Disentangling the effect of insemination and ovary development on the cuticular hydrocarbon profile in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

In many social insects, fertility of the reproductive caste is communicated via cuticular chemistry. Changes in cuticular profiles have been correlated to ovarian development. However, an effect of insemination has been neglected in the majority of studies so far. In Bombus terrestris, we stimulated virgin queens to found colonies without being inseminated and compared their cuticular hydrocarbon profile (CHC) to other females in different insemination and breeding statuses. The analysis of the CHC profiles showed an effect of both insemination and ovarian development on the cuticular profile. Thus, insemination besides ovarian development might be received by workers in bumblebees as a potential cue for fertility.