| Collecting Nasanove pheromone |
As I am investigating a substance of KINRYOUHEN's fragrance which attracts honeybees, I am also studying the ingredients of a matter given off by honeybees, which attracts honeybees themselves (Nasanove pheromone).
The Nasanove pheromone from Western honeybees (A. mellifera) is secreted from Nasanove gland which is on the abdominal back side, between 6th and 7th segment. The substances (citral, geraniol, nerolic acid and farnesol) have identified by Picket et al. They got the 6th and 7th segment from live honeybees and extracted the substances with hexane.
As for Japanese honeybees, it might have been considered the same substance as Western honeybees, no one have studied in detail. It has emerged that KINRYOUHENs attract Japanese honeybees, and, the substance from the scent of KINRYOUHENs could be the different to the Nasanove pheromone from Western honeybees. Therefore, some researchers believe that the Nasanove pheromone from Japanese honeybees is different to the one from Western honeybees. Anyway, the question is still open.
I extracted the Nasanove pheromone from Japanese honeybees with hexane, the same way which Picket had done with Western honeybees. Then I did a bioassay to examine whether or not the extracted pheromone attracts honeybees. I put bees on a piece of plywood and found the pheromone attached to a sheet of black drawing paper attracts honeybees. The pheromone from twenty bees, which extracted with hexane, was effective enough to attract honeybees.
Now, I am right in the middle of the work determining the ingredients of the pheromone. I think it will be done before long. Please wait until then.
6-7segment of abdomen exracted with hexane (bees are attracted )