Question at position 19 The year is 2028, you just completed a PhD in honey bee biology, and you receive a research article to review for Insectes Sociaux, a scientific journal focusing on discoveries made in social insects. The study you must evaluate characterizes, both chemically and behaviorally, a new pheromone in honey bees. This pheromone, dubbed WRP for Worker Releaser Pheromone, is a blend of 5 ethyl esters that can speed up development in the brood. As a reviewer, you should:ask the authors to rename their pheromone because it is a primer pheromone with non-immediate effects on the physiology of larvaeask the authors to rename their chemical because it is not a pheromone since it is involved in communication between DIFFERENT life stages of honey beesreject the study on the grounds that releaser pheromones cannot be blends of chemicals thus their chemical characterization is erroneous

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The scenario asks you to evaluate a study about a pheromone in honey bees that speeds up brood development. To reason through each option:
Option 1: 'ask the authors to rename their pheromone because it is a primer pheromone with non-immediate effects on the physiology of larvae.' This makes sense because primer pheromones are known to have delayed or developmental effects on recipients rather than triggering immediate, observable behaviors. If the pheromone accelerates development in larvae, that aligns with a primer role, so requesting a rename to reflect its primer nature is scientifically appropriate.
Option 2: 'ask the authors to rename their chemical because it is not a pheromone since it is involved in communication between DIFFERENT life stages of honey bees.' The key issue here is whether a substance that influences development between life stages qualifies as a pheromone. Pheromones are chemical signals used in intraspecific communication. If the substance mediates development within a species, it can still be considered a pheromone, particularly if it mediates communication related to social or developmental processes. The claim that any cross-life-stage communication disqualifies it as a pheromone is scientifically dubious and would require strong evidence to negate pheromonal status. This option overreaches beyond standard pheromone taxonomy.
Option 3: 'reject the study on the grounds that releaser pheromones cannot be blends of chemicals thus their chemical characterization is erroneous' This is incorrect because releaser pheromones are defined by triggering immediate behavioral responses, and blends of chemicals that elicit such responses are common in nature (for example, alarm or trail pheromones are often complex blends). The assertion that blends cannot be releaser pheromones is a misunderstanding of pheromone biology. Therefore, this critique is not valid based on current pheromone concepts.

In summary, option 1 aligns with established terminology by distinguishing primer pheromones (non-immediate, developmental effects) from releaser pheromones (immediate behavioral effects) and suggesting the authors rename accordingly. The other options rely on inaccurate or overly broad claims about pheromones and their chemical nature, or misinterpret core pheromone definitions.

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