| Title: | Honeybee workers (Apis mellifera capensis) compete for producing queen-like pheromone signals |
| Author(s): | Moritz RF; Lattorff HM; Crewe RM; |
| Address: | "Institut fur Zoologie, Martin-Luther-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg, Krollwitzer Strasse 44, 06099 Halle (Saale), Germany. r.moritz@zoologie.uni-halle.de" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0962-8452 (Print) 1471-2954 (Electronic) 0962-8452 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Physical fights are the usual means of establishing dominance hierarchies in animal societies. This form of dominance behaviour is most strongly expressed in honeybee queens who engage in fights to the death to establish themselves in the colony. Workers can also compete for reproductive dominance resulting in the establishment of stable hierarchies. They do not engage each other physically, but use pheromones that mimic those produced by queens. The dynamics of pheromone production in paired workers suggests that they engage in a pheromonal contest. Because queen pheromones suppress ovary activation, the contest results in the sterility of the loser" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Bees/*physiology Competitive Behavior/*physiology Fatty Acids/metabolism Pheromones/*metabolism Reproduction/physiology Sexual Behavior, Animal/*physiology *Social Dominance Time Factors;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineMoritz, Robin F A Lattorff, H Michael G Crewe, Robin M eng Comparative Study Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2004/04/23 Proc Biol Sci. 2004 Feb 7; 271 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):S98-100. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2003.0113" |
