Honey Bees Can Taste Amino and Fatty Acids in Pollen, but Not Sterols

The nutritional composition of food is often complex as resources contain a plethora different chemical compounds, some them more, less meaningful to consumers. Plant pollen, major source for bees, particular importance it comprises nearly all macro- and micronutrients required by bees successful development reproduction. However, perceiving evaluating nutrients may be tedious impair quick foraging decisions. It therefore likely that nutrient perception restricted specific or groups. To better understand the role taste in pollen quality assessment we investigated Western honey bee, Apis mellifera . We tested if were able perceive concentration differences amino acids, fatty sterols, three highly important groups via antennal reception. By means proboscis extension response (PER) experiments with chemotactile stimulation, could show can distinguish between differing acid concentration, but not sterol concentration. Bees also sterols when presented alone. Our finding suggests protein lipid content prioritized over content.