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INTRA-NEST TRANSMISSION OF AROMATIC HONEY BEE QUEEN MANDIBULAR GLAND PHEROMONE COMPONENTS: MOVEMENT AS A UNIT

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Ken Naumann ,
Mark L. Winston ,
Keith N. Slessor ,
Glenn D. Prestwich  and
Bachir Latli
Ken Naumann
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
Mark L. Winston
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
Keith N. Slessor
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
Glenn D. Prestwich
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York, USA11794
Bachir Latli
Affiliation:
Pesticide Chemistry and Toxicology Laboratory, 201 Wellman Hall, Department of Entomological Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA94720
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Abstract

The intra-nest transmission of two aromatic components of honey bee queen mandibular gland pheromone, 4-hydroxy-3-hydroxyphenylethanol (HVA) and methyl p-hydroxybenzoate (HOB), is quantitatively described. After being secreted onto the body surface of the queen, the greatest quantities of HVA and HOB are removed by workers in the queen’s retinue, especially those contacting the queen with their mouthparts. Other workers acquire pheromone components via direct contact with retinue bees or with other workers that have already acquired queen pheromone. HVA and HOB can also reach workers through queen or worker "footprints," although the relatively little material deposited onto the comb wax becomes less available with time, presumably because of diffusion into the wax. Pheromone material is removed from circulation by being internalized into workers, the queen, and the wax. Rates of HVA and HOB transfer between different entities within the nest are described in terms of pseudo first-order rate constants. The intra-nest transfer of these two components, both qualitatively and quantitatively, is similar to that described earlier for the most abundant queen mandibular gland pheromone component, 9-keto-2-(E)-decenoic acid (9-ODA; Naumann et al. 1991). Thus, the queen mandibular gland pheromone complex is transferred through the nest as a unit rather than as individual components moving at different rates.

Résumé

La transmission dans le nid de deux composantes aromatiques de la phéromone de la glande mandibulaire chez les reines de l’Abeille domestique, le 4-hydroxy-3-hydroxy-phényléthanol (HVA) et le p-hydroxybenzoate de méthyle (HOB), a été quantifiée. La substance est dabord sécrétée à la surface du corps de la reine; les quantités les plus importantes d’HVA et d’HOB sont prélevées par les ouvrières de la suite de la reine, particulièrement par celles dont les pièces buccales viennent en contact avec la reine. Les autres ouvrières acquièrent les composantes de la phéromone par contact direct avec les abeilles de la suite royale ou avec d’autres ouvrières qui ont déjà acquis la phéromone. Les substances peuvent également parvenir aux ouvrières via les "empreintes" laissées par la reine ou par les ouvrières, bien que la très petite quantité de substance contenue dans la cire des rayons devienne de moins en moins disponible, probablement à cause de sa diffusion dans la cire. Les composantes de la phéromone finissent par ne plus être en circulation parce qu’elles sont absorbées par les ouvrières, la reine et la cire. Les vitesses de transmission de l’HVA et de l’HOB d’un élément à l’autre dans le nid sont décrites ici sous forme de pseudo-constantes de premier ordre. La transmission dans le nid de ces deux composantes est semblable qualitativement et quantitativement au mode de transmission observé antérieurement dans le cas de la composante la plus abondante de la phéromone de la glande mandibulaire de la reine, l’acide 9-céto-2(E)-décénoïque (9-ODA; Naumann et al. 1991). Tout le complexe des composantes de la phéromone de la glande mandibulaire de la reine est donc transmis intégralement dans un même temps et les divers éléments du complexe circulent donc tous ensemble à la même vitesse.

[Traduit par la rédaction]

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 124 , Issue 5 , October 1992 , pp. 917 - 934
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1992

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