ABSTRACT
The inbred queen signals were studied in order to determine the degree of similarity of the signals of sister queens, since evidence is accumulating that workers recognize their queens individually on the basis of odors that are genetically determined and unique. The signals of the inbred queens were less variable than these, but still showed considerable variability. If a particular blend of components present in the mandibular glands is to function as an effective chemosensory signal for workers, then one would expect there to be differences between the races of honeybees which correlate with the ease with which laying workers develop. Whether queen mandibular gland signals could exhibit similar variability, was a question that had been obliquely investigated by Pain's research group. The mandibular gland secretions were extracted either by placing whole heads or dissected mandibular glands in dichloromethane.
