Chemical Profiles of Body Surfaces and Nests from Six Bornean Stingless Bee Species

Sara Leonhardt; N Bluthgen; T Schmitt

doi:10.1007/s10886-010-9900-5

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Chemical Profiles of Body Surfaces and Nests from Six Bornean Stingless Bee Species

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Chemical Profiles of Body Surfaces and Nests from Six Bornean Stingless Bee Species

Sara Leonhardt, N Bluthgen and T Schmitt

Journal of Chemical Ecology, Vol.37(1), pp.98-104

2011

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-010-9900-5

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Abstract

Chemical Sciences

Biological Sciences

Environmental Sciences

stingless bees

Meliponines

cuticular profile

wax chemistry

resin

terpenes

Stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) are the most diverse group of Apid bees and represent common pollinators in tropical ecosystems. Like honeybees they live in large eusocial colonies and rely on complex chemical recognition and communication systems. In contrast to honeybees, their ecology and especially their chemical ecology have received only little attention, particularly in the Old World. We previously have analyzed the chemical profiles of six paleotropical stingless bee species from Borneo and revealed the presence of species-specific cuticular terpenes- an environmentally derived compound class so far unique among social insects. Here, we compared the bees' surface profiles to the chemistry of their nest material. Terpenes, alkanes, and alkenes were the dominant compound groups on both body surfaces and nest material. However, bee profiles and nests strongly differed in their chemical composition. Body surfaces thus did not merely mirror nests, rendering a passive compound transfer from nests to bees unlikely. The difference between nests and bees was particularly pronounced when all resin-derived compounds (terpenes) were excluded and only genetically determined compounds were considered. When terpenes were included, bee profiles and nest material still differed, because whole groups of terpenes (e.g., sesquiterpenes) were found in nest material of some species, but missing in their chemical profile, indicating that bees are able to influence the terpene composition both in their nests and on their surfaces.

Details

Title: Chemical Profiles of Body Surfaces and Nests from Six Bornean Stingless Bee Species
Authors: Sara Leonhardt (Author) - University of Würzburg, Germany
N Bluthgen (Author) - University of Würzburg, Germany
T Schmitt (Author) - University of Freiburg, Germany
Publication details: Journal of Chemical Ecology, Vol.37(1), pp.98-104
Publisher: Springer New York LLC
Date published: 2011
DOI: 10.1007/s10886-010-9900-5
ISSN: 0098-0331
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; GeneCology Research Centre - Legacy
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99449617502621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Ecology

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