Mandibular glands of maleCentris adani, (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae) : Their morphology, chemical constituents, and function in scent marking and territorial behavior.

Males of the solitary Central American beeCentris adani Cockerell possess enlarged mandibular glands filled with a fragrant fluid that was shown by gas chromatographic and mass spectral analysis to consist of nerol, geraniol, neral, ethyl laurate, and geranyl acetate. Male bees set up territories by marking a semicircular array of grass stems with these compounds. Grass stems marked by the bees showed the presence of the same chemicals.