Non-consumptive predator effects shape honey bee foraging and recruitment dancing

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Animal Behavior
• Pollination Biology

Background:

• Predators impact plant pollination and fitness through direct predation and non-consumptive effects.
• In honey bees, predator attacks reduce recruitment dancing, amplifying colony-level impacts.
• The effect of predator *detection* alone on honey bee recruitment was previously unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if honey bees avoid praying mantises (Tenodera sinensis).
• To determine if predator presence, without attack, inhibits honey bee recruitment dancing.
• To understand the non-consumptive effects of predator detection on foraging behavior.

Main Methods:

• Honey bees were tested for avoidance of different sized praying mantis instars.
• Forager bees' responses to mantis odor extracts and visual models were recorded.
• Recruitment dancing intensity was measured for food sources with and without a live mantis.

Main Results:

• Honey bees showed significantly more avoidance towards larger mantis instars.
• Foragers detected and avoided mantises via odor (74%) and visual cues (67%).
• Recruitment dancing decreased 1.8-fold when a live mantis was present, even without attack.

Conclusions:

• Honey bee foragers can detect and avoid praying mantises using olfactory and visual cues.
• Predator presence alone, without direct attack, significantly reduces honey bee recruitment dancing.
• This highlights the importance of non-consumptive predator effects on pollination and ecosystem services.