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Influence of Age on Antennal Response of Male Honey Bees, Apis mellifera, to Queen Mandibular Pheromone and Alarm Pheromone Component

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Abstract

Using a computer-controlled pheromone-puff delivery system with signal averaging, we investigated the change with age of the electroantennogram (EAG) response of drone (male) honey bees to queen mandibular pheromone (QMP) and an alarm pheromone component, isopentyl acetate (IPA). Drone antennae were significantly more sensitive than worker antennae to QMP, but there was no significant difference in response to IPA. Response to QMP was dose dependent and decreased gradually with the age of the drone. Drone response to IPA did not diminish significantly with age. Drones do not mature sexually or make their first flights until about 1 week old, so the ontogeny of their sensory responsiveness to queen pheromones does not reflect that of their behavior. It is unknown if drones exhibit any behavioral response to IPA. The signal-averaging system we describe could be used to improve resolution of low signal-to-noise ratio signals in other EAG studies.

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  1. Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California, 92521

    Richard S. Vetter & P. Kirk Visscher

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  1. Richard S. Vetter
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Vetter, R.S., Visscher, P.K. Influence of Age on Antennal Response of Male Honey Bees, Apis mellifera, to Queen Mandibular Pheromone and Alarm Pheromone Component. J Chem Ecol 23, 1867–1880 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOEC.0000006456.90528.94

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOEC.0000006456.90528.94

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