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Updated: Jan 14, 2026

A Novel Behavioral Assay to Investigate Gustatory Responses of Individual, Freely-moving Bumble Bees Bombus terrestris
Published on: July 21, 2016
Tongue microstructure physically constrains division of labor in bumblebee foraging
Zexiang Huang1, Shumeng Wu1, Qinglin Wu1,2
1School of Advanced Manufacturing, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.
Abstract:
Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) is a primitively eusocial species that sustains its colonies by dividing foraging duties between queens and workers. Previous research emphasizes hormonal, metabolic, and behavioral contrasts between the castes but seldom considers why queens relinquish foraging once workers emerge. Here, we link foraging efficiency to tongue microstructure, providing physical evidence for the shift in bumblebee foraging behavior.
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