Journal of Crop Protection

Identification and analysis of the male labial gland secretions of three species of Bombus (Thoracobombus) (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

10.48311/jcp.2014.1133
Volume 3, Issue 3
September 2014
Pages 357-367
Journal of Crop Protection

Authors

P. Abdoli 1
A. Monfared 2

1 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Yasouj University, P. O. Box: 75918-74831, Yasouj, I. R. Iran.

2 Natural Resources and Environment Institute of Yasouj University, Yasouj, I. R. Iran.

Abstract
The males of the three species of bumblebees, Bombus (Thoracobombus) ruderarius (Müller), B. (T.) persicus Radoszkowskiand B. (T.) mesomelas Gerstaecker collected from Vikan village, Qazvin province and their male labial gland secretions were analyzed by gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and components of their extracts were identified. The major compounds were a complex mixture of alkenols, alkenals, fatty acids, hydrocarbons, wax type esters and steroids. The main component of male labial gland secretions of B. ruderarius, B. persicus and B. mesomelas were determined to be 9-hexadecenol (42.1%), Z-13-octadecen-1-yl acetate (81.8%) andZ-12-pentacosene (34.4%), respectively. Results showed that if detection of species in male bumblebees would be difficult by using morphologic characters, then identification could be confirmed by detecting main component of male labial gland of these bees.

Keywords

Labial glands
bumblebees
chemotaxonomy
Bombus
Thoracobombus
Iran
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