Behavioral responses evoked in honey bee workers by Dufour gland extracts (Hymenoptera : Apidae)

A series of experiments was performed to assess possible roles of the honey bee Dufour gland secretion. Bioassays with extracts of queen and worker gl ands from two colonies were made under artificial conditions, in which nest mate and non-nestmate forager workers were tested. The results demonstrate that forager workers display behavioral responses when exposed to Dufour gl and extracts of nestmates, but remain indifferent when exposed to non-nestm ate extracts. Also, the results demonstrate that forager workers are attrac ted by virgin queen gland extracts, and repelled by forager worker extracts . The data demonstrate that the Dufour gland secretion is colony- and caste -specific. The attractant remains in the nest. The repellent effect of fora ger worker extracts is interpreted as an alarm-like pheromone. The attracta nt effect of virgin queen extracts could be useful in the swarming process to attract scout bees to the eventual founder virgin queen or to attract ol d foragers to the virgin queen that remains in the nest.