title: Queen signals in a stingless bee: suppression of worker ovary activation and spatial distribution of active compounds.
abstract: In most species of social insect the queen signals her presence to her workers via pheromones. Worker responses to queen pheromones include retinue formation around the queen, inhibition of queen cell production and suppression of worker ovary activation. Here we show that the queen signal of the Brazilian stingless bee Friesella schrottkyi is a mixture of cuticular hydrocarbons. Stingless bees are therefore similar to ants, wasps and bumble bees, but differ from honey bees in which the queen's signal mostly comprises volatile compounds originating from the mandibular glands. This shows that cuticular hydrocarbons have independently evolved as the queen's signal across multiple taxa, and that the honey bees are exceptional. We also report the distribution of four active queen-signal compounds by Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging. The results indicate a relationship between the behavior of workers towards the queen and the likely site of secretion of the queen's pheromones.
authors.affiliation: 1] NPPNS, Departamento de Física e Química, FCFRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil [2] Departamento de Biologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Túlio M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sidnei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mateus
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, ESALQ, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arodi P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Favaris
authors.affiliation: NPPNS, Departamento de Física e Química, FCFRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mônica F Z J
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucas G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: von Zuben
authors.affiliation: NPPNS, Departamento de Física e Química, FCFRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giuliano C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Clososki
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, ESALQ, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: José M S
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bento
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences A12, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Benjamin P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Oldroyd
authors.affiliation: NPPNS, Departamento de Física e Química, FCFRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ronaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zucchi
authors.affiliation: NPPNS, Departamento de Física e Química, FCFRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Denise B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: NPPNS, Departamento de Física e Química, FCFRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Norberto P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Lopes
mesh_terms: D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D010053:Ovary / Q000502:physiology*; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D007301:Insect Hormones