The honeybee Apis mellifera L. is a crucial pollinator as well as a prominent scientific model organism, in particular for the neurobiological study of olfactory perception, learning, and memory. A wealth of information is indeed available about how the worker bee brain detects, processes, and learns about odorants. Comparatively, olfaction in males (the drones) and queens has received less attention, although they engage in a fascinating mating behavior that strongly relies on olfaction. Here, we present our current understanding of the molecules, cells, and circuits underlying bees' sexual communication. Mating in honeybees takes place at so-called drone congregation areas and places high in the air where thousands of drones gather and mate in dozens with virgin queens. One major queen-produced olfactory signal-9-ODA, the major component of the queen pheromone-has been known for decades to attract the drones. Since then, some of the neural pathways responsible for the processing of this pheromone have been unraveled. However, olfactory receptor expression as well as brain neuroanatomical data point to the existence of three additional major pathways in the drone brain, hinting at the existence of 4 major odorant cues involved in honeybee mating. We discuss current evidence about additional not only queen- but also drone-produced pheromonal signals possibly involved in bees' sexual behavior. We also examine data revealing recent evolutionary changes in drone's olfactory system in the Apis genus. Lastly, we present promising research avenues for progressing in our understanding of the neural basis of bees mating behavior.

中文翻译：

---

蜜蜂Apis mellifera L嗅觉性交际的神经行为学。

蜜蜂Apis mellifera L. 是一种重要的传粉媒介，也是一种重要的科学模式生物，尤其适用于嗅觉、学习和记忆的神经生物学研究。确实有大量关于工蜂大脑如何检测、处理和了解气味的信息可用。相比之下，雄性（雄蜂）和蜂后的嗅觉受到的关注较少，尽管它们从事强烈依赖嗅觉的迷人交配行为。在这里，我们展示了我们目前对蜜蜂性交流背后的分子、细胞和回路的理解。蜜蜂的交配发生在所谓的雄蜂聚集区和高空，成千上万的雄蜂聚集在那里，并与数十只雄蜂交配。一种主要的蜂王产生的嗅觉信号-9-ODA，蜂王信息素的主要成分——几十年来就以吸引雄蜂而闻名。从那时起，一些负责处理这种信息素的神经通路被解开。然而，嗅觉受体表达以及大脑神经解剖学数据表明，雄蜂大脑中还存在三个额外的主要通路，暗示蜜蜂交配中存在 4 种主要的气味线索。我们讨论了关于可能与蜜蜂的性行为有关的其他不仅蜂王而且无人机产生的信息素信号的当前证据。我们还检查了揭示蜜蜂属中无人机嗅觉系统最近进化变化的数据。最后，我们提出了有希望的研究途径，以促进我们对蜜蜂交配行为的神经基础的理解。