Summary
Behavioral responses of differently aged worker beesApis mellifera to a queen pheromonal extract were analysed. The bees were tested individually in a four-armed olfactometer, one arm being scented with the pheromonal extract. This extract was prepared from heads of 14–17-day-old unmated queens. Among the components of the blend, 470 μg 9-keto-2-(E)-decenoic acid, 200 μg 9-hydroxy-2-(E)-decenoic acid and 5 μgp-hydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester per queen equivalent were dosed. An age dependency in the worker bees' olfactory response to the components of the queen extract was shown, the strongest response occurring below the age of 5 days.
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Pham-Delegue, M.H., Trouiller, J., Bakchine, E. et al. Age dependency of worker bee response to queen pheromone in a four-armed olfactometer. Ins. Soc 38, 283–292 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01314914
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01314914