Raw data on the composition of nest scent marks (tags), on Dufour’s gland extracts and body (head) washes of females of the horn-faced mason bee, Osmia cornuta (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). This data were used to analyze individuality in scent tags of nests and similarity of tag composition with the odor bouquet of the nesting female.

Journal: Insects (ISSN: 2075-4450)
Title of publication: Individual scent-marks of nest entrances in the solitary bee, Osmia cornuta (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)

Authors of data:
Dr. Karsten Seidelmann, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology, Department Animal Physiology, Halle (Saale), Germany
Konrad Sebastian Frahnert, Weinberg-Gymnasium Kleinmachnow, Am Weinberg 20, 14532 Kleinmachnow, Germany

Species:
Osmia cornuta: Insecta, Hymenoptera, Apidae, Megachilidae, Osmiini

Methodology:
Hexane extractions (filter paper sleeves of entrances, Dufour’s gland) and washings of heads.

File format:
Tab delimited ASCII, decimal separator "."

List of files:
Compound-List.txt
Method.txt
Osmia-cornuta_nest-tags.txt
Osmia-cornuta_glands.txt
Osmia-cornuta_heads.txt
Osmia-cornuta_controls.txt

Data structure:
Samples (nest tags, gland or head extracts of bees) in rows
Variables (peak area of compounds) in columns

Variables:
Compound - name of the compound in short notation: x-Cy:z-v (x: Position of the double bound {if any, "X" if position is unknown}, "+" indicates that the position of the double bound is 11 and higher; y: number of carbon atoms; z: Number of double bounds (0 for alcanes, 1 for alkenes), 2 for dialcenes), v: specification of the substance (e.g. OOH for acid, ME for methyl ester, EE for ethyl ester, etc.; refer to compound list for details)
Peak - number of peak in the chromatogram
Retention Time - Retention time of the substance, used to identify the chemical identity of a compound in a table
Sample - Number of sample, please note that sample numbers are valid only within a file, same sample numbers in different files do not in every case refer to the same bee

Content of files:
Method.txt - GC-MS method with all relevant values
Compound-List.txt - list of identified compounds with their retention times and Kovats indices
Osmia-cornuta_*.txt – Raw data of peak areas of the compounds measured; please note that the area refers to the main characteristic ions, not to total ion count!