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.

As a major component of cuticle wax, cuticular hydrocarbon plays key roles as a chemical cue among inter- and intra-species in some beetles like as pheromone and alleolochemicals in addition to the physical function. In this study, cuticular hydrocarbon was analyzed and compared with three species of beetles adult, Monochamus alternatus, M. saltuarius belong to the Monochamus sp., and belong to the same class, Moechophyta diphysis, a typical vector of pine wilt disease. The composition of cuticular hydrocarbon of three species of beetles adult did not show the difference between male and female in intra-species, however, showed the difference in inter-species. They also differed from carbon numbers in inter species as 25-32 in M. saltuarius, 25-35 in M. alternatus, and 23-31 in M. diphysis. Major constituent of M. saltuarius was analyzed as n-C25, 2 or 4 MeC26, 9-C25:1, n-C27, 4-MeC28, n-C29, (9,x)-,and/or (11,x)-diMeC29; those of M. alternatus were n-C25, n-C27, 4-MeC28, n-C29, (9,x)-, and/or (11,x)-diMeC29, 9-C29:1, n-C29, (9,x)-,and/or (11,x)-diMeC29; and those of M. diphysis were n-C25, n-C26, n-C27, 3-MeC27,9-C29:1, 11-MeC29. The contents of n-alkanes were as follows: M. saltuarius ≒ M. alternatus > M. diphysis. The contents of monomethylalkanes were as follows: M. diphysis > M. saltuarius ≒ M. alternatus. The contents of dimethylalkanes were as follows: M. saltuarius ≒ M. alternatus > M. diphysis. And the content of olefine in female were analyzed as follows: M. saltuarius > M. alternatus ≒ M. diphysis, and the male's contents were similar in three kinds of beetles.