Zoolog Sci, 2013 Feb;30(2):99-104
The flower of the oriental orchid Cymbidium floribundum is
known to attract the Japanese honeybee Apis cerana japonica. This effect is
observed not only in workers but also drones and queens; that is, it attracts
even swarming and absconding bees. A mixture of 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid (3-HOAA)
and 10-hydroxy-(E)-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) was identified as the active
principles from the orchid flower, whereas these compounds individually have no
such activity. Both compounds are also mandibular gland components of worker
honeybees with related compounds. This strongly supports the idea that orchid
flowers mimic bee secretions, although the ecological consequences of this
relationship remain unknown.
Because the flower is used to capture swarms, the
present identification may contribute to the development of new techniques in
traditional beekeeping for Japanese bees as well as A. cerana in Southeast
Asia.
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