Response of traplining bumble bees to competition experiments: shifts in feeding location and efficiency |
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Authors: | J D Thomson S C Peterson L D Harder |
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Institution: | (1) Ecology and Evolution Department, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 11794 Stony Brook, NY, USA;(2) Present address: Division of Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, Zoologish Laboratorium der Rijksuniversiteit Leiden, Kaiserstraat 63, Postbus 9516, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands;(3) Present address: Department of Biology, University of Calgary, T2N 1N4 Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
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Abstract: | Summary In field experiments, we mapped the regular foraging routes (traplines) of marked bumble bees visiting Aralia hispida. When other bees were removed to create localized competitive vacuums , the marked bees shifted their feeding activity toward the removal areas. Bees foraging in these competitive vacuums probed more flowers per inflorescence than control bees. One bee's foraging was studied intensively before and after its local competitors were removed. Compared to four nestmates foraging elsewhere, the focal bee's trip times were shorter (p<0.005) and its food collection rate was marginally higher (P=0.064) during the removal, although all the bees foraged similarly before the removal. These observations indicate that traplining bumble bees opportunistically modify their use of space in response to the activities of other bees in a highly competitive environment. |
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Keywords: | Aralia Bombus Competition Energy budget foraging Niche shift Trapline |
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