Chemical characters of two related species of giant honeybees (Apis dorsata and A-laboriosa): Possible ecological significance

The Himalyan honeybee, Apis laboriosa, is sometimes considered to be a form of the rock honeybee, A. dorsata, rather than a separate species. Analyses of potential exocrine compounds produced by both forms revealed that the c ephalic and abdominal natural products of these two honeybees shared no com mon denominators. The sting shaft of workers of A. dorsata is the source of a large series of esters dominated by 1-acetoxy-2-decene. Other major cons tituents include isopentyl acetate, accompanied by isopentyl propionate, fa rnesyl acetate, and several other esters. On the other hand, nothing but pr esumed structural lipids (e.g., ethyl palmitoleate) were identified from st ing shafts of workers of A. laboriosa. By contrast, cephalic (including man dibular glands) extracts from workers of A, laboriosa contained gamma-octan oic lactone, whereas comparable extracts of A. dorsata workers contained on ly structural lipids. The major qualitative differences in the chemical cha racters between A. laboriosa and A. dorsata are consistent with the designa tion of these two forms as distinct species.