Beker R, Dafni A, Eisikowitch D, Ravid U
Department of Botany, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Institute of Evolution, Haifa University, 31999, Haifa, Israel.
Oecologia. 1989 Jun;79(4):446-451. doi: 10.1007/BF00378659.
A study of olfactory discrimination by honeybee has been set up in order to understand the role of volatiles of the aromatic plant Majorana syriaca in attracting pollinating insects. The honeybee's response to volatiles from leaves and inflorescences of two M. syriaca chemotypes, which differ in the thymol carvacrol ratio of their volatiles, was tested using a bioessay method based on associative conditioning and recruitement techniques. Behavioural data show that a honeybee identifies and reacts selectively to olfactory signals from leaves and from inflorescences of the two chemotypes. Such data suggest that the volatiles from all parts of the aromatic plant M. syriaca may have a role in attracting pollinators. The vegetative parts produce a volatile emission which attracts the pollinators from a distance towards the whole plant. At close range these are directed by the flower signal which is amplified by the volatiles of bracts and leaves in the inflorescence.
为了了解芳香植物叙利亚牛至的挥发物在吸引传粉昆虫方面的作用，已经开展了一项关于蜜蜂嗅觉辨别能力的研究。利用基于联想条件作用和招募技术的生物测定方法，测试了蜜蜂对叙利亚牛至两种化学型的叶片和花序挥发物的反应，这两种化学型的挥发物中百里香酚与香芹酚的比例不同。行为数据表明，蜜蜂能够识别并对来自两种化学型的叶片和花序的嗅觉信号做出选择性反应。这些数据表明，芳香植物叙利亚牛至各部分的挥发物可能在吸引传粉者方面发挥作用。营养部分产生的挥发物排放会将传粉者从远处吸引到整株植物上。在近距离范围内，传粉者会被花朵信号引导，而花序中苞片和叶片的挥发物会增强花朵信号。
