PR003025 (Project)

Description:Worker honey bees (Apis mellifera) are normally sterile, but have the capacity to activate oogenesis under exceptional circumstances. The presence of a queen (reproductive female) as well as developing larvae are known to suppress worker reproduction. A lack of one or both of these suppressors leads to worker ovary activation and development of “false queens”, whereby workers gain the ability to lay eggs and produce queen-like pheromones, many of which originate from glands within the head. Reproductive workers are also expected to reduce production of lipid- and protein-rich secretions that are normally fed to brood and are also produced within the head. Here, we compared worker head lipid extracts from individuals within four groups of colonies that were either queenright or queenless and broodright or broodless, and each combination thereof. These data will provide insights into the physiological response of workers upon the removal of two important reproductive suppressors.