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Behavioral Ecology Advance Access originally published online on July 2, 2009
Behavioral Ecology 2009 20(5):1007-1014; doi:10.1093/beheco/arp090
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Queen reproductive state modulates pheromone production and queen-worker interactions in honeybees

Sarah D. Kochera,b, Freddie-Jeanne Richardb,c, David R. Tarpyb,c and Christina M. Grozingera,b,c

a Department of Genetics, North Carolina State University, 3510 Gardner Hall, Box 7614, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA b W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, 3501 Gardner Hall, Box 7617, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA c Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, 2301 Gardner Hall, Box 7613, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA

Address correspondence to C.M. Grozinger, Department of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, Huck Institute for Life Sciences, 501 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. E-mail: christina.grozinger{at}gmail.com. F.-J. Richard is now at Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Symbiose, Université de Poitiers, France. C.M. Grozinger is now at Department of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, Huck Institute for Life Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.


  Abstract

The mandibular glands of queen honeybees produce a pheromone that modulates many aspects of worker honeybee physiology and behavior and is critical for colony social organization. The exact chemical blend produced by the queen differs between virgin and mated, laying queens. Here, we investigate the role of mating and reproductive state on queen pheromone production and worker responses. Virgin queens, naturally mated queens, and queens instrumentally inseminated with either semen or saline were collected 2 days after mating or insemination. Naturally mated queens had the most activated ovaries and the most distinct chemical profile in their mandibular glands. Instrumentally inseminated queens were intermediate between virgins and naturally mated queens for both ovary activation and chemical profiles. There were no significant differences between semen- and saline-inseminated queens. Workers were preferentially attracted to the mandibular gland extracts from queens with significantly more activated ovaries. These studies suggest that the queen pheromone blend is modulated by the reproductive status of the queens, and workers can detect these subtle differences and are more responsive to queens with higher reproductive potential. Furthermore, it appears as if insemination substance does not strongly affect physiological characteristics of honeybee queens 2 days after insemination, suggesting that the insemination process or volume is responsible for stimulating these early postmating changes in honeybee queens.

Key words: behavior, caste, chemical communication, pheromone, reproduction, social insect.

Website: http://entomology.ncsu.edu/grozinger

Received 6 November 2008; revised 1 April 2009; accepted 14 May 2009.


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