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Sci Rep

Title:		Queen signals in a stingless bee: suppression of worker ovary activation and spatial distribution of active compounds
Author(s):		Nunes TM; Mateus S; Favaris AP; Amaral MF; von Zuben LG; Clososki GC; Bento JM; Oldroyd BP; Silva R; Zucchi R; Silva DB; Lopes NP;
Address:		"1] NPPNS, Departamento de Fisica e Quimica, FCFRP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil [2] Departamento de Biologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. Departamento de Biologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, ESALQ, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. NPPNS, Departamento de Fisica e Quimica, FCFRP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. School of Biological Sciences A12, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia"
Journal Title:		Sci Rep
Year:		2014
Volume:		20141212
Issue:
Page Number:		7449 -
DOI:		10.1038/srep07449
ISSN/ISBN:		2045-2322 (Electronic) 2045-2322 (Linking)
Abstract:		"In most species of social insect the queen signals her presence to her workers via pheromones. Worker responses to queen pheromones include retinue formation around the queen, inhibition of queen cell production and suppression of worker ovary activation. Here we show that the queen signal of the Brazilian stingless bee Friesella schrottkyi is a mixture of cuticular hydrocarbons. Stingless bees are therefore similar to ants, wasps and bumble bees, but differ from honey bees in which the queen's signal mostly comprises volatile compounds originating from the mandibular glands. This shows that cuticular hydrocarbons have independently evolved as the queen's signal across multiple taxa, and that the honey bees are exceptional. We also report the distribution of four active queen-signal compounds by Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging. The results indicate a relationship between the behavior of workers towards the queen and the likely site of secretion of the queen's pheromones"
Keywords:		Animal Communication Animals Bees/*physiology Female Insect Hormones/*physiology Ovary/*physiology Social Behavior;
Notes:		"MedlineNunes, Tulio M Mateus, Sidnei Favaris, Arodi P Amaral, Monica F Z J von Zuben, Lucas G Clososki, Giuliano C Bento, Jose M S Oldroyd, Benjamin P Silva, Ricardo Zucchi, Ronaldo Silva, Denise B Lopes, Norberto P eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2014/12/17 Sci Rep. 2014 Dec 12; 4:7449. doi: 10.1038/srep07449"