| Title: | High concentration of nectar quercetin enhances worker resistance to queen's signals in bees |
| Author(s): | Gao J; Zhao G; Yu Y; Liu F; |
| Address: | "Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbannan Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303 Yunnan, China" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10886-010-9866-3 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1573-1561 (Electronic) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "In honeybee colonies, pheromones produced by the host's queen inhibit worker reproductive potential and queen rearing. Here, we showed that worker bees fed with syrup containing high concentrations of the phenolic quercetin are likely to initiate ovarian development and to build many queen cells in their colony throughout the feeding trial. Workers fed syrup containing high levels of quercetin were aggressive against their queen. Our study suggests that increased phenolic compounds in nectar could enhance worker bee resistance to queen signals in honeybee colonies" |
| Keywords: | "Aggression/drug effects Animals Bees/*physiology Behavior, Animal Female Plant Nectar/chemistry/pharmacology Quercetin/*pharmacology Reproduction/drug effects;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineGao, Jie Zhao, Guangyin Yu, Yusheng Liu, Fanglin eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2010/10/01 J Chem Ecol. 2010 Nov; 36(11):1241-3. doi: 10.1007/s10886-010-9866-3. Epub 2010 Sep 30" |
