« Previous AbstractPolyketide origin of pheromones of Carpophilus davidsoni and C. mutilatus (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)    Next AbstractXRF-analysis of fine and ultrafine particles emitted from laser printing devices »

J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol

Title:		Signals and cues in the recruitment behavior of stingless bees (Meliponini)
Author(s):		Barth FG; Hrncir M; Jarau S;
Address:		"Department of Neurobiology and Cognition Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstr.14, 1090, Vienna, Austria. friedrich.g.barth@univie.ac.at"
Journal Title:		J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol
Year:		2008
Volume:		20080319
Issue:		4
Page Number:		313 - 327
DOI:		10.1007/s00359-008-0321-7
ISSN/ISBN:		0340-7594 (Print) 0340-7594 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Since the seminal work of Lindauer and Kerr (1958), many stingless bees have been known to effectively recruit nestmates to food sources. Recent research clarified properties of several signals and cues used by stingless bees when exploiting food sources. Thus, the main source of the trail pheromone in Trigona are the labial, not however the mandibular glands. In T. recursa and T. spinipes, the first stingless bee trail pheromones were identified as hexyl decanoate and octyl decanoate, respectively. The attractant footprints left by foragers at the food source are secreted by glandular epithelia of the claw retractor tendon, not however by the tarsal gland. Regarding intranidal communication, the correlation between a forager's jostling rate and recruitment success stresses the importance of agitated running and jostling. There is no evidence for a 'dance' indicating food source location, however, whereas the jostling rate depends on food quality. Thoracic vibrations, another intranidal signal well known in Melipona, were analyzed using modern technology and distinguishing substrate vibrations from airborne sound. Quantitative data now permit estimates of signal and potential communication ranges. Airflow jets as described for the honeybee were not found, and thoracic vibrations do not 'symbolically' encode visually measured distance in M. seminigra"
Keywords:		"*Animal Communication Animals Bees/*physiology *Cues *Feeding Behavior Pheromones/metabolism Scent Glands/metabolism Social Behavior Thorax/physiology Vibration Vocalization, Animal;"
Notes:		"MedlineBarth, Friedrich G Hrncir, Michael Jarau, Stefan eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Review Germany 2008/03/20 J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol. 2008 Apr; 194(4):313-27. doi: 10.1007/s00359-008-0321-7. Epub 2008 Mar 19"