Bumblebees acquire alternative puzzle-box solutions via social learning

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Ecology
• Animal Cognition
• Social Insects

Background:

• Social insects exhibit complex behaviors, often presumed innate.
• However, evidence suggests significant capacities for individual and social learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the transmission of novel foraging behaviors in bumblebees (Bombus terrestris).
• To determine the role of social learning in acquiring new skills.

Main Methods:

• A two-option puzzle box task was employed.
• Open diffusion paradigms were used to observe behavior transmission within colonies.
• Control experiments lacked demonstrators to assess spontaneous learning.

Main Results:

• Box-opening behavior successfully spread through colonies from trained demonstrators.
• Observer bees acquired the demonstrated variant, showing preference even when alternatives emerged.
• Bees learning via social transmission were more proficient than those learning spontaneously.

Conclusions:

• Social learning is critical for bumblebees to effectively acquire novel foraging techniques.
• Observed behavior transmission and dominance of variants suggest potential for cultural transmission in bumblebees.
• Findings align with social learning and cultural capacities observed in primates and birds.