Caste-specific proboscis extension responses in honey bees to sucrose and royal jelly stimuli

Erdem, B.; Sevin, S.; Arslan, O. C.; Gozen, A. G.; Alemdar, H.; Turgut, A. E.; Giray, T.; Sahin, E.

doi:10.64898/2026.01.23.701277

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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.01.23.701277

Caste-specific proboscis extension responses in honey bees to sucrose and royal jelly stimuli

Erdem, B.·Sevin, S.·Arslan, O. C.·Gozen, A. G.·Alemdar, H.·Turgut, A. E.·Giray, T.·Sahin, E.

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Abstract

Understanding the nutritional preferences of honey bees (Apis mellifera) is essential for comprehending their behavioral ecology and the division of labor within a colony. While gustatory sensitivity to sucrose is well-documented in workers, a significant research gap exists regarding the sensory responses of queens and their reactions to caste-specific nutrition such as royal jelly. This study utilized the proboscis extension response (PER) assay to compare the food preferences of three distinct bee categories: foragers, 1-day-old workers, and queens. Subjects were presented repeatedly, in a pseudorandom order, with water, sucrose, royal jelly, and a sucrose-royal jelly mixture as gustatory stimuli. Foragers exhibited a high responsiveness to sucrose and showed uniformly low responsiveness to other stimuli. Although 1-day-old workers showed high responsiveness to sucrose, unlike foragers, they also responded to the sucrose-royal jelly mixture. Queens displayed a unique response profile, with near-ceiling responsiveness to both royal jelly and the mixture, followed by response to sucrose solution without habituation. Additionally, responsiveness to the sucrose was higher in foragers than in 1-day-old workers. These findings suggest that the honey bee gustatory and sensory system is tuned to the specific nutritional requirements of caste and age.

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Erdem, B., Sevin, S., Arslan, O. C., Gozen, A. G., Alemdar, H., Turgut, A. E., Giray, T., Sahin, E.. 2026-01-26. Caste-specific proboscis extension responses in honey bees to sucrose and royal jelly stimuli. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.01.23.701277

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