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Wax Lipids Signal Nest Identity in Bumblebee Colonies

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Abstract

The signalling functions of cuticular lipids, particularly cuticular hydrocarbons, have gained considerable attention in social insect communication. Information transfer between individuals by means of these substances has been examined extensively. However, communication with cuticular lipids is not limited to inter-individual recognition. Cuticular compounds can also have a signalling function in the nest environment. Workers of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris leave cuticular lipid traces, so-called footprints, that mark their nest entrance. In addition, there is evidence that bumblebees sense nesting material to identify their colony. In this study, we examined the signalling potential of bumblebee wax, and tested if bumblebee workers are able to identify their colony with the help of wax scent. Chemical analyses of wax extracts using coupled gas chromatography–mass spectrometry showed that wax from colonies of the bumblebee B. terrestris contained a complex blend of cuticular lipids, dominated by hydrocarbons and wax esters. Comparing the relative compound amounts of wax samples from different colonies, we found that wax scent patterns varied with nest identity. Olfactometer bioassays showed that bumblebees were able to discriminate between wax scents from their own and a foreign colony. Our findings suggest that wax emits characteristic olfactory profiles that are used by workers to recognize their colony.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the German Research Foundation (AY 12/3-1) and the PhD program of the Carl Zeiss Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069, Ulm, Germany

    Ann-Marie Rottler & Manfred Ayasse

  2. Institut für Organische Chemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany

    Stefan Schulz

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  1. Ann-Marie Rottler
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Correspondence to Manfred Ayasse.

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Rottler, AM., Schulz, S. & Ayasse, M. Wax Lipids Signal Nest Identity in Bumblebee Colonies. J Chem Ecol 39, 67–75 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-012-0229-0

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