., and Slessor, K. N. 2003. The effect of queen pheromones on worker honey bee ovary development. Naturwissenschaften 90:477–480.
Pettis, J. S., Winston, M. L., and Slessor, K. N. 1995. Behavior of queen and worker honey bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in response to exogenous queen mandibular gland pheromone. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 88:580–588.
Plettner, E., Sutherland, G. R. G., Slessor, K. N., and Winston, M. L. 1995. Why not be a queen? Regioselectivity in mandibular secretions of honeybee castes. J. Chem. Ecol. 21:1017–1029.
Sakagami, S. F., and Akahira, Y. 1958. Comparison of ovarian size and number of ovarioles between the workers of Japanese and European honeybees (Studies on the Japanese honeybee, Apis indica cerana Fabricius, I). Kontyû 26:103–109.
Tan, K., Yang, M.-X., Radloff, S. E., Pirk, C. W. W., Crewe, R. M., Phiancharoen, M., Hepburn, H. R., and Oldroyd, B. P. 2009. Worker reproduction in mixed-species colonies of honey bees. Behav. Ecol. 20:1106–1110.
Velthuis, H. H. W., Ruttner, F., and Crewe, R. M. 1990. Differentiation in reproductive physiology and behaviour during the development of laying worker honeybees, pp. 231–243, in W. Engels (ed.). Social Insects. Springer, Berlin.
Visscher, P. K., and Dukas, R. 1995. Honey bees recognize development of nestmates’ ovaries. Anim. Behav. 49:542–544.
Acknowledgements
Financial support was granted by the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science and the National Agricultural Production Systematic Fund (nyncytx-43-kxj13) to Ken Tan. We thank the Institut für Bienenkunde, Oberursel, Germany for the gift of 9-ODA and Professor Crewe, from the University of Pretoria, for the use of GCs.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tan, K., Wang, ZW., Li, H. et al. Responses of Queenright and Queenless Workers of Apis Cerana to 9-keto-2(E)-decenoic Acid, a Pheromonal Constituent of the Mandibular Gland. J Chem Ecol 36, 966–968 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-010-9833-z
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-010-9833-z