Honey bee retinue workers respond similarly to queens despite seasonal differences in Queen Mandibular Pheromone (QMP) signaling.

ABSTRACT: Honey bee colonies maintain viable queens in part through communication with Queen Mandibular Pheromone (QMP), a mixture that signals the queen's presence and reproductive quality to workers. In turn, workers are thought to provide retinue queen care or replace queens partially based on QMP profiles. We examined the effects of seasonal dearth (overwintering in a warm subtropical location) on queen-worker interactions. Retinue worker responses to continuously ovipositing queens were considered in view of QMP signaling and queen reproductive quality. QMP signaling was estimated from QMP residues recovered from nest worker bodies, which is the primary mode of QMP transfer from the queen to the colony at large. QMP residues varied seasonally but not at all with queen reproductive quality (sper

SUBMITTER: Carroll MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10538780 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature