5.16 Laying workers v normal workers including pheromones Flashcards
What is the role of the queen in a honeybee colony?
The queen is usually the only reproductive female in a colony of honeybees.
What can happen in the absence of a queen and brood?
Laying workers will develop after about 3 weeks.
What suppresses the ovary development of worker bees?
The queen produces pheromones that suppress the ovary development of the workers.
Which glands are involved in producing queen pheromones that affect worker bees ovary development?
Queen pheromones are produced by the tergite gland, mandibular gland, and hypopharyngeal glands.
What is the role of brood pheromones?
Brood pheromones, produced by both open and capped brood, suppress worker ovary development.
How many ovarioles do laying workers have?
Laying workers have around 2-20 ovarioles, which are vestigial.
How many eggs can a laying worker lay per day?
A laying worker can lay around 50 eggs a day.
What happens to the eggs laid by laying workers?
All eggs laid by laying workers will be unfertilized and develop into drones.
How does the laying worker’s abdomen differ from that of a queen?
The abdomen of a worker is shorter than that of a queen, causing eggs to be laid onto the side walls of the cells.
What physiological changes occur in laying workers?
Laying workers have an enlarged Dufour’s gland and a larger mandibular gland compared to nnormal workers.
What is the significance of the enlarged Dufour’s gland in laying workers?
It produces queen-like pheromones, indicating to the colony that a queen is present. It is also thought that it ‘labels’ the egg preventing it from being removed by workwe policing.
How do laying workers affect the production of other laying workers?
As more drone brood is produced, brood pheromone suppresses the development of other laying workers.
What is the lifespan of laying workers compared to normal workers?
Laying workers have an extended lifespan compared to normal workers.
How long does it take for a colony to produce laying workers?
It may take up to 3 weeks for a colony to produce laying workers.
What is the state of a colony when it has laying workers?
The colony can be more defensive and acts disorganized, eventually leading to collapse.
