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Naturwissenschaften

Title:		Aggressive reproductive competition among hopelessly queenless honeybee workers triggered by pheromone signaling
Author(s):		Malka O; Shnieor S; Katzav-Gozansky T; Hefetz A;
Address:		"Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. malkaosn@post.tau.ac.il"
Journal Title:		Naturwissenschaften
Year:		2008
Volume:		20080305
Issue:		6
Page Number:		553 - 559
DOI:		10.1007/s00114-008-0358-z
ISSN/ISBN:		0028-1042 (Print) 0028-1042 (Linking)
Abstract:		"In the honeybee, Apis mellifera, the queen monopolizes reproduction, while the sterile workers cooperate harmoniously in nest maintenance. However, under queenless (QL) conditions, cooperation collapses and reproductive competition among workers ensues. This is mediated through aggression and worker oviposition, as well as shifts in pheromones, from worker to queen-like composition. Many studies suggest a dichotomy between conflict resolution through aggression or through pheromonal signaling. In this paper, we demonstrate that both phenomena comprise essential components of reproductive competition and that pheromone signaling actually triggers the onset of aggression. We kept workers as QL groups until first aggression was observed and subsequently determined the contestants' reproductive status and content of the mandibular (MG) and Dufour's glands (DG). In groups in which aggression occurred early, the attacked bee had consistently more queen-like pheromone in both the MG and DG, although both contestants had undeveloped ovaries. In groups with late aggression, the attacked bee had consistently larger oocytes and more queen-like pheromone in the DG, but not the MG. We suggest that at early stages of competition, the MG secretion is utilized to establish dominance and that the DG provides an honest fertility signal. We further argue that it is the higher amount of DG pheromone that triggers aggression"
Keywords:		"*Aggression Animals Bees/*physiology *Behavior, Animal Female Pheromones/metabolism/*physiology Reproduction Sebaceous Glands/metabolism Signal Transduction/*physiology *Social Dominance;"
Notes:		"MedlineMalka, O Shnieor, S Katzav-Gozansky, T Hefetz, A eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Germany 2008/03/06 Naturwissenschaften. 2008 Jun; 95(6):553-9. doi: 10.1007/s00114-008-0358-z. Epub 2008 Mar 5"