A study was conducted using African and European queens to determine if the compounds they emit in a colony differ based upon matriline and whether the queens are virgin or mated. Cells containing developing queens of either matriline were examined. The volatile compounds were collected using solid phase micro extraction techniques, and analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy. Differences in quantities of volatile compounds were found between African and European queens. In addition, seasonal differences also were found within each group of mated queens that could be related to egg laying rates.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Apidae Apis mellifera (European honey bee, Africanized honey bee)
Keywords: pheromones, microextraction
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA