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A stingless bee uses labial gland secretions for scent trail communication (Trigona recursa Smith 1863)

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Abstract

The pheromones used by several species of stingless bees for scent trail communication are generally assumed to be produced by the mandibular glands. Here we present strong evidence that in Trigona recursa these pheromones originate from the labial glands, which are well developed in the heads of foragers. Analysis of the behavior involved in scent marking shows that a bee extends her proboscis and rubs it over the substrate. A single scent marking event lasts for 0.59±0.21 s while the bee runs a stretch of 1.04±0.37 cm on a leaf. According to choice experiments the bees are attracted by a feeder baited with labial gland extract (84.2±6% of the bees choose this feeder) but repelled from a feeder baited with mandibular gland extract (only 27.5±13.1% of the bees choose this feeder). They do not discriminate between two clean feeders (49.6±3% of the bees at a feeder). 87±5.1% of bees already feeding leave the feeder after the application of mandibular gland extract whereas only 6.2±4.9% and 2.6±4% do so when labial gland extract or pure solvent was applied.

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Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to Sidnei Mateus for his valuable help in finding and collecting the bee nests in Pedregulho. This study was supported by grant P-14328 of the Austrian Science Foundation (FWF) to F.G.B. This work complies with the current laws of Brazil where the experiments were carried out.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biocenter, Institute of Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    S. Jarau, M. Hrncir & F. G. Barth

  2. Department of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069, Ulm, Germany

    S. Jarau

  3. FFCLRP, Department of Biology, University of São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    R. Zucchi

Authors
  1. S. Jarau
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  2. M. Hrncir
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  3. R. Zucchi
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  4. F. G. Barth
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Correspondence to S. Jarau.

Addendum

Addendum

After the submission of our manuscript a paper by Nieh et al. (2003) appeared which has some relevance in regard of our main finding. According to these authors mandible extracts of T. hyalinata (concentration corresponding to 0.5 bee equivalents) offered at a feeding table released aggressive behavior in newly arriving bees for about 8 min. During this time newcomers did not land to feed. Subsequently, the bees were attracted by the extracts. On the other hand, the authors found a temporal synchronization of recruitment and odor marking. Newcomers arrived at the feeder at the same time foragers scent marked. Despite the mismatch of these findings Nieh et al. (2003) concluded that T. hyalinata recruiters deposit mandibular gland secretions to mark the scent trail.

In order to prepare the “mandibular gland” extract Nieh et al. (2003) pulled out the entire mandibles of the worker bees’ heads together with the mandibular glands and other tissues attached to them (see their Fig. 4). When using this method in T. recursa we frequently pulled out parts of the labial glands together with the mandible. A careful separation of the mandibular gland prior to its extraction is therefore necessary.

Regarding the repellent effect of the mandibular gland extracts the data of Nieh et al. (2003) and our own are in agreement. The attraction of the newcomers after eight minutes in the study by Nieh et al. (2003), however, probably was due to labial gland secretion unknowingly contained in the “mandibular gland” extract.

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Jarau, S., Hrncir, M., Zucchi, R. et al. A stingless bee uses labial gland secretions for scent trail communication (Trigona recursa Smith 1863). J Comp Physiol A 190, 233–239 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-003-0489-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-003-0489-9

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