Identification of brood pheromone in Chinese honeybee [Apis cerana cerana (Hymenoptera: Apidae)]

【Objective】 To analyze the brood kairmone and pheromone of different stage brood in Apis cerena cerena and compare it with Apis mellifera. 【Method】 Worker larvae (2-day old, 6-day old and 7-day old) and drone larvae (2-day old, 7-day old and 8-day old) of Apis cerena cerena were extracted with hexane by crushing, the supernatant were then fractioned by chromatography on a column of silica gel and tested by gas chromatogram. 【Result】 It is the first time to identify the components of brood kairmone and pheromone from Apis cerena cerena are methyl palmitate, methyl oleate, methyl stearate, methyl linoleate, methyl linolenate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl oleate, ethyl stearate, ethyl linoleate and ethyl linolenate. 【Conclusion】 The kairmone and 10 aliphatic esters in brood have been found in both Apis mellifera and Apis cerana cerana, while the content and distribution of the two pheromone are different at different brood stages.