Fuente: PubMed "apiculture" Insects. 2026 May 15;17(5):507. doi: 10.3390/insects17050507.ABSTRACTThe efficiency with which solanaceous crops are pollinated is determined by pollinator behavioral preferences. Although Bombus terrestris typically outperforms Apis mellifera in this respect, the chemo-ecological mechanisms underlying their divergent olfactory responses remain insufficiently determined. We combined behavioral assays, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and electroantennogram recordings to compare the responses of these bee species to the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by tomato, pepper, and eggplant flowers. Whereas B. terrestris showed a strong foraging preference for all three crop plants, A. mellifera displayed distinct avoidance. Chemical analyses identified 82, 63, and 60 VOCs in tomato, pepper, and eggplant flowers, respectively. Among the 14 VOCs commonly emitted by all three crops, linalool, nerol, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, 2-hexenal, tridecanal, and (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal elicited significantly different electrophysiological responses in the two bee species, and are, thus, considered key compounds mediating their behavioral differences. Moreover, in behavioral assays, A. mellifera and B. terrestris showed significantly different responses to four concentration levels of linalool, nerol, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, and tridecanal. This study elucidates the plant-pollinator olfactory interactions that contribute to determining the different foraging behaviors of two bee species in pollinating solanaceous crops, thereby providing a theoretical basis for optimizing pollinator attraction strategies.PMID:42188173 | PMC:PMC13207054 | DOI:10.3390/insects17050507