Department of Entomology, University of Kansas, 66045, Lawrence, Kansas.
J Chem Ecol. 1983 Nov;9(11):1465-72. doi: 10.1007/BF00988512.
Workers ofMelipona fasciata andM. interrupta triplaridis respond to their respective mandibular gland extracts with alarm recruitment and defensive behavior. Workers rapidly exit from the nest entrance, land on an intruding object, and bite with the mandibles while vibrating the flight muscles. These behaviors are accompanied by the release of the contents of the mandibular glands. Colonies of both species exhibited greater response to their own mandibular gland extracts than to those of other stingless bee species. Chemical analysis identified 2-heptanol as the major component in hexane extracts of each species. Undecane was a constituent of both species; skatole and nerol were identified only in extracts ofM. i. triplaridis.
金环胡蜂和三叶小胡蜂工蜂对其下颌腺提取物表现出报警招募和防御行为。工蜂迅速从巢门口退出，降落在入侵物体上，并用下颚咬住物体，同时振动飞行肌肉。这些行为伴随着下颌腺分泌物的释放。这两个物种的群体对自身下颌腺提取物的反应比对其他无刺蜜蜂物种的提取物更强。化学分析确定 2-庚醇是这两个物种正己烷提取物的主要成分。十一烷是这两个物种的一个成分；粪臭素和橙花醇仅在三叶小胡蜂的提取物中被鉴定出来。
