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Wing wear reduces bumblebee flight performance in a dynamic obstacle course
Andrew M Mountcastle1, Teressa M Alexander2, Callin M Switzer2
1School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA mountcastle@fas.harvard.edu.
Biology Letters
|June 16, 2016
Summary
Wing wear in bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) reduces flight acceleration, potentially increasing mortality. Symmetric wing wear significantly impacted maneuverability, while asymmetric wear did not, suggesting a link to predation risk.
Area of Science:
- Entomology
- Biomechanics
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Wing wear is linked to increased bumblebee mortality.
- A leading hypothesis suggests reduced flight maneuverability as the proximate cause.
- The exact mechanism linking wing wear to mortality remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of simulated wing wear on bumblebee flight maneuverability.
- To test the hypothesis that reduced maneuverability increases predation risk.
- To develop a novel method for assessing insect flight performance under stress.
Main Methods:
- Simulated symmetric and asymmetric wing wear on Bombus impatiens.
- Utilized a dynamic obstacle course to test flight performance limits.
- Measured peak acceleration and collision rates during maneuvering flight.
Main Results:
- Symmetric wing wear (22% area loss) reduced peak acceleration by 9%.
- Asymmetric wing wear did not significantly affect maximum acceleration.
- Collision rate correlated with body length, not wing wear, possibly due to compensatory maneuvering.
Conclusions:
- Symmetric wing wear impairs bumblebee flight acceleration capacity.
- Reduced acceleration may explain increased mortality in worn-winged bees due to predation.
- The study introduces a new method for evaluating insect flight in extreme conditions.
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