| Title: | Selective modulation of task performance by octopamine in honey bee (Apis mellifera) division of labour |
| Address: | "Department of Entomology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA" |
| Journal Title: | J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s00359-005-0619-7 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0340-7594 (Print) 0340-7594 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Octopamine treatment has previously been shown to increase honey bee foraging behaviour. We determined the effects of octopamine on other tasks to learn how octopamine affects division of labour in honey bee colonies. Octopamine treatment did not increase the rate of corpse removal from the hive, suggesting that elevated brain levels of octopamine do not act to increase the performance of all flight-related tasks. Octopamine treatment also did not increase attendance in the queen's retinue, suggesting that elevated brain levels of octopamine do not act to increase responsiveness to all olfactory stimuli. Consistent with these findings, octopamine treatment enhanced the foraging response to brood pheromone but not the cell capping response, a component of brood care. These results demonstrate a relatively specific form of neuromodulation by octopamine in the regulation of division of labour in honey bee colonies" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Appetitive Behavior/physiology Bees/*physiology Behavior, Animal/*physiology Brain/physiology Female Male Octopamine/*physiology Pheromones/*physiology Social Behavior Social Environment;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineBarron, Andrew B Robinson, Gene E eng Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Germany 2005/05/13 J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol. 2005 Jul; 191(7):659-68. doi: 10.1007/s00359-005-0619-7. Epub 2005 May 12" |
