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Proc Biol Sci

Title:		"Enfleurage, lipid recycling and the origin of perfume collection in orchid bees"
Author(s):		Eltz T; Zimmermann Y; Haftmann J; Twele R; Francke W; Quezada-Euan JJ; Lunau K;
Address:		"Department of Neurobiology, University of Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf 40225, Germany. eltz@uni-duessseldorf.de"
Journal Title:		Proc Biol Sci
Year:		2007
Volume:		274
Issue:		1627
Page Number:		2843 - 2848
DOI:		10.1098/rspb.2007.0727
ISSN/ISBN:		0962-8452 (Print) 1471-2954 (Electronic) 0962-8452 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Enfleurage, the extraction of elusive floral scents with the help of a lipophilic carrier (grease), is widely used in the perfume industry. Male neotropical orchid bees (Euglossini), which accumulate exogenous fragrances as pheromone analogues, use a similar technique. To collect fragrances, the bees apply large amounts of straight-chain lipids to odoriferous surfaces from their cephalic labial glands, which dissolve the volatiles, and the mixture is then transferred to voluminous hind-leg pockets. Here, we show that males do in fact operate a lipid conveyor belt to accumulate and concentrate their perfume. From the hind-leg pockets of caged male Euglossa viridissima, deuterated derivatives of carrier lipids were consecutively sequestered, shuttled back to the labial glands and reused on consecutive bouts of fragrance collection. Such lipid cycling is instrumental in creating complex perfume bouquets. Furthermore, we found that labial glands of male orchid bees are strikingly similar to those of scent-marking male bumblebees in terms of size, form and structure. This, and a prominent overlap in secretory products, led us to propose that perfume collection evolved from scent-marking in ancestral corbiculate bees"
Keywords:		"Animals Bees/anatomy & histology/*physiology *Behavior, Animal Biological Transport Lipid Metabolism Lipids/*chemistry Male *Odorants Orchidaceae/*chemistry;"
Notes:		"MedlineEltz, Thomas Zimmermann, Yvonne Haftmann, Jenny Twele, Robert Francke, Wittko Quezada-Euan, J Javier G Lunau, Klaus eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2007/09/13 Proc Biol Sci. 2007 Nov 22; 274(1627):2843-8. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2007.0727"