Attractiveness Of Queens Research Articles

Injection of seminal fluid into the hemocoel of honey bee queens (Apis mellifera) can stimulate post-mating changes

Honey bee queens undergo dramatic behavioral (e.g., reduced sexual receptivity), physiological (e.g., ovary activation, ovulation, and modulation of pheromone production) and transcriptional changes after they complete mating. To elucidate how queen post-mating changes are influenced by seminal fluid, the non-spermatozoa-containing component of semen, we injected queens with semen or seminal fluid alone. We assessed queen sexual receptivity (as measured by likelihood to take mating flights), ovary activation, worker retinue response (which is influenced by queen pheromone production), and transcriptional changes in queen abdominal fat body and brain tissues. Injection with either seminal fluid or semen resulted in decreased sexual receptivity, increased attractiveness of queens to workers, and altered expression of several genes that are also regulated by natural mating in queens. The post-mating and transcriptional changes of queens receiving seminal fluid were not significantly different from queens injected with semen, suggesting that components in seminal fluid, such as seminal fluid proteins, are largely responsible for stimulating post-mating changes in queens.

Insights into the role of age and social interactions on the sexual attractiveness of queens in an eusocial bee, Melipona flavolineata (Apidae, Meliponini).

The attraction of sexual partners is a vital necessity among insects, and it involves conflict of interests and complex communication systems among male and female. In this study, we investigated the developing of sexual attractiveness in virgin queens (i.e., gynes) of Melipona flavolineata, an eusocial stingless bee. We followed the development of sexual attractiveness in 64 gynes, belonging to seven age classes (0, 3, 6, 9, 15, 18days post-emergence), and we also evaluated the effect of different social interactions (such as competition between queens and interactions with workers) on the development of attractiveness in other 60 gynes. We used the number of males that tried to mate with a focal gyne as a representative variable of its sexual attractiveness. During the essays, each gyne was individually presented to 10 sexually mature males, and during 3min, we counted the number of males that everted their genitalia in response to the presence of a gyne. Here, we show that M. flavolineata gynes are capable to (i) maintain their sexual attractiveness for long periods through adult life, (ii) they need a minimum social interaction to trigger the development of sexual attractiveness, and (iii) that gynes express this trait only within a social context. We conclude that the effective occurrence of matings is conditional on potential social interactions that gynes experienced before taking the nuptial flight, when they are still in the nest. These findings bring insights into the factors determining reproductive success in social insects.

Queens defense by workers in the highly polygynous ant Crematogaster pygmaea (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae)

Some aspects of the biology of Crematogaster pygmaea, a highly polydomous and polygynous ant, are more commonly found in monogynous species. One such characteristic is the high attractiveness of its queens. In this study, this attractiveness was assessed under varying experimental conditions to investigate the factors responsible for its expression and variation, and to identify the nature of queen attractiveness. It was shown (1) that C. pygmaea queens are highly attractive to the workers that cluster on and around them (retinue), (2) that the attractiveness of C. pygmaea queens is context-dependent, i.e., it increases with increasing degree of potential danger to the queen, (3) that the attractiveness signal of C. pygmaea queens is chemically based, and (4) that this signal is persistent and apparently not colony-specific. The proposed hypothesis is that the C. pygmaea queens constantly release an attractiveness signal that is “read” by the workers, in a dependent way linked to the context, and that the main function of this attractiveness is to protect queens. This protection would have a high adaptive value in the context of the social structure and the reproductive strategies in C. pygmaea.

Queen Attractiveness to Workers in the Polygynous Form of the Ant Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

We found that queens in laboratory colonies of the polygynous form of the imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, are aggregated. No fighting or competitive behavioral interactions between queens were observed. We then examined the response of workers to individual queens in an effort to determine if queens within the same colony were equal in worker attractiveness. When queens were separated and workers were allowed to choose among them, 1 queen generally attracted >70% of the workers and brood. However, the difference in worker numbers attracted to remaining queens in the colony was not significant. The difference in queen's attractiveness to workers might be the result of a quantitative variation of queen pheromone. Increasing the number of queens and size of the colonies still resulted in most workers consistently responding to one of the queens. When the queen that attracted >70% of the workers was removed, >70% of the workers responded to another queen. When the removed queen was returned to the colony, she was again chosen by >70% of the workers.

Ontogeny of queen attraction to workers in the antCataglyphis cursor (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The behaviour ofCataglyphis cursor workers towards queens at 15 days, one month or two months after worker emergence was tested. Workers reared entirely with their own maternal queen were tested with this queen or with an unfamiliar alien queen. Workers transferred within 48 h of emerging to a new definitive nest with an alien queen were tested with this queen or with the original maternal queen. The degree of attraction to each of these queens and the workers' behavioural repertoire were measured and analysed. The results showed the following: 1) The attractiveness of queens and the workers' queen recognition behaviour were linked. 2) Although unfamiliar alien queens hardly attract workers, familiar alien queens were as attractive as maternal queens, and induced the same strongly marked and unique worker response, indicating that workers learn queen attractant cues in the days immediately after emergence. 3) Agonistic reactions were observed, but workers continued to be attracted to their maternal queen even after developing an attraction response to an alien queen with which they had been reared. These results agree with the proposal that queens produce two kinds of pheromones, those that attract workers and those that mediate recognition of queens by workers. These results show the ability of workers to discriminate between queens. Workers are attracted to any queen, but recognize as nestmates only maternal or alien queens with which they have been maintained. 4) The differential in worker attraction and recognition from 15 days to 2 months and its modifications by post-imaginal experience illustrate worker behavioural ontogeny, which is a basis of social discrimination.

Influence of the number of queens on nestmate recognition and attractiveness of queens to workers in the Argentine ant, Iridomyrmex humilis (Mayr)

To investigate the influence of the number of queens per colony on nestmate recognition in Iridomyrmex humilis, comparative assays were performed to study the attraction of workers to queens. These assays demonstrated that a phenomenon of recognition is superimposed on the attraction of workers to queens. Workers could discriminate non-nestmate queens from their nestmate queen to which they were significantly more attracted. This discrimination is probably based on the learning by workers of queen and colony odour. The level of attraction of workers to non-nestmate queens was similar in monogynous and polygynous colonies, whereas the level of attraction of workers to nestmate queens was significantly lower in polygynous colonies. This difference in the level of attraction of workers to nestmate queens almost certainly resulted from a lower efficiency in nestmate recognition in polygynous colonies. It is hypothesized that the mixture of several pheromonal sources produced by less related individuals in polygynous colonies may result in a less distinct colony odour than in monogynous colonies. The results are discussed with regard to some implications of polygyny and particularly to the loss of intercolonial aggression in I. humilis as well as in other polygynous ant species.

Effects of queen honeybee ( Apis mellifera L.) ageing on her attractiveness to workers

1. 1. The degree of attractiveness to worker bees of queens of the following ages was: 0–1 -day-old: none; 2–3- and 4-day-old: medium; 5- and 6-day-old, as well as 16- and 18-month-old: high. 2. 2. The observed attractiveness of queens' body parts to workers was: abdomen > head > thorax. However, heads of living queens were 4.5 and 8.4 times more attractive than abdomens and thoraxes, respectively, when calculated as the number of attending worker bees per surface of a body part. 3. 3. Queens with tergites and sting chambers covered with paraffin were less attractive (16 and 22%, respectively) to worker bees than the intact controls. 4. 4. The attractiveness of ethanolic extracts of mandibular glands, tergal glands and abdomen tips was as follows: MG > TG = AT. Of mandibular gland extracts prepared from 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-day and 16–18-month-old queens, the highest attraction was observed in 5-day-old MG extracts only. 5. 5. Of 24 chemical components bioassayed for attraction of workers both inside cages and in bee colonies, 9-oxo-trans-2-decenoic acid was the most attractive. 6. 6. The results of the study show that the exocrine secretions from both mandibular and tergal glands of the queen bee contribute to the attraction of worker bees and that its intensity is age-dependent.

Age-Dependent Queen Attractiveness for Drones and Mating in the Stingless Bee,Scaptotrigona Postica

SummaryA mating box was designed in which the attractiveness of queens for drones was tested in the Brazilian stingless bee, Scaptotrigona postica (Meliponinae, Apidae). Virgin queens, 10–14 days old, were the most attractive. Copulation in confinement was observed in detail. A queen could mate with up to six drones.

Honey Productivity of Honeybee Colonies in Relation to Body Weight, Attractiveness and Fecundity of the Queen

SummaryThe relationship between queen weight, queen attractiveness, sealed brood area, and colony honey production were investigated. Queens' attractiveness to workers varied greatly, but was not correlated with any of the other measured parameters. Queen weight, 18 hours after removal from mating nuclei, averaged 214·4 mg and decreased to 207·9 mg after 8 days of storage and transit. At the peak of the honey flow the average queen weight had increased to 292·9 mg. Honey production was correlated positively both with sealed brood area and with queen weight after removal from the mating nuclei. A practical method of eliminating some of the less productive queens would be to remove them from the mating nuclei, when about 12 days old, and discard the lightest 15–25%.

Behavioural Studies on Queen Introduction in the Honeybee 3. Relationship Between Queen Attractiveness to Workers and Worker Aggressiveness towards a Queen

SummaryWorkers in 4 colonies were not more attracted to their own mated laying queen in a cage than to a strange mated laying queen. One of the latter queens, however, had no mandibular glands, and she was significantly less attractive than 3 normal queens. The workers of 2 colonies were significantly less attracted to the four queens than were the 4 other colonies tested. Individual variations in attractiveness of 20 sister laying queens of same age were observed. Also, workers from some colonies were more attracted to the queens than were workers from other colonies. Caged workers accepted their own queen or a queen that showed similar attractiveness, and rejected one of different attractiveness. A direct correlation was found between the weight of queens at emergence and when laying (2 months old). The heavier queens were more attractive to the workers than the lighter ones.

Aggressive behavior of Apis mellifera L. workers towards introduced queens. III. Relationship between the attractiveness of the queen and worker aggression

The attractiveness of virgin queens of five age groups was determined using a new bioassay technique; queen attractiveness increased with age. By introducing queens of these age groups to small cages of worker bees, a direct relationship was found between queen attractiveness and worker aggression. The significance of these results is discussed.

Queen honey bee attractiveness as related to mandibular gland secretion.

The termination of mandibular gland secretion by gland removal in living mated queen honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) caused approximately 85 percent loss of queen attractiveness to worker bees. The secretion of attractants in virgin queens increased with age. Old virgins were as attractive as mated queens. A rapid assay for queen attractiveness is described.