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Pheromone-mediated reproductive dominance hierarchies among pseudo-clonal honeybee workers (Apis mellifera capensis)

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Abstract

Honey bee colonies are characterised by well-developed reproductive division of labour between the queen and workers. Here, we test whether this reproductive division of labour is evident in both the socially parasitic workers that invade a colony as well as in their offspring generation. We infected six Apis mellifera scutellata host colonies with pseudo-clonal socially parasitic Cape honeybee workers (Apis mellifera capensis). We show that the first generation of socially parasitic workers can monopolize reproduction within host colonies. Of the initially invading parasites, 94.4% became reproductive pseudoqueens with activated ovaries and produced queen-like pheromones. Their offspring, however, had much lower levels of ovary activation (3.1%), yet 89% showed fatty acid synthesis typical of the queen substance (9-oxo-2(E)-decenoic acid) biochemical pathway. However, in these second-generation workers, the last oxidation step from the precursor (9-hydroxy-2(E)-decenoic acid) to the queen substance was interrupted and appears to be required for reproductive dominance in honeybee workers. Our data show that despite the absence of genetic diversity, residual queen mandibular pheromone (QMP) variation is sufficient to establish reproductive dominance hierarchies among parasitic workers. Consequently, QMP produced by a group of workers can maintain reproductive division of labour in queenless honeybee colonies.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Petra Leibe for technical assistance. Financial support was granted by an Emmy Noether fellowship of the DFG (PN), a post-doctoral fellowship of the University of Pretoria (TCW), the VW foundation (RFAM and RMC) and the National Research Foundation of South Africa (RMC). We thank H. Randall Hepburn and an anonymous referee for helpful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.

Orientation phéromonale de la hiérarchie de dominance reproductive chez les abeilles ouvrières pseudo-clonales ( A. mellifera capensis ).

abeille du Cap / phéromone mandibulaire / reine / seuil de réponse / reproduction des ouvrières / division du travail

Pheromon vermittelte reproduktive Dominanzhierarchien zwischen pseudo-klonalen Arbeiterinnen der Kaphonigbiene.

Kaphonigbiene / Selbstorganisation / Königinnen Mandibelpheromon / Resonanz-Schwellenwert / Reproduktive Arbeitsteilung / Arbeiterinnen Reproduktion

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany

    Stephan Härtel

  2. Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa

    Theresa C. Wossler

  3. Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa

    Theresa C. Wossler, Robin M. Crewe & Robin F. A. Moritz

  4. Institut für Biologie, Molekulare Ökologie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 4, 06099, Halle (Saale), Germany

    Gert-Jan Moltzer & Robin F. A. Moritz

  5. Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux Research Station ALP, 3033, Bern, Switzerland

    Peter Neumann

  6. Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa

    Peter Neumann

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  1. Stephan Härtel
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  2. Theresa C. Wossler
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  4. Robin M. Crewe
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  5. Robin F. A. Moritz
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  6. Peter Neumann
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Correspondence to Stephan Härtel.

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Härtel, S., Wossler, T.C., Moltzer, GJ. et al. Pheromone-mediated reproductive dominance hierarchies among pseudo-clonal honeybee workers (Apis mellifera capensis). Apidologie 42, 659–668 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-011-0066-0

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