Exocrine glands and the attractiveness of the ergatoid queen in the ponerine antMegaponera foetens

Summary Queens inMegaponera foetens are permanently wingless. In a colony from Kenya we observed that the ergatoid queen was often surrounded by a large number of workers, all conspicuously facing her. To investigate the nature of this attraction, we divided the colony in half. When the queen was transferred from one group to the other, a large court of workers formed immediately. When marked workers were transferred from the queenright group to the other, they attracted much attention and were licked repeatedly. These data suggest that the queen produces a chemical signal which attracts workers, and this signal is transferred onto the workers. In a histological investigation of queen and workers, we found many intersegmental glands in both castes. However, only the queen had a thick glandular epithelium lining her entire body, and this may be the source of her signal. The numerous erect setae covering the queen (but not the workers) may help to dispense the secretions. Our results confirm that ergatoid queens in the Ponerinae are morphologically specialized, despite their external similarity with workers.     

圆唇散白蚁雌性补充生殖蚁不同发育阶段表皮长链碳氢化合物的变化

【目的】确定圆唇散白蚁 Reticulitermes labralis 补充生殖蚁不同发育阶段表皮长链碳氢化合物(cuticular long-chained hydrocarbons, CHCs) 的变化。【方法】人工隔离巢群饲养圆唇散白蚁 R. labralis,观测其翅芽型补充生殖蚁的分化时间和补充生殖蚁数量趋于稳定的时间,并采用气质联用仪(GC-MS)对补充生殖蚁不同发育阶段的表皮长链碳氢化合物变化趋势进行分析。【结果】随着补充生殖蚁的出现,每一巢群会逐渐形成稳定数量的具有生殖能力的生殖蚁。若蚁在分化为补充生殖蚁的第8天时,43.3%的组补充生殖蚁数量趋于稳定,第16天时83.3%的组趋于稳定,第25天时93.3%的组趋于稳定,36 d后100%的组趋于稳定。通过补充生殖蚁不同发育阶段中CHCs各峰面积与若蚁阶段相应峰峰面积的比值随发育阶段的变化趋势分析发现,在卵中没有检测到的保留时间为38.52 min的化合物在补充生殖蚁产7~8粒卵时峰面积比值是若蚁阶段的14.14倍;在卵中检测到的保留时间为35.50和39.21 min的峰面积比值在补充生殖蚁开始产卵后显著升高。【结论】CHCs不能用来区分有无生殖能力的补充生殖蚁个体,但可以很好地用来区分补充生殖蚁个体与尚未转化为生殖蚁的若蚁个体;保留时间为38.52 min的化合物是补充生殖蚁的特有物质;保留时间为35.50和39.21 min的化合物可作为补充生殖蚁已经产卵的标志。     

Influence of immature queen honeybees (Apis mellifera) on queen rearing and foraging

ABSTRACT. Providing queenless colonies with five queen cells containing larvae or pupae diminished the number of queen cells and queen cell cups subsequently produced, but not as effectively as the provision of a mated laying queen. Immature queens were more effective than the mature queens in stimulating pollen collection, but were less effective in stimulating nectar collection.     

Influence of virgin queen honeybees (Apis mellifera) on queen rearing and foraging

ABSTRACT. Virgin queens are as effective as mated laying queens at inhibiting colonies from rearing queens but not from producing queen cell cups. Colonies without brood produce fewer queen cell cups than similar colonies that have brood. Colonies without queens forage much less and collect less pollen than with either a mated or virgin queen. Colonies with virgin queens forage as much as those with mated queens but collected less pollen.     

The role of queen mandibular pheromone and colony congestion in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) reproductive swarming (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

The roles of honey bee queen mandibular pheromone and colony congestion in the inhibition of swarming were investigated. Two colony siz.es were used: small, congested colonies and large, uncongested colonies. Both groups of colonies were treated with various dosages of the five-component, synthetic queen mandibular pheromone in the spring, and the extent and timing of swarming were followed. Most treatment groups received pheromone or a solvent blank (control) on a stationary slide; one group of the congested colonies received a pheromone treatment via an aerosol spray. The pheromone was not effective at delaying swarming in the congested colonies at any dosage applied on slides, but the aerosol spray-treated colonies swarmed significantly later in the season than the control colonies. The uncongested, pheromone-treated colonies exhibited a dose-dependent delay in swarming, with the highest dosage colonies swarming almost four weeks later than the control colonies. These results indicate an interaction between congestion and pheromone in the control of honey bee reproduction. While congestion may in itself be a factor stimulating swarming, these results are consistent with the interpretation that colony congestion reduces the transmission of queen pheromone within the nest, thereby removing the queen 's pheromone-based inhibition of queen rearing and subsequent swarming by workers.     

A social insect fertility signal is dependent on chemical context

Identifying group members and individuals'' status within a group are fundamental tasks in animal societies. For ants, this information is coded in the cuticular hydrocarbon profile. We manipulated profiles of the ant Odontomachus brunneus to examine whether the releaser and primer effects of fertility signals are dependent on chemical context. Fertility status is signalled through increased abundance of (Z)-9-nonacosene (Z9 : C₂₉). Across the ant''s distribution, populations have distinct hydrocarbon profiles but the fertility signal is conserved. Foreign queens and fertility-signal-treated workers from the same population, sharing a similar chemical background, elicited releaser effects from workers, whereas queens and fertility-signal-treated workers from different populations did not. Z9 : C₂₉ presented without chemical background did not elicit releaser effects. A primer-effect experiment found that Z9 : C₂₉, presented without a chemical background, did not inhibit worker reproduction. Our results demonstrate that a familiar chemical background is necessary for appropriate responses to fertility signals.     

Elimination of sexual brood in the Argentine antLinepithema humile: queen effect and brood recognition

Mated queens of the antLinepithema humile (Iridomyrmex humilis Mayr) introduced into dequeened colony fragments rearing sexual brood elicited worker aggression resulting in queen larvae being bitten and eliminated. By contrast, male larvae were spared. Regarding queen brood, killing mainly concerned small and medium sized larvae. A large proportion of the large larvae escaped extermination, and prepupae and pupae were spared. These data suggest that workers were able to discriminate sex, caste and age of the brood. That a queen pheromone may be involved was shown by experiments using whole or cut corpses that were either rinsed or not rinsed in pentane. The pheromone eliciting worker aggressive behaviour was shown to act over a short distance, suggesting that it is somewhat volatile. Similarities and differences between this new queen pheromone and other known queen pheromones acting on queen production or worker attraction are discussed as well as the origin of the signals underlying the recognition of the larval classes.     

Influence of queen weight and colony origin on worker response in Solenopsis geminata

Abstract. The influence of weight and colony origin of the queen of Solenopsis geminata (F.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on worker attraction is studied under laboratory conditions. In the first experiment, worker response to individual queens of different weight from the same colony is evaluated. Heavier queens are more attractive than smaller queens to their own workers. In subsequent experiments, the colony origin effect is investigated and worker response to a pair of queens of the same weight from the same or different colonies is compared. When queens are from the same colony, workers do not show a significant preference between queens. However, when queens are from a different colony, workers are significantly more attracted to their own queen than to the foreign queen. Finally, the response of workers to queens of different weight from the same or different colonies is investigated. In both cases, workers are significantly more attracted to a heavier queen than a lighter queen, even if the lighter queen is their own queen. A putative pheromonal component (E)‐6‐(1‐pentenyl)‐2H‐2‐pyranone, is not positively correlated with queen weight.     

Queen attendance behavior of worker honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) that are high and low responding to queen mandibular pheromone

Summary Queen attendance behavior of workers from selected honey bee colonies with high and low worker retinue response to synthetic queen mandibular gland pheromone (QMP) was investigated. Antennating, licking, grooming, and feeding of the queen by workers from high and low responding colonies were examined. High and low QMP responding workers did not attend the queen differently. However, workers originating from different colonies antennated and licked the queen more frequently than others, suggesting there may be a genetic basis for queen attendance behavior not necessarily associated with response to QMP. The median age of queen attendance was independent of strain.     

蜜蜂蜂王信息素研究进展

综述了蜂王信息素的化学组成、特性、作用 ,以及与幼虫信息相互关系的研究进展 ,对蜂王信息素在养蜂和植物授粉中的应用做了介绍。西方蜜蜂的蜂王上颚腺信息素 (queen’smandibularglandpheromone,QMP)。QMP包含了 5种成分 :(E) -9-氧 -2 -癸烯酸 ( 9 ODA)、(R ,E) ( ) 和 (S,E) ( +) 9 羟基 -2 -癸烯酸 ( -9 HDA和 +9 HDA)、甲基p -羟基安息香酸盐 (HOB)、4-羟基 -3 -甲氧苯乙醇 (也称香草醇 ,HVA) ,9 ODA是其中最重要的成分 ;QMP的组分与蜜蜂的进化程度有关 ,进化程度越高则组分越复杂 ;QMP通过抑制保幼激素的产生来调节青年工蜂的个体发育。     

The Releaser Effects of the Tergal Gland Secretion of Queen Honeybees (Apis mellifera)

Queen honeybees are attractive to their workers, due partially to the pheromonal bouquet they secrete. Queen mandibular gland pheromone is a powerful attractant to worker honeybees but it is not solely responsible for eliciting retinue behavior. The attractiveness of virgin queen tergal gland secretions and queen mandibular pheromone to worker honeybees was tested using a retinue bioassay. The number of workers attending the treated pseudoqueen lures was videorecorded in order to allow for the quantification of attractiveness. Queen mandibular gland secretions were more attractive than tergal gland secretions (P 0.008), and both queen tergal gland secretions (P 0.0002) and mandibular gland secretions (P 0.0001) were significantly more attractive than the control treatment. This laboratory bioassay indicates that queen tergal gland secretions have a releaser effect that evokes retinue behavior from worker honeybees.     

Current regulatory (draft) guidance on chiral medicinal products: Canada,EEC, Japan,United States

The rapid development of stereospecific analytical, synthetic, and preparative methods has profoundly changed the prospects for development and application of chiral medicinal products. This has induced regulatory agencies, e.g., in Canada, the EEC, Japan, and the United States, to prepare guidance on this subject. The present draft documents are discussed, with emphasis on the two most important cases: (1) New racemates: How many extra requirements are justified? (2) Development of a single enantiomer from an approved racemate: how few are acceptable? At the moment the opportunities for early harmonisation are favourable and the formulation of one international guidance document seems feasible. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Movement of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) queen mandibular gland pheromone in populous and unpopulous colonies

The mode of intranest transfer of the honey bee queen mandibular gland pheromone complex (QMP) was investigated in unpopulous and populous, slightly congested colonies, using synthetic QMP containing tritiated 9-keto-2(E)-decenoic acid, one of the QMP components. Radiolabel was rapidly transported from the center to the peripheral regions of the nest, and in a manner consistent with worker to worker transport. Population size and congestion had no effect on the relative rates of movement from the center to the periphery of the nest or on the mean amounts of radiolabel on individual bees. However, a significantly smaller proportion of the workers in the populous colonies received detectable amounts of radiolabel than in the uncongested colonies, and workers carrying especially large amounts of radiolabel were less numerous in the crowded colonies. It is suggested that, at the stage of colony development that the colonies were in, population size has more of an effect on intranest pheromone transmission than does crowding. Interference with pheromone transfer may occur only at higher levels of congestion than were created, and nearer to the reproductive phase of colony development. An alternative hypothesis is that colony crowding does not significantly affect QMP transport and that the onset of reproductive queen rearing may be associated more with changes in worker thresholds of response to QMP.     

Queen pheromone regulates egg production in a termite

In social insects, resource allocation is a key factor that influences colony survival and growth. Optimal allocation to queens and brood is essential for maximum colony productivity, requiring colony members to have information on the total reproductive power in colonies. However, the mechanisms regulating egg production relative to the current labour force for brood care remain poorly known. Recently, a volatile chemical was identified as a termite queen pheromone that inhibits the differentiation of new neotenic reproductives (secondary reproductives developed from nymphs or workers) in Reticulitermes speratus. The same volatile chemical is also emitted by eggs. This queen pheromone would therefore be expected to act as an honest message of the reproductive power about queens. In this study, we examined how the queen pheromone influences the reproductive rate of queens in R. speratus. We compared the number of eggs produced by each queen between groups with and without exposure to artificial queen pheromone. Exposure to the pheromone resulted in a significant decrease in egg production in both single-queen and multiple-queen groups. This is the first report supporting the role of queen pheromones as a signal regulating colony-level egg production, using synthetically derived compounds in a termite.