Influence of exogenic and endogenic factors on worker reproducktion in Bombus terrestris

群居昆虫具有高度复杂的相互作用，这增加了它们巨大的生态影响和成功。化学通讯在任务分担和生殖调节中起着重要作用。在大黄蜂Bombus terrestris（膜翅目：蜂科）中，工蜂卵巢的发育和工蜂的繁殖受到蜂王的引物信息素以及所谓的生育信号的抑制。蜂王使用这两种化学信号来维持繁殖优势，从而维持年度殖民地的社会结构。陆地芽孢杆菌群体的一个特征是生殖调控的两个不同阶段。在初始阶段，蚁后是群体中唯一能繁殖的雌性。在所谓的“竞争点”之后，具有发达卵巢的优势工蜂与它们的蚁后和其他工蜂竞争雄性后代的生产。尽管进行了广泛的研究，但仍不清楚某些工人如何克服卵巢发育的信息素抑制。本项目的目的是研究不同的内源和外源因素的作用，这些因素被认为是影响地螟工蜂生殖行为的因素。将采用综合的方法，包括化学生态学、神经生理学、内分泌学和形态学方法，来确定影响大黄蜂工蜂产卵或不产卵的个体决定及其社会任务表现的生理机制和/或生态因素。

Social insects feature highly complex interactions that add to their enormous ecological impact and success. Chemical communication plays an important role in task sharing and regulation of reproduction. In the bumblebee Bombus terrestris (Hymenoptera: Apidae) the development of worker ovaries and worker reproduction is inhibited by a primer pheromone of the queen as well as so-called signals of fertility. The queen uses both chemical signals to uphold reproductive dominance and thus maintain the social structure of the annual colonies. A characteristic of B. terrestris colonies are two distinct stages of reproductive regulation. In the initial stage the queen is the only reproductive female within the colony. After the so called “competition point” dominant workers with developed ovaries compete with their queen and other workers for the production of male offspring. Despite extensive research, it is still unknown how certain workers overcome the pheromonal inhibition of ovarian development. The aim of this project is to investigate the role of different endogenic and exogenic factors that are suggested to influence the reproductive behaviour of workers in B. terrestris. An integrative approach including chemoecological, neurophysiological, endocrinological and morphological methods will be applied to determine the physiological mechanisms and/or ecological factors that influence the individual decision of a bumblebee worker to lay eggs or not and thus its performance of social tasks.