Analysis of queen recognition by honey bee workers (Apis mellifera L.) in a metabolic bio-assay.
Queenless groups of honey bee workers (Apis mellifera L.) respond with typical increases in their metabolic activity when exposed to queens. Volatile queen odors release 46.8% of the reaction in worker groups compared to combinations of volatile odors and non-volatile factors. Worker groups which were allowed to learn the odor of a given queen were able to discriminate between volatile odors of related and unrelated queens. Although non-volatile queen compounds seem to be of minor importance for kin recognition they override effects releasable by volatile odors.
D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001681:Biological Assay; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D010675:Pheromones / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012919:Social Behavior
D010675:Pheromones