Comparative transcriptomics of pheromone biosynthesis and chemoreception among the halictid sweat bees.. Halictidae

The sweat bees (family: Halictidae) are a large (~4500 species) and cosmopolitan family of bees that exhibit remarkable variation in social behavior: its members include solitary, communal, social, and parasitic species. A key component of social life in all animals is the ability to communicate, and among the insects this communication tends most often to be mediated by chemical signals. This study takes advantage of the great biological and social diversity of family Halictidae to better understand the role of chemical communication in the evolution of social behavior and vice versa. This sequencing initiative spans multiple species varying in social organization, and specifically targets the sites of pheromone reception (antennae) and biosynthesis (the Dufour's gland).The species included in this initiative are: Agapostemon virescens, Augochlora pura, Augochlorella aurata, Dufourea novaengliae, Halictus ligatus, Lasioglossum albipes, Lasioglossum calceatum, Lasioglossum figueresi, Lasioglossum leucozonium, Lasioglossum malachurum, Lasioglossum marginatum, Lasioglossum oenotherae, Lasioglossum pauxillum, Lasioglossum umbripenne, Lasioglossum vierecki, Lasioglossum zephyrum, Megalopta byroni, Megalopta genalis, Nomia melanderi, and Sphecodes autumnalis.