Honey bee guards recognise allospecific intruders via "different odours" not "harmful-intruder odours"

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) guards recognise intruders primarily by odour. This study tested two competing hypotheses underlying the rejection of allospecific intruders: "different odour", whereby intruders are recognised by guards because their odours do not match those of honey bees in ge...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of apicultural research 2010-01, Vol.49 (3), p.270-277
Main Authors: Kärcher, Martin H., Ratnieks, Francis L.W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Apis mellifera
cuticular hydrocarbons
entrance guards
guarding
honey bee
nestmate recognition
odour
Porcellio scaber
Vespula vulgaris
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Summary:Honey bee (Apis mellifera) guards recognise intruders primarily by odour. This study tested two competing hypotheses underlying the rejection of allospecific intruders: "different odour", whereby intruders are recognised by guards because their odours do not match those of honey bees in general, versus the "harmful intruder odour", whereby guards specifically recognise and reject intruders of harmful species. We presented eight species of harmless arthropod and three harmful insects (worker common wasps, Vespula vulgaris, adult wax moths, Galleria mellonella; and wood ants, Formica lugubria) to entrance guards. Guards rejected all but woodlice (Porcellio scaber) more than non-nestmate bees and at rates similar to or greater than common wasps. This is not as predicted by the harmful odour hypothesis, and thereby strengthens the different odour hypothesis. Woodlice were accepted at rates similar to non-nestmate bees, possibly because they have few cuticular hydrocarbons and may smell mainly of their environment.
ISSN:0021-8839
2078-6913
DOI:10.3896/IBRA.1.49.3.07