Honeybees discriminate cuticular waxes based on esters and polar components

Abstract

Quantitative chemical analyses of cuticular waxes of the honeybee Apis mellifera with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry showed significant differences in the chemical composition of cuticular waxes from drones and workers performing different tasks. We used the proboscis extension reflex to test the ability of bees to discriminate between these cuticular waxes. Differentially conditioned bees significantly discriminated between cuticular waxes of drones, food storers, foragers and queen attenders. We found that the esters and polar components in the cuticular waxes provide the discriminative cues for the insects.