Pollinators such as bees need reliable access to nectar resources. However, competition for these carbohydrate rewards can be high among floral visitors. Moreover, invasive insects may further restrict pollinator access to flowers. For example, invasive Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) are known to harass and displace pollinators from flowers and reduce nectar reward acquisition. The foraging behavior of bees is strongly influenced by numerous chemical cues and signals at the flower. Thus, to avoid aggressive floral visitors, bees may use chemical cues when deciding whether or not they forage on the flower. Here, we demonstrate that Argentine ants deposit a pygidial gland chemical, iridomyrmecin, on a sugar source while feeding. Based on two-choice laboratory assays conducted with three commercially available bee species, the presence of iridomyrmecin in the sugar resource influenced the foraging decisions of Megachile rotundata and Osmia lignaria, but not those of Apis mellifera. Detailed insights into the chemical signals left by ants at floral resources and their effects on foraging decisions by pollinators can provide vital information for understanding the magnitude and mechanisms of impacts invasive ant species might have on pollinators.

中文翻译：

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几种蜜蜂对含有 Iridomyrmecin（一种阿根廷蚁迹信息素成分）的糖源的不同摄食反应

蜜蜂等传粉者需要可靠地获取花蜜资源。然而，这些碳水化合物奖励在花卉游客中的竞争可能很激烈。此外，入侵昆虫可能会进一步限制传粉者接触花卉。例如，众所周知，侵入性阿根廷蚂蚁（Linepithema humile）会骚扰和取代花朵中的传粉者，并减少花蜜奖励的获取。蜜蜂的觅食行为受到花上众多化学线索和信号的强烈影响。因此，为了避免侵略性的花卉访客，蜜蜂在决定是否在花朵上觅食时可能会使用化学线索。在这里，我们证明阿根廷蚂蚁在进食时在糖源上沉积了一种尾腺化学物质 iridomyrmecin。基于对三种市售蜜蜂物种进行的两项选择实验室检测，糖资源中iridomyrmecin的存在影响了Megachile rotundata和Osmia lignaria的觅食决定，但不影响Apis mellifera的觅食决定。详细了解蚂蚁在花卉资源上留下的化学信号及其对传粉媒介觅食决定的影响，可以为了解入侵蚂蚁物种可能对传粉媒介产生的影响的程度和机制提供重要信息。