D3257: Starvation and its impact on bumble bee pheromones

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM MST

Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 6, PCC

Presenting Author(s)

Hannah Jeanette Moore (she/her/hers)

Undergraduate Researcher
University of California
Riverside, California

Co-Author(s)

MM

Meghan Elysse Moore

Ph.D. Student
University of California
Riverside, California
Kerry Elizabeth Mauck

Assistant Proffesor
University of California
Riverside, California
HW

Hollis Woodard

Assistant Professor of Entomology
University of California
Riverside, California
NY

Naoki Yamanaka

Associate Professor
University of California
Riverside, California

Starvation in insects will become more prevalent as habitat loss and climate change become more widespread and resource availability for organisms within an ecosystem decreases accordingly. The starvation response can regulate pheromone biosynthesis. In only six hours the effects of starvation on bumble bee metabolism become significant. The quick metabolic decline in response to starvation might affect pheromone production and thus the ability for bumble bees to communicate with conspecifics. To explore this, we looked at pheromones released in starved and satiated males and workers. Using a volatile assay system to collect pheromones, we collected pheromones of individual bees and then pooled them together. Then, we ran mass spectrometry analysis on the collected compounds and verified them with standards. We found that a male marking pheromone decreases with starvation. Thus, starvation may affect male mating success.We also found that a pheromone present in honey bee foraging recruitment increases with starvation. This pheromone has not previously been identified in bumble bees, but potentially increases as a way to encourage conspecific foraging.