Title: | Radar detection of drones responding to honeybee queen pheromone |
Author(s): | Loper GM; Wolf WW; Taylor OR; |
Address: | "U.S. Department of Agriculture, Honey Bee Research Laboratory Agricultural Research Service, 2000 East Allen Road, 85719, Tucson, Arizona" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 0098-0331 (Print) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "The response of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) drones to queen pheromone(s) (either natural from a mated queen, or synthetic from a lure) was recorded using an X-band, ground-based radar. The distribution of drones (insect targets on the radar screen) changed from a scattered distribution to a line concentration (downwind) when the pheromone was released. Displacement within the line concentration was toward the pheromone. This response was seen as far as 800+/-15 m downwind from a lure with 10 mg of synthetic 9-oxodec-trans-2-enoic acid (9-ODA) and as far as 420+/-15 m from a mated queen. These studies demonstrate that queen pheromone can be detected by drones at much greater distances than previously believed and illustrate how X-band radar may be used to establish the distances at which insects of similar or larger size respond to pheromones" |
Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINELoper, G M Wolf, W W Taylor, O R Jr eng 1993/09/01 J Chem Ecol. 1993 Sep; 19(9):1929-38. doi: 10.1007/BF00983797" |