WORKER PIPING ASSOCIATED WITH FORAGING IN UNDISTURBED QUEENRIGHT COLONIES OF HONEY-BEES

Worker piping, previously reported only in association with colony dis turbance or queenlessness, was seen in undisturbed, queenright colonie s. Workers piped by pressing the thorax to the comb, spreading the win gs slightly and lifting the abdomen towards the wings, which vibrated noticeably as the bee emitted an audible wail. Pipers wandered through out the hive for up to 2.5 h, stopping every few seconds to emit a pip e, which lasted about 1 s. The sound showed little frequency modulatio n, and a fundamental frequency of 330-430 Hz. It appeared to be produc ed by wing muscle vibrations and to be loaded into the comb by pressin g down the thorax. Of three workers whose experiences prior to piping were known, two had been foraging and one had been unloading water col lectors. Piping in this context may serve as a foraging-related signal , although its receivers and the information it transmits remain unkno wn.