It is yet to be determined whether this reflects a direct influence of JH on wax glands or an indirect influence mediated by factors secreted by the developing oocyte. The failure of two replacement JH treatments to recover wax secretion to the levels observed in control bees may be explained by influences of the allatectomy operation that are not mediated by JH, or by relatively low sensitivity of the wax glands to JH. JH appears to be involved in regulating an additional exocrine function, the chemistry of the Dufour’s gland. The Dufour’s gland has been implicated in various functions in honey bees including caste specific pheromones and fertility signaling. The levels of esters in the secretion is positively associated with ovary development in reproductive workers. In contrast in B. terrestris high levels of esters in the Dufour’s glands are positively correlated with low reproductive state. Our findings that the Dufour’s glands of allatectomized bees contained a higher proportion of esters compared to the control. Taken together our experiments support the idea that JH coordinates the function of diverse tissues and multiple physiological systems related to reproduction in bumblebees. This is similar to JH functions in other insects in which it is a principal gonadotropin. The powerful manipulation of circulating JH levels by allatectomy and replacement therapies allows us, for the first time, to comprehensively compare JH functions in adult honey bees and bumblebees. The most obvious difference between the two bee species is the influence of JH on female fertility. Whereas we clearly show here that JH is necessary for oocyte development and reproduction in the bumblebee, similar manipulations of JH levels did not affect the fertility of adults female honey bees suggest that JH does not influence foraging or nursing activities in B. terrestris. Not all JH influences differ between the bumblebee and the honey bee. For example, in both species JH augments the expression of the transcription factor Kr-h1. Our study showing that JH upregulates Kr-h1 expression in the bumblebee fat body is consistent with previous studies showing similar upregulation in the brain of both the honey bee and B. terrestris. It is also interesting to note that despite the many differences in the influence of JH on the social physiology of B. terrestris and A. mellifera, the environmental regulation of JH titers show notable similarities. The presence of the queen suppresses JH biosynthesis and hemolymph titers in workers of both the honey bee and the bumblebee. In both species JH levels in young workers are also inhibited in the presence of older, or dominant workers. The evolution of complex traits such as those associated with advanced eusociality may require numerous modifications in multiple tissues, and in pathways controlling morphological, physiological, and behavioral processes. The integrative and coordinative nature of the CUDC-907 1339928-25-4 endocrine system makes it very suitable for accommodating these profound changes that may need to occur over a relatively short evolutionary period.