All articles tagged with #bumblebees
Georgia Tech researchers found that exposing worker bumblebees to low doses of the insecticide sulfoxaflor caused significant changes in gene expression, especially in ovarian tissues, suggesting potential reproductive impairment and possible impacts on colony health and pollination-dependent crops; the study highlights the need for pest management that protects pollinators amid ongoing pesticide use.
Researchers filmed bumblebees tasting droplets (60% sugar, 20% sugar, water, 5% salt, 1 mM quinine) and observed post‑consumption licking after sweet solutions, versus mouth‑wiping or head shaking for salty or bitter ones. The responses are read as potential “liking” and “disliking” cues—similar to mammals—suggesting an inner state in bees. Effects varied with context (e.g., heat stress, fullness, or drug exposure) across 18 colonies, and the study, published in PNAS, fuels ongoing debate about insect sentience.
Researchers report that naïve bumblebees spontaneously solved a box-and-ball puzzle to reach sugar, with 73% successfully pushing the ball under a blue circle and 23 of 30 recalling the circle in a memory test, indicating notable problem-solving and memory in insects and challenging assumptions about intelligence.
In a lab, bumblebees rolled a foam ball to reach an artificial blue flower and a sugary reward, doing so without training. In the key insight test, 75% of bees previously exposed to the task succeeded at using the ball as a ladder to reach a ceiling-mounted flower, indicating true goal-directed behavior and flexible problem-solving in a tiny brain. The researchers caution this does not imply human-like reasoning or consciousness, but it could influence how we understand pollinator behavior amid changing environments.
New research shows Bombus impatiens queen bees can survive extended submersion during diapause by extracting oxygen from water (likely via a gill-like structure), using anaerobic metabolism and profound metabolic depression to dramatically cut energy needs; in lab tests, CO2 production dropped from about 15.4 to 2.4 µL h-1 g-1 after eight days underwater, illustrating a remarkable flood-tolerance strategy that could help colonies weather crises and hints at resilience in other terrestrial insects; the study is published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Scientists trained bumblebees to distinguish between different durations of light patterns, similar to Morse code, demonstrating their ability to process temporal information and make decisions based solely on visual cues, revealing complex cognitive abilities in insects.
Researchers at UCT Prague developed a five-step method to synthesize callunene, a natural compound that protects bumblebees from a deadly gut parasite, and discovered that natural callunene is a racemic mixture, enabling direct use of synthetic versions to safeguard pollinator colonies.
A study has found that queen bumblebees can survive underwater for days, suggesting they may be able to withstand increased floods due to climate change. This discovery is seen as encouraging amid concerns about declining bee populations. The study's lead author accidentally discovered this ability while conducting an experiment and further research is needed to understand the long-term impact on the bees' health and colonies. The findings raise questions about whether this resistance to flooding contributes to the hardiness of certain bee species, but more research is needed to determine how common this trait is across different bumblebee species.
Bumblebees have demonstrated a level of collective intelligence in experiments that was previously thought to be unique to humans. They were trained to open a two-step puzzle box and then taught the solution to other bees, challenging the idea that socially learned behaviors are exclusive to humans. This finding suggests that the ability to learn from others what cannot be learned alone should now be considered a common trait across species, not just humans. The study was published in Nature and sheds light on the underestimated intelligence of bumblebees.
Two recent studies demonstrate that bumblebees and chimpanzees possess the ability to learn from others, a skill crucial for achieving cumulative culture. This challenges the notion that only humans have the unique capacity to learn from others more than they could alone. The findings shed light on the potential for other animals to exhibit the type of skill necessary for achieving cumulative culture, expanding our understanding of animal learning and culture.
Researchers have discovered that buff-tailed bumblebees have a remarkable defense strategy against invasive Asian hornets. When attacked, the bumblebees drop to the ground, causing the hornets to lose their grip or fall as well. This allows the bumblebees to wrestle with the hornets until they give up and leave. However, despite their successful defense, the presence of Asian hornets still negatively impacts the growth of bumblebee colonies.
New research from the University of Exeter reveals that bumblebees have top-tier combat skills when targeted by Asian hornets. The study found that buff-tailed bumblebees drop to the ground when attacked by hornets, carrying the pests down with them. Hornets lose their grip during the fall or the bee fights back until the hornet gives up. The researchers witnessed 120 attacks, with the bee successfully defending itself each time. Asian hornets, also known as yellow-legged hornets, are invasive pests that have spread across mainland Europe and parts of Asia, and have recently been spotted in the US. The findings highlight the importance of protecting pollinators like bees from these threats.
Researchers from the University of Exeter have discovered that buff-tailed bumblebees have a unique defensive strategy against Asian hornets. When attacked, the bumblebees drop to the ground, effectively repelling the hornets. However, bumblebee colonies in hornet-dense areas still experience reduced growth rates, indicating negative impacts. Asian hornets, which have invaded parts of Europe and Asia and recently appeared in the US, pose a threat to pollinators. The study highlights the importance of understanding the interactions between invasive species and native pollinators for effective conservation efforts.
Japanese scientists have discovered that nematodes (C. elegans) use electric fields to leap from the bottom of Petri dishes to the lid and even onto bumblebees. The worms rely on a type of phoresy to achieve range and use a behavior known as "nictation" to attach to passing larger animals. Unlike snails and bugs, flying insects like bumblebees naturally accumulate charge during flight, producing an electric field. The researchers found that the worms only lept to the other electrode when the charge was applied and moved at an average speed of 0.86 meters per second.
Researchers have discovered that tiny nematodes, including the famous Caenorhabditis elegans, use electrical fields to disperse far afield into new habitats. The worms can piggyback on electrical fields to jump a surprising distance, such as onto the back of a bumblebee for a ride to a new locale. The researchers found that electrostatic force helps power the worms' leaps, and they can hitchhike on passing bees to disperse through the environment. Further studies on the electric field and the behavior of C. elegans are expected to provide more details on the electrical ethology of microorganisms.