Bees standing high on hind legs with wings fanning and with tip of abdomenabdomen:
the segmented, posterior (third) part of the bee body that contains heart, honey, stomach, intestines, Malphigian tubules, reproductive organs, and sting
pulled downward and abdominal gland evident. Scenting occurs at sources of water, artificial feeding stations, flowers, the hive in a confused situation, swarm cluster bivouac, and at new home site entrances during colonization by swarms.
The Nasonov scent gland, located at tip of abdomenabdomen:
the segmented, posterior (third) part of the bee body that contains heart, honey, stomach, intestines, Malphigian tubules, reproductive organs, and sting, is a releaser, pheromone-producing gland on honey bee worker bodies. The scent gland is exposed in various places and situations in order to release the pheromonepheromone:
a chemical substance released externally by an individual (from an exocrine gland) which stimulates a response in a second individual of the same species
.
To release the chemical, bees stand high on the hind legs, abdomenabdomen:
the segmented, posterior (third) part of the bee body that contains heart, honey, stomach, intestines, Malphigian tubules, reproductive organs, and sting pointed upward, the last segment of which is tilted downward, and wings are fanning. This posture is termed "scenting." When in this position, it is possible to actually see the exposed gland between the sixth and seventh tergites of the worker’s abdomenabdomen:
the segmented, posterior (third) part of the bee body that contains heart, honey, stomach, intestines, Malphigian tubules, reproductive organs, and sting.
The chemical pheromonepheromone:
a chemical substance released externally by an individual (from an exocrine gland) which stimulates a response in a second individual of the same species
released from the Nasonov gland is a mixture of seven terpenoids. It has a lemony smell. During swarming, the pheromonepheromone:
a chemical substance released externally by an individual (from an exocrine gland) which stimulates a response in a second individual of the same species
interacts with queen pheromones during movement through the air and as bees settle into a single swarm cluster bivouac. Release of the scent gland pheromonepheromone:
a chemical substance released externally by an individual (from an exocrine gland) which stimulates a response in a second individual of the same species
may help coalesce the many small clusters of worker bees around the single location of the queen.
Scenting is a unique behavior that is biologically important for orientation of bees.
Schmitt JO. 1999. Attractant or Pheromonepheromone:
a chemical substance released externally by an individual (from an exocrine gland) which stimulates a response in a second individual of the same species
: The Case of Nasanov Secretion and Honeybee Swarms. Journal of Chemical Ecology 25(9): 2051-2056. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1021084706241
BeeInformed. n.d. Scent of Nasanov Gland. BeeInformed. Accessed 2023. https://beeinformed.org/scent-or-nasanov-gland/
