Schorkopf Dirk Louis P, Jarau Stefan, Francke Wittko, Twele Robert, Zucchi Ronaldo, Hrncir Michael, Schmidt Veronika M, Ayasse Manfred, Barth Friedrich G
Department for Neurobiology and Behavioural Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Proc Biol Sci. 2007 Mar 22;274(1611):895-8. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2006.3766.
Stingless bees of the species Trigona spinipes (Fabricius 1793) use their saliva to lay scent trails communicating the location of profitable food sources. Extracts of the cephalic labial glands of the salivary system (not the mandibular glands, however) contain a large amount (approx. 74%) of octyl octanoate. This ester is also found on the scent-marked substrates at the feeding site. We demonstrate octyl octanoate to be a single compound pheromone which induces full trail following behaviour. The identification of the trail pheromone in this widely distributed bee makes it an ideal organism for studying the mechanism of trail following in a day flying insect.
无刺蜂Trigona spinipes(Fabricius 1793)利用其唾液留下气味痕迹,以此传达有利可图的食物来源位置。唾液系统的头部唇腺提取物(而非下颌腺)含有大量(约74%)的辛酸辛酯。在取食地点有气味标记的底物上也能发现这种酯。我们证明辛酸辛酯是一种单一化合物信息素,能引发完整的追踪行为。在这种分布广泛的蜜蜂中鉴定出追踪信息素,使其成为研究日间飞行昆虫追踪机制的理想生物。