Detailed abstract

HONEY BEE COLONY PHEROMONES Maja DRAZIC, Nikola KEZIC
DETAILED ABSTRACT Pheromones (greek pherein meaning "to transfer" and hormon meaning "to excite") are chemicals produced as liquids by specialised cells or glands and transmitted into the environment as liquids or gases. In contrary to hormones, which are excreted in organism and have effect exclusively on organism that produced them, pheromones are excreted outside organism and effect on different individuals of the same species. To be efficient, a pheromone has to be highly specific to initiate response from only one species and very effective thus only small amount is sufficient. Pheromonal communication is most important for animals living in social communities like ants, bees or rabbits. These social animals have to communicate during foraging, colony growth, and defence. Through chemical communication, these animals can cooperate and organise according to status and role of each individual in community. Pheromones are important for solitary animals as well. Chemical communication is used in specific situations during life, for example, during mating period. Pheromones mediate nearly all aspects of honeybee colony life including social defence, brood care, mating, orientation, foraging and reproduction. Pheromone production in different individuals in honeybee colony depends not only on sex and role of each individual in community, however it depends on developed glands of the individual. Drones do not posses certain glands, and some glands are less developed when comparing workers and queens. At the same time, queens have some glands highly developed that are reduced at workers and contrary. Activity of certain glands is related to the age or occupation of an individual. Pheromones are produced in mandibular, Nasanow, Koschewnikow, tergit and vax glands, as well as rectum of a queen and membrane on the sting basis. At the same time, important source of pheromones is honeybee brood. Pheromone investigation has high economic importance. With use of pheromones it is possible to manipulate with pest insects on crops or to direct honeybees during pollination on target plants. Key words: pheromones, honey bee colony, comunication Maja Drazic: mdrazic@agr.hr Hrvatski stocarsko selekcijski centar, Kaciceva 9, 10 000 Zagreb, Hrvatska Nikola Kezic: nkezic@agr.hr Agronomski fakultet Sveucilista u Zagrebu, Svetosimunska 25, 10 000 Zagreb, Hrvatska Manuscript received: January 15, 2000 Accepted for publication: February 18, 2000