Social insect are profoundly influenced by primer pheromones (PPhs), which are efficient means for maintaining social harmony in the colony. PPhs act by affecting the physiology of the recipients with a subsequent shift in their behavior, and many PPhs have a releaser effect (i.e., changing the probability of performing a certain behavior upon perception). In this review we try to clarify the interplay between such dual pheromonal effects. Only a few PPhs have been identified, and we provide evidence for their existence in multiple species of social Hymenoptera, which is the most extensively studied of the social insects. We focus on the regulation of reproduction, social policing, and task allocation. Considering PPhs in a broad sense, we also discuss fertility signals and the role of cuticular hydrocarbons as putative PPhs. Identification of the underlying chemistry of PPhs offers insights into insect physiology and the evolution of social behavior. PPhs of the honey bee are used to demonstrate the complexity of pheromonal communication in social insects.

中文翻译：

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社会膜翅目中的引物信息素。

社会昆虫受到引物信息素（PPhs）的深刻影响，引物信息素是保持群体社会和谐的有效手段。PPh通过影响行为者的行为而改变其行为，并且许多PPh具有释放作用（即，改变感知后执行某种行为的可能性）。在这篇综述中，我们试图阐明这种双重信息素效应之间的相互作用。仅鉴定了几个PPh，并且我们提供了它们在多种社会昆虫膜翅目中的存在的证据，这是对社会昆虫研究最广泛的一种。我们专注于繁殖的监管，社会治安和任务分配。从广义上考虑PPh，我们还将讨论生育信号以及表皮碳氢化合物作为假定的PPh的作用。PPhs基本化学成分的鉴定为昆虫生理学和社会行为的演变提供了见识。蜜蜂的PPh用于证明社交昆虫中信息素通讯的复杂性。