期刊
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
卷 19, 期 5, 页码 936-948出版社
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arn048
关键词
area fidelity; Bombus; competition; foraging experience; long-term spatial memory; trapline foraging; travel speed
资金
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science for Research Abroad [1597]
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Canada Foundation for Innovation
- Ontario Innovation Trust
Animals collecting resources that are fixed in space but replenish over time, such as floral nectar and pollen, often establish small foraging areas to which they return faithfully. Some repeatedly visit a set of patches in a significantly predictable sequence (so-called trapline foraging), which may allow them to focus on more profitable patches in their foraging areas. The functional significance of trapline foraging itself, however, has not been empirically demonstrated, especially in competitive situations. We conducted laboratory experiments with artificial flowers to test whether and how accumulated foraging experience in bumble bees affects their movement patterns and foraging performance in the presence of competition. Experienced bees with prior access to flowers achieved higher rates of nectar intake than did later arrivals because they traveled faster between flowers and returned to flowers at more regular intervals. These behavioral skills improved foraging performance in competitive situations in 2 ways: nectar that accumulated in flowers could be harvested before its replenishment rate slowed down, and nectar could be taken before the arrival of a competitor. In each foraging trip, however, bees traveled more slowly as they followed more repeatable routes. Despite this trade-off between speed and accuracy in traplining, bees constantly upgraded both skills as they gained experience from trip to trip. This upgrading still occurred in the absence of a competitor. Foraging area fidelity thus allowed bumble bees to establish long-term spatial memory required for fast movements and accurate traplining and, in turn, increased their foraging performance in competition with less experienced individuals.
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