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Life-Long Radar Tracking of Bumblebees
Joseph L Woodgate1,2, James C Makinson1,2, Ka S Lim2
1Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
Plos One
|August 5, 2016
Summary
Bumblebees balance exploring new areas with exploiting known food sources. Individual bees show significant variation in foraging strategies throughout their lives, demonstrating unique learning and adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Animal Behavior
- Entomology
Background:
- Insect pollinators, particularly bumblebees (Bombus terrestris audax), are crucial for ecosystem health.
- Understanding bumblebee foraging movements at a landscape scale is vital for ecological studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To record and analyze the natural foraging behavior of Bombus terrestris audax workers over their entire foraging careers.
- To differentiate between exploration and exploitation flights and observe how these behaviors change with experience.
Main Methods:
- Utilized harmonic radar to track individual Bombus terrestris audax workers.
- Recorded every flight made outside the nest by four foragers throughout their lifespan.
- Categorized flights into 'exploration' and 'exploitation' based on observed behavior and flight patterns.
Main Results:
- Identified two distinct foraging flight types: exploration and exploitation.
- Observed that exploration flights are common early in a bee's career but can occur throughout its life.
- Documented significant individual variation in exploration strategies, resource fidelity, and flight patterns.
Conclusions:
- Bumblebees dynamically balance landscape exploration with the exploitation of known resources.
- Individual foraging strategies exhibit extreme variation, highlighting unique adaptive behaviors in bumblebees.
- Experience significantly influences bumblebee foraging patterns, with bees adapting routes and resource use over time.
