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By M. Lacey
December 2004
RIRDC Web Publication No W04/012 RIRDC Project No CSE-81A
Successful bioassays were conducted in Papua New Guinea with A. cerana javana workers. These close-range experiments were accomplished under field conditions within small arenas.
The PNG trials demonstrated that worker bees were very attracted to a five-component synthetic blend based on the natural queen substance that we identified for A. cerana javana.
A. cerana javana workers in analogous close-range trials in Java responded with fanning behaviour rather than aggregation in reaction to the synthetic A. cerana javana queen pheromone blend.
Natural queen pheromone extracts from A. cerana javana promoted aggregation of workers in similar close-range trials in Java.
Intermediate-range trials designed to attract bees in flight to a choice of lures were conducted successfully under field conditions in Java.
Synthetic queen pheromone blend of A. cerana javana was selected exclusively by worker bees from other pheromone blends and individual lures in the intermediate-range trials.
The matrix of the dispensers protects the pheromone components from deterioration and controls their release rates.
The successes of these trials demonstrate that the five-component synthetic blend and dispenser for A. cerana javana have significant potential for the development of a specific long-range attractant for this pest.
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