Leaf-damaging behavior by queens is widespread among bumblebee species

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Behavioral Ecology
• Plant-Insect Interactions

Background:

• Environmental change causes phenological mismatches and resource limitations impacting pollinator fitness.
• Bumblebee workers damage plant leaves to accelerate flowering, suggesting bee-to-plant information transfer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if bumblebee queens exhibit leaf-damaging behavior.
• To determine the effect of this behavior on flowering time.
• To assess the prevalence of this behavior across Bombus species.

Main Methods:

• Observing leaf damage by mated and unmated Bombus terrestris queens.
• Documenting leaf damage in wild-caught queens from 12 species across seven subgenera.
• Analyzing the impact of leaf damage on plant flowering phenology.

Main Results:

• Both mated and unmated Bombus terrestris queens damage plant leaves, similar to workers.
• This leaf damage accelerates flowering in the affected plants.
• Leaf-damaging behavior is widespread, observed in queens from 12 diverse Bombus species.

Conclusions:

• Bumblebee queens engage in leaf-damaging behavior, influencing plant flowering.
• This interaction is likely crucial for colony founding and early development by securing timely floral resources.
• The widespread nature suggests an important, yet understudied, adaptive strategy for bumblebees facing environmental change.