Volatile Organic Compounds from Offspring of Stingless Bee Sacrificed in Hygienic Behavior Test

• Published in: Chemistry & biodiversity Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. e202301641 - n/a
• Main Authors: Neiva de Jesus, Jossimara, Ribeiro Mesquita, Paulo Roberto, Barbosa da Silva, Kelly, Medeiros Rodrigues, Frederico, Lopes de Carvalho, Carlos Alfredo, Gomes da Costa, João, Lima Aguiar, Cândida Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-03-2024
• Subjects: Alcohols; Bee health; Bees; Colonies; Dead brood removal behavior; Developmental stages; Freezing; Gas chromatography; GC-MS; Headspace; Hygiene; Larvae; Liquid nitrogen; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Multivariate analysis; Offspring; Organic compounds; Pupae; Stingless bees; Terpenes; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds; GC-MS; Bee health; Headspace; Dead brood removal behavior; Stingless bees
• ISSN: 1612-1872; 1612-1880
• DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202301641

This study shows the profile of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from pupae and larvae of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides Lepeletier subjected to three death induction techniques for hygienic behavior (HB) studies: freezing in liquid nitrogen (LN2), freezing in a freezer (FRZ) and piercing of offspring with an entomological pin (PIN). The VOCs from larvae and pupae were obtained through headspace solid‐phase microextraction and characterized using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. In addition, an HB test was performed on the colonies. The main classes of VOCs were hydrocarbons, terpenes and alcohols. Multivariate analysis was applied and showed that there was a separation in the compound profiles between the different treatments. The HB test in the colonies showed that 24 hours after the application of the techniques, the bees removed more dead larvae in LN2 treatment (83.5 %), while after 48 hours more larvae were removed in the LN2 and FRZ treatments (92.3 %). When compared to pupae removal, larvae removal was significantly faster in LN2.