| Author(s) | Abdulaziz S. Al-Qarni*, P. Larry Phelan, Brian H. Smith and Susan W. Cobey |
| Affiliation | Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA *Current address: Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia |
| Title | Tergal Glandular Secretions of Naturally Mated and Instrumentally Inseminated Honeybee Queens (Apis mellifera L.) |
| Source | Journal of King Saud University. Agricultural Sciences. Volume 17, No 2. (2005/1425) |
| Abstract | Tergal glands of naturally mated (NM) and instrumentally inseminated (II) Apis mellifera L. queens were extracted after 1 and 2 weeks of oviposition and bioassayed against worker honeybees. Natuarally mated extracts elicited higher response than II extracts with no effect for week or interaction between week and mating type. Tergal gland analysis of NM and II honeybee queens revealed five major peaks of different compounds. Three peaks were found in significantly higher quantity in NM queens which were identified as (Z)-9-hexadecenoic acid, hexadecanoic acid and (Z)-9-octadecenoic acid, whereas the two compounds, 11-octadecenoic acid and octadecanoic acid, were found in similar quantities in both types of queens. Moreover, NM queens maintained their high level of major compounds through two weeks of oviposition except for (Z)-9-hexadecenoic acid whereas a significant decrease in quantity of all major compounds by week 2 of oviposition was recorded in II queens. Keywords: Honeybee queen, Natural mating, Instrumental insemination, Tergal glands, Pheromone, Retinue, Bioassay, Oviposition, Chemical analysis, Apis mellifera L. |
