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，这增加了它们对生态的巨大影响和成功。化学通信在任务分担和生殖调控中发挥着重要作用。在熊蜂Bombus terrestris(膜翅目：蜜蜂科)中，蜂王的引子信息素以及所谓的生育信号抑制了工蜂卵巢的发育和工蜂的繁殖。蜂王使用这两种化学信号来维持繁殖优势，从而维持一年一度的蜂群的社会结构。白背飞虱的一个特征是繁殖调节的两个不同阶段。在最初阶段，蜂王是蜂群内唯一有生育能力的雌性。在所谓的“竞争点”之后，卵巢发达的优势工蚁与它们的蜂王和其他工蚁争夺雄性后代的生产。尽管进行了广泛的研究，但仍不清楚某些工作者是如何克服信息素对卵巢发育的抑制的。本项目的目的是调查不同的内源性和外源性因素对白背飞虱工作人员生殖行为的影响。综合运用化学生态学、神经生理学、内分泌和形态等方法，研究影响大黄蜂个体产卵决定和履行社会任务的生理机制和/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.