Dufour’s gland secretion

Katzav-Gozansky T., Soroker V., Ibarra F., Francke W. and Hefetz A. (2001a) Dufour s gland secretion of the queen honeybee (Apis mellifera) an egg discriminator or a queen signal Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 51, 76-86. 

Dani, F., Fratini, S. and Turillazzi, S. (1996a). Behavioural evidence for the involvement of Dufour s gland secretion in nestmate recognition in the social wasp Polistes dominulus (Hymenoptera Vespidae). Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol., 38, 311-319. 

Katzav-Gozansky, T., Soroker, V., Hefetz, A., Cojocaru, M.D., Erdmann, H. and Francke W. (1997). Plasticity of caste-specific Dufour s gland secretion in the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.). Naturwissenschaften, 84, 238-241. 

Brandt, M., Heinze, J., Schmitt, T. and Foitzik, S. (2006). Convergent evolution of the Dufour s gland secretion as a propaganda substance in the slave-making ant genera Protomognathus and Harpagoxenus. Insectes Soc., 53, 291-299. 

Mimicry of queen Dufour s gland secretions by workers of Apis mellifera scutellata and A. m. capensis. Naturwissenschaften, 89, 561-564. 

Cavill, G.W.K., Williams, RT. Whitfield, F.B., 1967. a-famesene, Dufour s gland secretion in the ant Aphaenogaster Longiceps. Tetrahedron Lett, 12, 2201—2205,... 

Duffield et al. (200) found that Dufour s gland secretion of Svastra obliqua contains a series of 32 aliphatic esters, while according to Bradshaw the mandibular gland secretion of the weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda consists of 33 chemical entities (201, 202),... 

All- m 5-farnesyl hexanoate (190) was the main component of the female Dufour s gland secretion of eleven Andrena species, while ger-anyl octanoate (191) was the main component of the secretion from two other species. One or another of these two compounds is also the dominant component in the cephalic secretion of male Nomada bees. Apparently, Nomada bees prey only on a single Andrena host species. All-rm 5-famesyl hexanoate (190) is the dominant component... 

Duffield, R.M., W.E. Laberge, and J.W. Wheeler Exocrine Secretions of Bees. VII. Aliphatic Esters in the Dufour s Gland Secretion of Svastra obliqua obliqua (Hymenoptera Anthophoridae). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 78 B, 47-50 (1984). Bradshaw, J.W.S., R. Baker, and P.E. Howse Multicomponent Alarm Pheromones of the Weaver Ant. Nature 258, 230-231 (1975). 

Hefetz, a., G. Bergstrom, and J. Teng5 Species, Individual and Kin Specific Blends in Dufour s Gland Secretions of Halictine Bees. Chemical Evidence. J. Chem. Ecol. 12, 197-208 (1986). 

Shimron, O., a. Hefetz, and J. Tengo Structural and Communicative Functions of Dufour s Gland Secretion in Eucera palestinae (Hymenoptera Anthophoridae). Insect Biochem. 15, 635-638 (1985). 

Age effects may influence an individual s reaction to a chemical stimulus. Thus, in Myrmica rubra ants (see Section 11.5.3) callow individuals respond only to Dufour s gland secretions whereas older ants are attracted by both mandibular and Dufours gland pheromone (Cammaerts, 1974). Additionally, sensory adaptation or habituation can influence response level to a stimulus (Waage, 1979 Weseloh, 1980). 

The Dufour s gland secretions of Hylaeus modestus are similar to those of Colletes and are dominated by macrocyclic lactones. The secretions of H. modestus exhibit only saturated macrocyclic lactones as well as methyl and ethyl esters (Duffield et al., 1980). 

The Dufour s gland secretions of four species of Nomia (Table 14.4) exhibit even numbered, saturated macrocyclic lactones and isopentenyl esters similar to those found in the Halictinae. The major difference between secretions of Nomia and Halictinae is the presence of the isopentenyl esters as major components of the blend in Nomia (Duffield et al., 1982). 

Citronellyl citronellate and another minor component, citronellyl geranate, have been identified in the Dufour s gland secretion of Panurginuspotentillae but P. atramontensis has only the latter compound (Duffield et al., 1983). These two compounds have been found previously in the seventh sternal glands of the European hornet, Vespa crabro (Wheeler et al., 1982). 

The chemistry of the Dufour s gland secretions have been studied in two palearctic species of Melitta by TengO and Bergstrbm (1976b). Both species exhibit a homologous series of even numbered alkyl butanoates ranging from Ci2 to Cjo- The major component in each is hexadecyl butanoate. Several acetates and unsaturated alcohols were also detected. 

While hydrocarbons containing odd numbers of carbon are commonplace in both mandibular and Dufour s gland secretions of these bees, these same compounds are common ant natural products and do not appear to have a function other than as a carrier for the low-molecular-weight materials. Although they have been reported by many workers and have been listed by us in various tables, any function has yet to be documented and we believe their importance is minimal. 

The wax is a complex mixture of esters, fatty acids, and hydrocarbons. We will not review its structure. Its function in producing nest cells is well known, and beeswax is used by humans. Apidae thus use a different set of glands to create homeostatic conditions for their developing young than do those bees that line cells with Dufour s gland secretions. Wax is well-adapted for the construction... 

Cane, J. H. (1981) Dufour s gland secretion in the cell linings of bees (Hymenoptera Apoidea). J. Chem. Ecol., 7, 403-10. 

Macrocyclic lactones and isopentenyl esters in the Dufour s gland secretion of halictine bees (Hymenoptera Halictidae). 7. Chem. EcoL, 7, 319-31. 

Duffield, R. M., LaBerge, W. E., Cane, J. H. and Wheeler, J. W. 0982) Exocrine secretions of bees. IV. Macrocyclic lactones and isopentenyl esters in the Dufour s gland secretions of Nomia bees (Hymenoptera Halictidae). J. Chem. EcoL, 8, 535-43. 

TengO, J. and BergstrOm, G. (1978) Identical isoprenoid esters in the Dufour s gland secretions of North American and European Andrena bees (Hymenoptera Andreni-dae). J. Kansas ent. Soc., 51, 521-6. 

Fig. 15.9 Aggressive recruitment in Myrmica rubra, A worker (the black ant) runs around an intruder Lasius flavus, the white ant), depositing the Dufour s gland secretion, then stings, and returns towards the nest laying a poison gland trail. In the nest area she alerts nearby workers (shaded), and returns to the intruder, depositing streaks of attractive Dufour s gland material on top of the poison gland trail (after Cammaerts-Tricot, 1974b).

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