Bumblebees can partner up to get the job done

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-05-01 09:01

International

Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash

Far from going it alone, bumblebees may look to cooperate to solve tasks, according to international researchers. Pairs of buff-tailed bumblebees were trained, in pairs or individually, to push a lego brick or open a door to access a nectar reward. In both tasks, paired bumblebees appeared to wait for their bumblebuddies’ help, and turn around more frequently than controls when they were delayed, implying their partners strongly influenced their decisions and facilitated cooperation. The work suggests ‘bumblebee cooperation is socially influenced, and not just driven by individual efforts’, according to the team.

Media release

From: The Royal Society

Evidence for socially-influenced and potentially actively-coordinated cooperation by bumblebees

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

New research led by Dr Olli Loukola at the University of Oulu reveals the intricate nature of bumblebees' cooperative behaviour. Published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the study challenges traditional views, suggesting that bumblebees' cooperation is socially influenced rather than solely a result of individual efforts. Bees displayed behaviours, e.g. slowing down and turning, which indicated that the presence, absence, and direction of their partner strongly influenced their decisions and facilitated cooperation. These findings shed light on the mechanisms driving animals’ cooperative behaviour and open avenues for further exploration into the complexities of insect cooperation.

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Journal/
conference: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University of Oulu, Finland

Funder: This work was supported by grants from the Academy of Finland (grant no. 309995) and the Kone foundation (grant no. 202010852), both awarded to O.J.L.

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