Chemical Signals in the Stingless Bee, Frieseomelitta varia, Indicate Caste, Gender, Age, and Reproductive Status

• Published in: Journal of chemical ecology Vol. 35; no. 10; pp. 1172 - 1180
• Main Authors: Nunes, Túlio M, Turatti, Izabel C. C, Lopes, Norberto P, Zucchi, Ronaldo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York New York : Springer-Verlag 01.10.2009; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: age; Aging; Agriculture; Alkenes; analysis; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Apidae; Apis mellifera; Autoecology; Bees; Bees - chemistry; Bees - physiology; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Microscopy; Biomedical and Life Sciences; caste determination; chemical composition; Chemicals; chemistry; cuticular hydrocarbons; Discriminant Analysis; Ecology; Entomology; Female; Formicidae; Frieseomelitta; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gas chromatography; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; gender differences; Hydrocarbons; Hydrocarbons - analysis; Hymenoptera; insect castes; insect cuticle; insect reproduction; Life Sciences; Male; Mass spectrometry; Meliponini; Phenotype; physiology; Protozoa. Invertebrata; queen insects; Reproduction; semiochemicals; Sex; Skin; Skin - chemistry; Social Dominance; social insects; stingless bees; Queens; Stingless bees; Cuticular hydrocarbons; Castes; Hymenoptera; Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry; Chemical communication; Insecta; Chemical compound; Sex; Apidae; Cuticle; Information; Frieseomelitta varia; Apoidea; Age; Aculeata; Hydrocarbon; Social insect; Gas chromatography; Arthropoda; Caste; Invertebrata; Mass spectrometry; Mating status
• ISSN: 0098-0331; 1573-1561; 1573-1561
• DOI: 10.1007/s10886-009-9691-8

Chemical compounds on the cuticle are a rich source of information used during interactions among social insects. Despite the multitude of studies on these substances and their function in ants, wasps, and honeybees, little is known about this subject in stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini). We studied the chemical composition of the cuticle of the stingless bee, Frieseomelitta varia, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), to investigate potential chemical variation among castes, gender, age, and reproductive status. We found differences in the cuticular hydrocarbon composition among workers, males, and queens, recording both qualitative and quantitative differences among individuals of different ages and gender. The cuticle of physogastric queens presented a chemical profile that was distinct from all other groups in the analysis, with high relative abundances of alkenes and alkadienes with 27, 29, and 31 carbon atoms. We discuss the possibility that these compounds signal a queen's presence to the colony, thereby initiating all vital worker-queen interactions.