The Role of the Queen in Preventing Oogenesis in Worker Honeybees

Butler, C. G.; Fairey, Elaine M.

doi:10.1080/00218839.1963.11100051

Cited by 107 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…In contrast to the other compounds, 9-ODA alone can almost completely prevent ovary activation in workers (Butler and Fairey 1963). Hence, if 9-ODA were a reliable, honest signal, it should rise with increasing reproductive value of the queen for the workers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of the queen mandibular gland pheromone in honeybees (Apis mellifera): honest signal or suppressive agent?

Strauss

Scharpenberg

Crewe

et al. 2008

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Queen pheromones interfere with worker reproduction in social insects. However, there is still an unresolved question as to whether this pheromone acts as an "honest" signal for workers, giving a reliable indication of the queen's reproductive value, or as a suppressive agent, inhibiting worker reproduction independent of the queen's reproductive capacity. In honeybees (Apis mellifera), the queen's mandibular gland secretion, a mix of fatty acids and some aromatic compounds, is crucial for regulating the reproductive division of labor in the colony inhibiting ovary development in workers. We quantified the mandibular gland secretions of virgin, drone-laying, and naturally mated queens using gas chromatography to test whether the queens' mating, ovary activation, or the reproductive value for workers correlated with the composition of the secretion. Although the absolute amounts of the "queen substance" 9-oxo-2(E)-decenoic acid (9-ODA) were similar among the three groups, the proportions of 9-ODA decreased with increasing reproductive quality. Furthermore, the ratios of queen to worker compounds were similar in all three treatment groups, irrespective of the reproductive capacity. A multivariate analysis including all six compounds could not separate drone-laying queens from naturally mated ones, both with active ovaries but only the latter ensuring colony survival. We suggest that the mandibular gland pheromones are unlikely to function as reliable indicators of queen reproductive value and rather operate as an agent to suppress worker reproduction. This does not exclude the possibility that other "honest" pheromone signals exist in the honeybee colony, but these would have to arise from other semiochemicals, which could be produced by both the queen and the brood.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of the queen mandibular gland pheromone in honeybees (Apis mellifera): honest signal or suppressive agent?

Strauss

Scharpenberg

Crewe

et al. 2008

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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“…The mandibular gland secretion of Apis mellifera has been said to function as an inhibitory pheromone, suppressing the development of ovaries in worker honeybees [66]. However, the efficacy of the mandibular components in producing worker ovarian suppression has not been unequivocally demonstrated [8,57,65]. Butler [6] found that extracts from heads of queens almost completely inhibited ovarian development in queenless workers and later showed that 9-ODA in particular inhibited ovarian development of queenless workers [9].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Subsequently, Butler and Fairey [8] and Velthuis [57] could only show partial inhibition of worker ovarian development with queen head extracts. In total contrast to the above, Willis et al.…”

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confidence: 99%

Honeybee queen tergal gland secretion affects ovarian development in caged workers

Wossler

Crewe

1999

Apidologie

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-The inhibitory effects of honeybee queen tergal gland secretion on worker ovarian development was studied using a laboratory bioassay with the honeybee races Apis mellifera capensis and A. m. scutellata. Glass pseudoqueens were treated with daily doses of tergal gland extracts from virgin queens and exposed to queenless experimental groups of caged workers. The control groups of queenless caged workers were exposed to solvent controls. Analysis using loglinear models showed that there were no interactions between treatment, race and cage, with respect to the frequency of developing ovaries. The response was homogeneous among cages and among the two races. The virgin queen tergal gland extracts of both A. m. capensis and A. m. scutellata inhibited ovarian development in their own workers (χ 2 = 8.28; df = 1; P = 0.004). These results indicate that the secretion from the tergal glands can operate as a primer pheromone. © Inra/DIB/AGIB/Elsevier, Paris Apis mellifera / worker reproduction / ovarian development / queen pheromone

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“…Worker ovarian development is rare or absent in the presence of QMP (Hoover et al, 2003, Butler andFairey, 1963); however, the precise effect of QMP is taxonomically variable (Hoover et al, 2003, Wossler andCrewe, 1999). While workers interpret the presence of QMP as a signal of the queen's presence, they assess the fertility of the queen via signals emanating from the brood (Mohammedi et al, 1996, Mohammedi et al, 1998, Oldroyd et al, 2001b, Strauss et al, 2008.…”

Section: Other Means Of Regulation Of Worker Reproduction In Queenrigmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Honeybee queens signal their presence to workers via queen mandibular gland pheromone, or QMP (Winston andSlessor, 1998, Free, 1987). QMP plays an important role in the regulation of worker reproduction, as worker ovarian development is low or absent in the presence of QMP (Hoover et al, 2003, Butler andFairey, 1963). In European subspecies of A. mellifera, QMP alone is sufficient for workers to refrain from activating their ovaries (Hoover et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%