期刊
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
卷 62, 期 5, 页码 1061-1069出版社
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/00218839.2022.2035064
关键词
Social insects; stingless bees; recognition; cuticular profile
类别
This study characterized the composition of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) in different castes and ages of Melipona solani bees. The results revealed differences in CHC composition between castes and ages, indicating their roles in nestmate recognition and age-based tasks.
Information exchange and nestmate recognition among workers of highly social insects are tasks that usually involve cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). Many studies in stingless bees have shown that CHCs carry information about nest origin, age, caste, sex, reproductive status, and their function in the colony. Thus, in this work, we characterised the CHC composition of queens, gynes, drones, and workers of Melipona solani by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Any possible age-related difference was investigated by analysing the CHC profile of workers of different ages. We found quantitative and qualitative differences in the CHC composition between castes (workers and queens), and among drones, gynes, and queens. Similarly, polyethism (age of workers) correlated with CHCs, which allowed the separation of three groups: (i) foragers/guards; (ii) nurses; and (iii) larvae, pupae, and recently emerged workers. We discuss the possible function of these compounds in the stingless bees' recognition interactions.
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