Honeybee nestmate recognition: Effects of queen fecal pheromones

M. D. Breed; T. M. Stiller; M. S. Blum; R. E. Page

doi:10.1007/BF00993235

Honeybee nestmate recognition: Effects of queen fecal pheromones

M. D. Breed, T. M. Stiller, M. S. Blum, R. E. Page

Arizona State University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Previous work has shown that queen honeybees, Apis mellifera, produce waxy esters composed of 8-14 carbon acids and 6-14 carbon alcohols in their feces. We tested these esters for effects on nestmate recognition; 11 of the 12 esters tested significantly modified the recognition characteristics of worker honeybees. Pairwise tests showed that workers can discriminate between at least some pairs of queen esters and that workers can discriminate between a queen ester and hexadecane (another known nestmate recognition cue). These results suggest that a queen may use the esters to enable workers to recognize her or to scent-mark her colony.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1633-1640
Number of pages	8
Journal	Journal of Chemical Ecology
Volume	18
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00993235
State	Published - Sep 1992

Keywords

Apidae
Apis mellifera
Hymenoptera
esters
fecal
honeybee
kin recognition
pheromones
queen

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Biochemistry

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10.1007/BF00993235

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title = "Honeybee nestmate recognition: Effects of queen fecal pheromones",

abstract = "Previous work has shown that queen honeybees, Apis mellifera, produce waxy esters composed of 8-14 carbon acids and 6-14 carbon alcohols in their feces. We tested these esters for effects on nestmate recognition; 11 of the 12 esters tested significantly modified the recognition characteristics of worker honeybees. Pairwise tests showed that workers can discriminate between at least some pairs of queen esters and that workers can discriminate between a queen ester and hexadecane (another known nestmate recognition cue). These results suggest that a queen may use the esters to enable workers to recognize her or to scent-mark her colony.",

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year = "1992",

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AU - Stiller, T. M.

AU - Blum, M. S.

AU - Page, R. E.

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AB - Previous work has shown that queen honeybees, Apis mellifera, produce waxy esters composed of 8-14 carbon acids and 6-14 carbon alcohols in their feces. We tested these esters for effects on nestmate recognition; 11 of the 12 esters tested significantly modified the recognition characteristics of worker honeybees. Pairwise tests showed that workers can discriminate between at least some pairs of queen esters and that workers can discriminate between a queen ester and hexadecane (another known nestmate recognition cue). These results suggest that a queen may use the esters to enable workers to recognize her or to scent-mark her colony.

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Honeybee nestmate recognition: Effects of queen fecal pheromones

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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