Honey bee swarming is a natural phenomenon that occurs by changes of colony (i.e. population size and queen condition) and environment conditions. As cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are known to be involved in the communication between honey bee nest-mates, we investigated and compared the CHC profiles of worker bees from individual colonies of 9-days before swarming (PPSC), a day before swarming (PSC), swarming (SG) and remaining (non-swarming) (RG). A total of 53 CHCs were identified by GC-MS, among which 11 compounds showed significantly differential expression patterns between swarming states. Before swarming (between PPSC and PSC), detection levels of 4 CHCs were significantly different, suggesting that production of some CHCs changed prior to swarming for swarming preparation. Six CHCs were deferentially produced between PSC and RG. The differential profiles of CHCs with respect to different swarming states are currently under investigation.

Honey bee swarming is a natural phenomenon that occurs when the colony encounters changes in the in-hive (i.e. population size and queen condition) and environmental conditions. To better understand the molecular basis of swarming, we conducted the transcriptomic profiles of worker bees between before swarming [pre-swarming colony (PSC)] and after swarming [swarming group (SG) and remaining group (RG)]. Based on the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), we predicted the biological processes associated with swarming. In addition, we analyzed the composition of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and compared their profiles between different bee groups. GSEA results showed that there were a little differences between PSC and RG while many of the pathways related with metabolism and protein processing were down regulated in SG relative to PSC and RG. CHCs profiling revealed a similar CHCs composition between PSC and RG but some differences in CHCs composition (i.e. heneicosane, octacosane, octacosanol) were detected between SG and RG. These differences in gene pathway and CHC composition were discussed with respect to physiological changes and social communication.