Can social bees be influenced to choose a specific feeding station by adding the scent of the station to the hive air?

The behavioral response of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) and bumblebees (Bombus terrestris L.) to the flower volatiles 2-ethyl-1-hexanol and myrcene isolated in situ from white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and oil seed rape (Brassica napus oleifera), respectively, were investigated on a rotating arena with 12 visually identical, but differently scented, feeding stations. When locating a feeding station, neutral in both shape and color, foragers used scent as orientation cue. Introduction of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol to the honeybee hives induced significantly more visits to sites containing this compound. In contrast, introduction of myrcene to the hives did not influence the foraging choices of honeybees significantly. No effect of hive scent composition on the choices made by bumblebees could be detected. Experienced bumble bees, i.e., bees with more than five visits to the feeding stations, tended to visit a particular position on the arena without discriminating between the two volatiles. In contrast, honeybees showed no positioning behavior on the arena, using primarily odoriferous stimuli. The observed influences of addition of scents to the hives are discussed in relation to the general knowledge on foraging behavior of social bees and the emission of volatiles from leaves and flowers.     

The Effect Of Pollination On Floral Fragrance in Thistles

We investigated postpollination changes in fragrance composition and emission rates, as well as pollinator discrimination in hand-pollinated flower heads of two thistle species: Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) and sandhill thistle (C. repandum). Following pollination, neither species emitted any novel compounds that could function as repellents. Scent emission rates declined in pollinated plants of both species by approximately 89% within 48 hr. This decline was evident in all 13 scent components of C. arvense. Apis mellifera, the dominant pollinator in the study population of C. arvense, was nearly three times more likely to visit an unpollinated rather than a pollinated flower head. A more complex pattern was observed for C. repandum, whose scent comprised 42 compounds. Quantities of aromatic and sesquiterpenoid volatiles declined after pollination, whereas two classes of scent compounds, fatty acid derivatives and monoterperpenoids, continued to be emitted. In C. repandum, discrimination against pollinated flower heads by Papilio palamedes (its primary pollinator) was not as marked. Unpollinated control plants of both species maintained moderate levels of scent production throughout this experiment, demonstrating that senescence and floral advertisement may be delayed until pollination has occurred. We expect postpollination changes in floral scent contribute to communication between plants with generalized pollinator spectra and their floral visitors. This study provides the first field study of such a phenomenon outside of orchids.     

Pollinator and Herbivore Attraction to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cucurbita</Emphasis> Floral Volatiles

Mutualists and antagonists may place conflicting selection pressures on plant traits. For example, the evolution of floral traits is typically studied in the context of attracting pollinators, but traits may incur fitness costs if they are also attractive to antagonists. Striped cucumber beetles (Acalymma vittatum) feed on cucurbits and are attracted to several volatiles emitted by Cucurbita blossoms. However, the effect of these volatiles on pollinator attraction is unknown. Our goal was to determine whether pollinators were attracted to the same or different floral volatiles as herbivorous cucumber beetles. We tested three volatiles previously found to attract cucumber beetles in a factorial design to determine attraction of squash bees (Peponapis pruinosa), the specialist pollinators of cucurbita species, as well as the specialist herbivore A. vittatum. We found that 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene was attractive to both the pollinator and the herbivore, indole was attractive only to the herbivore, and (E)-cinnamaldehyde was attractive only to the pollinator. There were no interactions among volatiles on attraction of squash bees or cucumber beetles. Our results suggest that reduced indole emission could benefit plants by reducing herbivore attraction without loss of pollination, and that 1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene might be under conflicting selection pressure from mutualists and antagonists. By examining the attraction of both mutualists and antagonists to Cucurbita floral volatiles, we have demonstrated the potential for some compounds to influence only one type of interaction, while others may affect both interactions and possibly result in tradeoffs. These results shed light on the potential evolution of fragrance in native Cucurbita, and may have consequences for yield in agricultural settings.     

Chemical and Chromatic Bases for Preferential Visiting By the Cabbage Butterfly, Pieris rapae, to Rape Flowers

Scent and coloration of corolla were examined as floral attributes responsible for preferential visiting by the cabbage butterfly, Pieris rapae, to rape flower, Brassica rapa. Floral volatile components that release the flower-visiting behavior of the butterfly were identified by chemical analyses, electroantennography (EAG), and two behavioral bioassays: proboscis extension reflex (PER) in response to odor and attraction to artificial flowers. GC and GC-MS analyses of the headspace volatiles from the flowers revealed the presence of six aromatic compounds, benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, 2-phenylethanol, phenylacetonitrile, and indole in decreasing order of quantity. Of these, phenylacetaldehyde elicited the highest response in the PER assay. While benzyl alcohol, 2-phenylethanol, benzaldehyde, and phenylacetonitrile evoked moderate responses, the PER-eliciting activity of indole was very weak. In two-choice behavioral bioassays, artificial flowers scented with any one of these PER-active compounds attracted significantly more butterflies than control (unscented) flowers, whereas those treated with indole were almost inactive. The EAG activities of the six chemicals were not high and were about the same at a low dose (1 g), but phenylacetaldehyde elicited a much stronger response from both sexes at higher doses (10 and 100 g). An overall profile of EAG responses at a dose of 100 g was analogous to that of PER performance, suggesting that floral volatiles may be involved in close-range location or recognition of flowers rather than long-range attraction. By spectroscopic and UV-photographic examinations of rape flower, the central part of the corolla was found to absorb UV rays in marked contrast to the other parts, which reflected near-UV rays (_max = 350 nm). This indicates that the flower is endowed with a conspicuous nectar guide that is probably an important visual stimulus for attracting foraging adults of P. rapae. Consequently, the present findings strongly suggest that this elaborate pollination strategy of rape flower, characterized by its good combination of olfactory and visual attractiveness, accounts for preferential visiting by the cabbage butterfly to the flower.     

Antennal Responses to Floral Scents in the Butterfly Heliconius melpomene

Floral scent, together with visual floral cues, are important signals to adult butterflies searching for food-rewarding plants. To identify which compounds in a floral scent are more attractive and, thus, of biological importance to foraging butterflies, we applied electrophysiological methods. Antennal responses of male and female adults of the tropical butterfly Heliconius melpomene L. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae) to individual compounds of natural floral scents and synthetic floral scent mixtures were investigated using gas chromatography–electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD). The natural floral scents included those of two tropical plant species, Lantana camaraL. (Verbenaceae) and Warszewiczia coccinea (Vahl) Kl. (Rubiaceae), and two temperate species, Buddleja davidii Franchet (Loganiaceae) and Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (Asteraceae). The two synthetic floral scent mixtures contained many of the compounds found in the natural scents, but all in equal quantities. Compounds both present in relatively high abundance in the floral scents and detected exclusively in the floral parts of the plant, such as linalool, linalool oxide (furanoid) I and II, oxoisophoroneoxide, and phenylacetaldehyde, elicited the strongest antennal responses, suggesting that they may reflect adaptations by the plant to attract butterfly pollinators. However, other compounds also present in high abundance in the floral scent, but detected in the vegetative as well as floral plant parts, either elicited strong antennal responses, such as trans--ocimene and benzaldehyde, or failed to elicit antennal responses, such as the sesquiterpenes -caryophyllene and -humulene from L. camara. The most volatile monoterpene alkenes in the synthetic scent mixtures elicited only low or no responses. Furthermore, the overall antennal responses were stronger in females than in males. The findings suggest that several floral scent volatiles, especially those of exclusively floral origin, are of high biological significance to H. melpomene butterflies. These include compounds of different biosynthetic origins belonging to the benzenoids, monoterpenoids, and irregular terpenoids.     

The Role of Fresh <Emphasis Type="Italic">versus</Emphasis> Old Leaf Damage in the Attraction of Parasitic Wasps to Herbivore-Induced Maize Volatiles

The odor produced by a plant under herbivore attack is often used by parasitic wasps to locate hosts. Any type of surface damage commonly causes plant leaves to release so-called green leaf volatiles, whereas blends of inducible compounds are more specific for herbivore attack and can vary considerably among plant genotypes. We compared the responses of naïve and experienced parasitoids of the species Cotesia marginiventris and Microplitis rufiventris to volatiles from maize leaves with fresh damage (mainly green leaf volatiles) vs. old damage (mainly terpenoids) in a six-arm olfactometer. These braconid wasps are both solitary endoparasitoids of lepidopteran larvae, but differ in geographical origin and host range. In choice experiments with odor blends from maize plants with fresh damage vs. blends from plants with old damage, inexperienced C. marginiventris showed a preference for the volatiles from freshly damaged leaves. No such preference was observed for inexperienced M. rufiventris. After an oviposition experience in hosts feeding on maize plants, C. marginiventris females were more attracted by a mixture of volatiles from fresh and old damage. Apparently, C. marginiventris has an innate preference for the odor of freshly damaged leaves, and this preference shifts in favor of a blend containing a mixture of green leaf volatiles plus terpenoids, after experiencing the latter blend in association with hosts. M. rufiventris responded poorly after experience and preferred fresh damage odors. Possibly, after associative learning, this species uses cues that are more directly related with the host presence, such as volatiles from host feces, which were not present in the odor sources offered in the olfactometer. The results demonstrate the complexity of the use of plant volatiles by parasitoids and show that different parasitoid species have evolved different strategies to exploit these signals.     

Electroantennogram responses of the cabbage seed weevil,Ceutorhynchus assimilis,to oilseed rape,Brassica napus ssp.Oleifera,volatiles

Electroantennograms (EAGs) were recorded from male and female cabbage seed weevils (Ceutorhynchus assimilis Payk.) in response to volatiles isolated and identified from the odor of oilseed rape (Brassica napus ssp.oleifera DC. cv. Ariana). Relatively large EAGs were obtained on stimulation with volatiles produced by the oilseed rape crop at the time when seed weevils were actively searching for host plants. Artificial rape odor without certain key volatile compounds was in most cases significantly less stimulatory than odor containing these volatiles. There were significant differences in the EAG response of the sexes ofC. assimilis to the green leaf volatiles of oilseed rape and several terpenes present in rape flower odor. The importance of the qualitative and quantitative composition of host-plant odor in host location byC. assimilis is discussed.     

Behavioral and physiological responses of cabbage looper,Trichoplusia ni (Hübner), to steam distillates from resistant versus susceptible soybean plants

Soybean plant volatiles, extracted as steam distillates, significantly affected the behavior and biology of the cabbage looper,Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Distillates from the susceptible Davis variety attractedT. ni larvae and female adults, whereas those from resistant PI 227687 plants repelled them. When mixed in an artificial diet, steam distillates from PI 227687 plants caused mortality of first-instar larvae. Adults emerging from pupae topically treated with 5 g of such PI 227687 extractable showed developmental abnormalities. Larval feeding was significantly less on Davis leaves treated with PI 227687 volatiles as compared to solvent (acetone) or such Davis extractables. However, Davis volatiles on PI 227687 leaves did not increase larval feeding. HPLC analyses of steam distillates from susceptible Davis versus resistant PI 227687 indicated differences.     

Leaf Volatiles from Nonhost Deciduous Trees: Variation by Tree Species, Season and Temperature, and Electrophysiological Activity in Ips typographus

The leaf volatiles emitted from four nonhost tree species of Ips typographus, i.e. Betula pendula, B. pubescens, Populus tremula, and Sambucus nigra, were collected outdoors by headspace sampling in situ and analyzed by GC-MS. Three major classes of compounds, aliphatics [mainly green-leaf volatiles (GLVs)], monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenes, existed in all the deciduous tree species investigated. In June, when the bark beetles are searching in flight for host trees, GLVs mainly consisting of (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol were the dominant constituents in B. pendula and S. nigra. In B. pubescens and P. tremula, sesquiterpenes (and their derivatives) and monoterpenes made up the major part of whole volatile blends, respectively. Surprisingly, sesquiterpene alcohols and other oxides released from B. pubescens in considerable amounts were not found in the closely related species, B. pendula. By August, both the total volatiles and individual compounds significantly decreased, mainly due to the maturation of leaves, since the light intensity and temperatures during sampling were the same as in June. There were almost no volatiles detected from P. tremula and S. nigra leaves in August. The total emissions from these deciduous species were significantly different among the species, with B. pubescens releasing 5–10 times more than other species. Under the conditions of constant light intensity and humidity, emissions of both total volatiles and most individual components of severed B. pendula and S. nigra branches (with fresh leaves) increased according to a saturation curve from 16°C to 40°C. Ips typographus antennae responded strongly to green leaf alcohols: (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, 1-hexanol, and (E)-2-hexen-1-ol, but not to aldehydes or acetates in GC-EAD analyses of B. pendula and B. pubescens leaf volatiles. No antennal responses to monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, or sesquiterpene oxides were found. These three antennally active GLVs emitted from nonhost tree leaves might be indicators of a wrong habitat in the host selection of conifer bark beetles.     

Pollinator Preferences for Floral Volatiles Emitted by Dimorphic Anthers of a Buzz-Pollinated Herb

Floral scents attract pollinators to plant rewards; in nectarless flowers, pollen grains are the only reward. Thus, pollen not only fertilizes ovules, but also feeds pollinators. This dilemma is resolved by specialization of anthers (i.e., heteranthery): feeding anthers that feed pollinators and pollinating anthers for fertilization. We hypothesized that the chemical composition of floral volatiles differs between the two types of anther and influences pollination preference for feeding anthers. We used Solanum rostratum as a study model because its heterantherous flowers produce a floral scent that suggests a close association with their pollinators. The main aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition of the two types of anther and to investigate how they influence foraging behaviour of pollinators. To characterize this composition, we used solid phase microextraction and hexane extraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We registered 12 volatile compounds in S. rostratum floral extracts, mainly aromatic and sesquiterpene compounds. The proportion of these compounds differed between feeding and pollinating anthers. Some of these compounds were probably emitted by osmophores located in both anther types. Also, we used electroantennography to investigate Melipona solani antennal response to floral volatiles. The M. solani antennae are receptive to the highest floral extract dose tested. Finally, we conducted two behavioural bioassays to test bee attraction for each type of floral extract: a) multiple-choice in a feeding arena using M. solani and b) Y-olfactometer bioassay using Bombus impatiens. Both bee species preferred feeding anthers in bioassays. In conclusion, heteranthery involves chemical differentiation (i.e., proportion of volatiles compounds) in anther specialization that influences bee preference for feeding anthers over pollinating anthers.     

Plant-natural enemy association in tritrophic system,Cotesia rubecula-Pieris rapae-brassicaceae (Cruciferae). III: Collection and identification of plant and frass volatiles

To elucidate the identity of the volatile compounds that could be involved in the searching behavior of the parasitoidCotesia rubecula Marshall (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), the volatiles released by cabbage and frass of Lepidoptera feeding on cabbage were collected and analyzed using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. The volatiles emitted by intact cabbage were -pinene, -pinene, myrcene, 1,8-cineole,n-hexyl acetate,cis-3-hexen-1-yl acetate, and dimethyl trisulfide. Mechanical damage on an intact plant induced the release of two more compounds,trans-2-hexenal and 1-methoxy-3-methylene-2-pentanone. Current feeding by larvae ofPieris rapae L. (Pieridae) induced the plant to release all the compounds released after mechanical damage and additionally 4-methyl-3-pentenal and allyl isothiocyanate. Current feeding by larvae ofPlutella xylostella L. (Plutellidae) induced the plant to release all the compounds present after mechanical damage and additionally allyl isothiocyanate. The volatiles emitted after feeding by the lepidopterans had ceased were the same as those emitted by cabbage damaged by mechanical means. The blend of volatiles emitted by frass was comprised of plant chemicals, mainly sulfur compounds. Frass ofP. rapae emitted allyl isothiocyanate, methyl isothiocyanate, methyl propyl sulfide, dimethyl trisulfide,S-methyl methane thiosulfinate, 4-methyl-3-pentenal,trans-2-hexenal, and 2,3-dihydro-4-methyl furan. Frass ofP. xylostella emitted only dimethyl trisulfide andS-methyl methane thiosulfinate. The blend of volatiles emitted by frass is herbivore-species specific.     

Ancestral semiochemical attraction persists for adjoining populations of siblingIps bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

Three species ofIps pine bark beetles in Hopping's group IX (S.L. Wood'sgrandicollis group),Ips confusus, I. lecontei, andI. paraconfusus, are parapatrically distributed in the American Southwest. They share post-Pleistocene altitudinal ecotones with their host pines. Adjacent to these areas of host overlap, we tested the hypothesis that aggregation pheromones produced by male beetles and/or host volatiles are sufficient to elicit the speciesspecific colonization behaviors typical of these threeIps species in nature. A more distantly related species,I. pini (Hopping's group IV, S.L. Wood'spini group) was used for outgroup comparison. Under the influence of pheromone, males ofI. confusus andI. paraconfusus do not discern among unin-fested log bolts of host and nonhost pine prior to bark contact. Males responding to pheromones emanating from infested bolts are similarly undiscriminating. Females ofI. confusus andI. lecontei olfactorily discern the combination of conspecific males in host pine from other possible beetlepine combinations; females ofI. paraconfusus do not. FemaleI. pini discerned conspecific pheromone from that ofI. lecontei. The bark beetle predator,Enoclerus lecontei, is attracted by, but does not discriminate among, the male-produced volatiles of these Group IXIps species. These results support a hypothesis that divergence in pheromonal responses by these group IXIps species has evolved following their speciation, having been manifested first in the female sex. Evolutionarily, the derived pheromonal messages have preceded their behavioral discrimination by these beetles. Additional speciesspecific cues may operate between the sexes in the field that may preclude heterospecific pairings.     

Does the odor from sponges of the genus Ircinia protect them from fish predators?

Caribbean sponges of the genus Ircinia contain high concentrations of linear furanosesterterpene tetronic acids (FTAs) and produce and exude low-molecular-weight volatile compounds (e.g., dimethyl sulfide, methyl isocyanide, methyl isothiocyanate) that give these sponges their characteristic unpleasant garlic odor. It has recently been suggested that FTAs are unlikely to function as antipredatory chemical defenses, and this function may instead be attributed to bioactive volatiles. We tested crude organic extracts and purified fractions isolated from Ircinia campana, I. felix, and I. strobilina at naturally occurring concentrations in laboratory and field feeding assays to determine their palatability to generalist fish predators. We also used a qualitative technique to test the crude volatile fraction from I. felix and I. strobilina and dimethylsulfide in laboratory feeding assays. Crude organic extracts of all three species deterred feeding of fishes in both aquarium and field experiments. Bioassay-directed fractionation resulted in the isolation of the FTA fraction as the sole active fraction of the nonvolatile crude extract for each species, and further assays of subfractions suggested that feeding deterrent activity is shared by the FTAs. FTAs deterred fish feeding in aquarium assays at concentrations as low as 0.5 mg/ml (fraction B, variabilin), while the natural concentrations of combined FTA fractions were >5.0 mg/ml for all three species. In contrast, natural mixtures of volatiles transferred from sponge tissue to food pellets and pure dimethylsulfide incorporated into food pellets were readily eaten by fish in aquarium assays. Although FTAs may play other ecological roles in Ircinia spp., these compounds are effective as defenses against potential predatory fishes. Volatile compounds may serve other defensive functions (e.g., antimicrobial, antifouling) but do not appear to provide a defense against fish predators.     

(Z)-oxacyclotridec-10-en-2-one does not appear to be responsible for resistance to adult alfalfa weevil feeding exhibited byMedicago rugosa

Steam distillate prepared from leaves ofMedicago rugosa Desr. could inhibit feeding by adult alfalfa weevils (Hypera postica (Gyll.) on membrane filters, whereas an equivalent amount of steam distillate prepared usingM. sativa L. had no effect on weevil feeding. Earlier work established that a 12-carbon lactone, (Z)-oxacyclotridec-10-en-2-one, was responsible for the feeding deterrent properties of the steam distillate fromM. rugosa. The concentration of this volatile varied with plant age and leaf position. The maximum concentration in leaves ofM. rugosa (area basis) was estimated, on the basis of tests using an inert substrate, to be too low to cause a detectable inhibition of feeding. No correlation between lactone content and weevil feeding was detected when leaves from similar positions on plants of different ages were used in a multiple choice bioassay. Although small amounts (< 12.5g) of (Z)-oxacyclotridec-10-en-2-one can inhibit adult alfalfa weevil feeding on 13-mm-diameter membrane filters, because leaf concentrations (area basis) of this compound are lower than required to cause a detectable inhibition of feeding on the inert substrate, and because concentrations do not correlate with weevil feeding, it is unlikely that this lactone is responsible for resistance to adult alfalfa weevil feeding exhibited byM. rugosa.Mention of a trademark, proprietary product, or vendor does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the USDA and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other products or vendors that may also be suitable.Technical paper No. 9416 of the Agricultural Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331.     

Responses of the Mediterranean Pine Shoot Beetle Tomicus destruens (Wollaston) to Pine Shoot and Bark Volatiles

The pine shoot beetle Tomicus destruens has two dispersal phases per generation. In the first, mature adults move toward trunks of dying pines to lay eggs; in the second, callow adults move toward the shoots of healthy pines for maturation feeding. However, there is no information on the chemical stimuli that govern host selection by T. destruens adults. The aims of this study were: (1) to identify the volatiles released by shoots and bark of stone pine that are behaviorally and electrophysiologically active on T. destruens; (2) to verify which blends and concentrations of such volatiles are differently active on males and females, as well as on callow and mature adults, during the two host search phases (breeding and feeding). A four-arm olfactometer was used to test the behavior of walking T. destruens adults toward various sources of volatiles including fresh shoots and bark, their collected volatiles, and two synthetic blends. For each odor, the behavior of both callow and mature males and females was recorded individually. Shoot and bark extracts were analyzed by coupled gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and tested by gas chromatography coupled with electroantennography (GC-EAD) on T. destruens males and females. Two blends of two (alpha-pinene and beta-myrcene; blend A) and three (alpha-pinene, beta- myrcene, and alpha-terpinolene; blend B) synthetic compounds, chosen among those that induce EAD responses and known to be attractive for other bark beetle species, were tested in the olfactometer at five concentrations. Insect behavior was affected by the degree of sexual maturation but not by sex. Callow insects were attracted by shoots and their extracts, while mature individuals by bark and its extracts. Six extracted compounds were active on T. destruens antennae: limonene, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol and beta-caryophyllene, alpha-pinene, beta-myrcene, and alpha-terpinolene. alpha-Terpinolene, released only by bark, was active only on mature insects, whereas (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, released only by shoots, was active only on callows. Males and females showed similar EAD responses. Of the six extracted volatiles, two were attractive for callow adults (blend A) and three for matures (blend B). In both cases, responses were positively correlated with blend concentration, although a repellent effect was noted at the highest concentrations.     

Electroantennogram responses ofTrirhabda bacharides (weber) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to plant volatiles

Electroantennograms (EAGs) were recorded fromTrirhabda bacharides Le Conte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) females to 28 odorants and volatiles emanating from leaves of 26 plant species including three known host plants,Baccharis halimifolia L.,B. neglecta Britt, andB. salicina T. & G. (Compositae: Asterae). Antennal receptors were highly responsive to components of the green leaf volatile complex, especially 6-carbon saturated and monounsaturated alcohols andtrans-2-hexenal. EAGs elicited by heptanal were greater than those elicited by any other saturated aldehyde. Oxygenated monoterpenes were more active than monoterpene hydrocarbons. -Bisabolol was the most active sesquiterpene. In general, EAGs to volatiles emanating fromBaccharis and other composite species were greater than those elicited by species from other families. Furthermore, when one considers only plants occurring in the environs ofT bacharides hostB. neglecta, EAGs elicited by its host plant were at least two times greater than those elicited by other coinhabiting plants.Mention of a trademark, proprietary product, or vendor does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products or vendors that may also be suitable.     

Ability of honeybee,Apis mellifera,to detect and discriminate odors of varieties of canola (Brassica rapa and Brassica napus) and snapdragon flowers (Antirrhinum majus)

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) use odors to identify and discriminate among flowers during foraging. This series of experiments examined the ability of bees to detect and discriminate among the floral odors of different varieties of two species of canola (Brassica rapa and Brassica napus) and also among three varieties of snapdragons (Antirhinnum majus). Individual worker honeybees were trained using a proboscis extension assay. The ability of bees to distinguish a floral odor from an air stimulus during training increased as the number of flowers used during training increased. Bees conditioned to the odor of one variety of flower were asked to discriminate it from the odors of other flowers in two different training assays. Bees were unable to discriminate among flowers at the level of variety in a randomized presentation of a reinforced floral odor and an unreinforced floral odor. In the second type of assay, bees were trained with one floral variety for 40 trials without reinforcement and then tested with the same variety or with other varieties and species. If a bee had been trained with a variety of canola, it was unable to differentiate the odor of one canola flower from the odor of other canola flowers, but it could differentiate canola from the odor of a snapdragon flower. Bees trained with the odor of snapdragon flowers readily differentiated the odor of one variety of a snapdragon from the odor of other varieties of snapdragons and also canola flowers. Our study suggests that both intensity and odor quality affect the ability of honeybees to differentiate among floral perfumes.     

Synomone Or Kairomone? – <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bulbophyllum Apertum</Emphasis> Flower Releases Raspberry Ketone To Attract <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bactrocera</Emphasis> Fruit Flies

Bulbophyllum apertum flower (Orchidaceae) releases raspberry ketone (RK) in its fragrance, which attracts males of several fruit fly species belonging to the genus Bactrocera. Besides RK as a major component, the flower contains smaller amounts of 4-(4-hydroxylphenyl)-2-butanol, plus two minor volatile components, veratryl alcohol and vanillyl alcohol. Within the flower, the lip (labellum) had the highest concentration of RK with much smaller quantities present in petals; other flower parts had no detectable RK. Male fruit flies attracted to the flower belong to RK-sensitive species – such as Bactrocera albistragata, B. caudatus, B. cucurbitae (melon fly), and B. tau. Removal and attachment of the pollinarium to a flys thoracic dorsum occurred when a male of B. albistragata was toppled into the floral column cavity, due to an imbalance caused by it shifting its body weight while feeding on the see-saw lip, and then freeing itself after being momentarily trapped between the lip and column. During this process, the stiff hamulus (the pollinia stalk protruding prominently towards the lip) acted as a crowbar when it was brushed downwards by the toppled fly and lifted the pollinia out of the anther. If the fly was big or long for the small triangular lip, it would not be toppled into the column cavity and would just walk across the column, during which time the pollinarium could be accidentally removed by the flys leg, resulting in a failed transport of the pollinarium. This suggests an unstable situation, where the orchid relies only on a particular pollinator species in the complex ecosystem where many RK-sensitive species inhabit.Wild males of B. caudatus (most common visitors) captured on Bulbophyllum apertum flowers were found to sequester RK in their bodies as a potential pheromonal and allomonal ingredient. Thus, RK can act either as a floral synomone (pollinarium transported) or kairomone (accidental removal of pollinarium leading to total pollen wastage), depending on the body size of the male fruit flies visiting the flowers.