Responses of queenright and queenless workers of Apis cerana to 9-keto-2(E)-decenoic acid, a pheromonal constituent of the mandibular gland.
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.
Tan
Ken
K
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650223, People's Republic of China.
Wang
Zheng-Wei
ZW
Li
Hua
H
Yang
Ming-Xian
MX
Pirk
Christian W W
CW
Hepburn
H Randall
HR
Radloff
Sarah E
SE
D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D010675:Pheromones / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000378:metabolism*
D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D010675:Pheromones; C014066:9-keto-2-decenoic acid