Selective blocking of contact chemosensilla in Apis mellifera

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ZnSO4 on the function of contact chemosensitive and olfactory sensilla of the worker honeybee antennae. The effect of ZnSO4 on contact chemosensitive sensilla was tested behaviorally using the proboscis extension response and that on olfactory sensilla using electroantennogram recordings. We showed that antennal ZnSO4-treatment significantly reduced the sugar-elicited proboscis extension response but did not reduce olfactory evoked electroantennogram responses. Both results indicate that ZnSO4 selectively blocks contact-chemosensory and not olfactory perception. We suggest that ZnSO4 ablation will be a powerful tool to investigate the role of contact chemosensory and olfactory sensilla in short range communication within the honeybee colony.