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Published on: November 15, 2014
Rolling with the flow: bumblebees flying in unsteady wakes
Sridhar Ravi1, James D Crall, Alex Fisher
1Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
The Journal of Experimental Biology
|September 14, 2013
Summary
Flying bumblebees experience significant flight disturbances in unsteady wind conditions, impacting their speed and control. This research highlights the challenges of natural foraging in variable air currents.
Area of Science:
- Insect flight dynamics
- Biofluid mechanics
- Animal behavior
Background:
- Limited understanding of insect flight in natural, variable wind conditions.
- Most studies focus on smooth flow or still air, not complex aerial environments.
- Bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) are frequent foragers in diverse weather, encountering unsteady flow.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the effects of structured, unsteady flow on bumblebee flight performance.
- Compare flight in unsteady versus smooth flow conditions.
- Analyze how flow orientation influences flight in unsteady conditions.
Main Methods:
- Filming bumblebees in a wind tunnel under controlled flow conditions.
- Quantifying three-dimensional flight trajectories and body orientations.
- Utilizing smooth flow, and unsteady wakes from vertical and horizontal cylinders.
Main Results:
- Bumblebees effectively attenuated wind disturbances but still showed significant fluctuations.
- Bees were most sensitive to lateral disturbances, exhibiting large accelerations and rolling motions.
- Unsteady flow reduced upstream flight speed, indicating increased flight costs.
Conclusions:
- Bumblebee flight is significantly affected by unsteady wind structures.
- Roll maneuvers are crucial for correcting lateral disturbances.
- Increased flight costs in variable winds may impact foraging and colony energetics.
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