Foraging pauses and their meaning as an economic strategy in the honeybee Apis mellifera L. |
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Authors: | F E Grosclaude J A Núñez |
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Institution: | (1) Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires-Pab II-Ciudad Universitaria-(1428), Buenos Aires, Argentina Fax: +54-1 544-7893 e-mail: josue@biolo.bg.fcen.uba.an, AR |
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Abstract: | When conditioned honeybees collect sucrose solution delivered at a range of low-profit flow rates for the hive, they increase
the pause length between successive visits. If sucrose solution was delivered continuously, it accumulated at the food source
in an amount proportional to the pause length and the flow rate of nectar. When the flow rate of sucrose solution was further
decreased but kept constant throughout the day, a threshold level was attained in which oscillations in the length of the
pauses were observed. The relationship between the amount of accumulated nectar and subsequent pause length at this threshold
level can be depicted by means of a power function. The best fit allowed the calculation of the values of parameters that
quantitatively describe the control system regulating foraging activity. The importance of foraging pauses as a strategy to
cope with changing nectar availability is discussed.
Accepted: 7 January 1998 |
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Keywords: | Apis mellifera Honeybee Foraging pause Economic strategy Information exchange |
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