Roy :
 
We've been working with Queen Mandibular Pheromone (QMP) up here at Simon
Fraser University for over a decade.  I have a number of citations that
should answer some of your questions.
 
On Tue, 23 Jan 1996, Roy Nettlebeck wrote:
 
>   I would appreciate information on any research which determined a mean
> level of (E_)-9-Hydroxy-decenoic acid (9-HDA) and (E_)-9-oxo-2-decenoic
> acid (9-ODA) in queen bees.I want to quantify the levels so new queens
> may be tested for 9-ODA and 9-HDA.If any researcher has used this to
> determine the acceptability of a new queen to a hive.
 
One queen equivalent is the average amount of QMP found in a pair of
queen mandibular glands at any given time (Slessor et al. 1988
Semiochemical basis of the retinue response to queen honey bees.
Nature. 332:354-356).  This quantity is 250 microg 9ODA, 150 microg
9HDA (88% R(-) & 12% S(+)), 20 microg HOB, and 2 microg HVA.  Dr. Slessor
has studied the profiles of virgin queens and mated queens and they are
different (Slessor et al. 1990 Semiochemical basis of the retinue
response to queen honey bees. J. Chem. Ecol. 16:851-860).  He's also
looked at old queens, vs. newly mated queens, vs. queens ready to be
superceded and I believe there was also no difference.
 
>   I have read many papers and have not found much more than the queen has
> the compounds and uses them to control different behaviors of the
> workers. Its much more complex than just two compounds.In Bee Genetics
> and Breeding By Dr. Rinderer 1986,he has me looking at what genetic
> variability we have in our queens, that controls there pheromone level.
 
Tanya Pankiw, whose now doing her postdoc in Arizona, looked at the
herdibility of the workers response to the queen.  She was able to
establish two lines of workers, one with very low response, and one with
very high response by a selective breeding program.  She got differences
very quickly, suggesting the trait is highly heritable.  She's got a
stack of papers currently in press.  One available paper which may interest
you is Pankiw et al. 1993 Variation in Worker Response to Honey Bee Queen
Mandibular Pheromone. J. Insect Behavior. 7(1):1-15.
 
P.S. Erika Pletner has just completed the biosynthetic pathway for some
of the QMP comonents - if that is of any use.
 
Oh, one last thing has come to mine.  Lynn Bernie and Jeff Pettis have
done some work in observation hives that queen right workers will ball
workers dosed with QMP and each of the components seperately.  They did
dose responses to each of the components and had some very neat results.
Perhaps this work would be helpful in looking for the stuff that makes
workers so aggressive to newly introduced queens ?
 
If you want me to put you in touch with any of these people, or if I can
help in any other way, please let me know.
 
Adony Melathopoulos
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C.
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