EDP Sciences Journals List
Home Document
Subscriber Authentication Point
Free access article

Issue Apidologie
Volume 33, Number 1, January-February 2002
Page(s) 33 - 40
DOI 10.1051/apido:2001003



Apidologie 33 (2002) 33-40
DOI: 10.1051/apido:2001003

Selective blocking of contact chemosensilla in Apis mellifera

Claudia Groh, Axel Brockmann, Monika Altwein and Jürgen Tautz

Lehrstuhl für Tierphysiologie und Soziobiologie, Universität Würzburg, Zoologie II, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany

(Received 18 April 2001; revised 9 October 2001; accepted 15 October 2001)

Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ZnSO 4 on the function of contact chemosensitive and olfactory sensilla of the worker honeybee antennae. The effect of ZnSO 4 on contact chemosensitive sensilla was tested behaviorally using the proboscis extension response and that on olfactory sensilla using electroantennogram recordings. We showed that antennal ZnSO 4-treatment significantly reduced the sugar-elicited proboscis extension response but did not reduce olfactory evoked electroantennogram responses. Both results indicate that ZnSO 4 selectively blocks contact-chemosensory and not olfactory perception. We suggest that ZnSO 4 ablation will be a powerful tool to investigate the role of contact chemosensory and olfactory sensilla in short range communication within the honeybee colony.


Key words: honeybee / olfaction / contact chemoreception / PER / EAG

Correspondence and reprints: Axel Brockmann
    e-mail: brockmann@biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de

© INRA, EDP Sciences, DIB, AGIB 2002


What is OpenURL?

The OpenURL standard is a protocol for transmission of metadata describing the resource that you wish to access. An OpenURL link contains article metadata and directs it to the OpenURL server of your choice. The OpenURL server can provide access to the resource and also offer complementary services (specific search engine, export of references...). The OpenURL link can be generated by different means.
  • If your librarian has set up your subscription with an OpenURL resolver, OpenURL links appear automatically on the abstract pages.
  • You can define your own OpenURL resolver with your EDPS Account. In this case your choice will be given priority over that of your library.
  • You can use an add-on for your browser (Firefox or I.E.) to display OpenURL links on a page (see http://www.openly.com/openurlref/). You should disable this module if you wish to use the OpenURL server that you or your library have defined.