Summary
The volatile secretions produced by the labial gland in male bumble-bees,Bombus Latr., belonging to the subgenusPyrobombus D. T., have been studied in six species:B. cingulatus Wahlb.,B. hypnorum L.,B. jonellus K.,B. pratorum L.,B. lapponicus Fabr. andB. scandinavicus Friese. Totally, 181 specimens have been analyzed. The secretions, which are used for marking different objects along the flight-route, have been analyzed by capillary gas chromatography and combined capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Isoprenoids and fatty acid derivates together make up the secretions. The former group of compounds dominates the marking secretions from the species studied, with the exception ofB. scandinavicus. The compositions of the secretions are characteristic for each species.
Résumé
Les sécrétions volatiles de la glande labiale chez les bourdons mâlesBombus Latr., appartenant au sous-genrePyrobombus D. T., ont été étudiées chez six espèces:B. cingulatus Wahlb.,B. hypnorum L.,B. jonellus K.,B. pratorum L.,B. lapponicus Fabr. etB. scandinavicus Friese. Au total, 181 spécimens ont été analysés. Les sécrétions, qui servent à marquer différents objets sur le trajet du vol territorial, ont été soumises à la chromatographie en phase gazeuse (colonne capillaire) et à l'analyse combinée par chromatographie en phase gazeuse et spectrométrie de masse. Les sécrétions sont composées d'isoprénoïdes et de dérivés d'acides gras. Les isoprénoïdes sont les composés dominants, sauf chez l'espèceB. scandinavicus. Les compositions des sécrétions sont caractéristiques pour chaque espèce.
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Svensson, B.G., Bergström, G. Volatile marking secretions from the labial gland of north Europeanpyrobombus D. T. males (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Ins. Soc 24, 213–224 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02227172
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02227172