Abstract:
Bumblebee activity typically decreases during rainfall, putting them under the threat of the increased frequency of precipitation due to climate change. A novel rain machine was used within a flight arena to observe the behavioural responses of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) to simulated rain at both a colony and individual level. During rainfall, a greater proportion of workers left the arena than entered, the opposite of which was seen during dry periods, implying that they compensate for their lack of activity when conditions improve. The proportion of workers flying and foraging decreased while resting increased in rain. This pattern reversed during dry periods, providing further evidence for compensatory activity. The increase in resting behaviour during rain is thought to evade the high energetic costs of flying while wet without unnecessarily returning to the nest. This effect was not repeated in individual time budgets, measured with lone workers, suggesting that the presence of conspecifics accelerates the decision of their behavioural response, perhaps via local enhancement. Bumblebees probably use social cues to strategize their energetic expenditure during precipitation, allowing them to compensate for the reduced foraging activity during rainfall when conditions improve.
摘要:
大黄蜂活动通常在降雨期间减少,使他们受到气候变化导致的降水频率增加的威胁。在飞行场所中使用了一种新型的雨机,以观察大黄蜂(Bombusterrestris)对殖民地和个体水平的模拟降雨的行为反应。降雨期间,离开竞技场的工人比例高于进入竞技场的工人比例,相反的是在干旱时期,这意味着当条件改善时,他们会补偿他们缺乏活动。在雨中休息的工人飞行和觅食的比例下降,而休息的比例增加。这种模式在干旱时期逆转,为补偿性活动提供进一步的证据。人们认为,下雨时休息行为的增加可以避免在潮湿时飞行的高昂能量成本,而不必不必要地返回巢穴。这种影响在个人时间预算中没有重复,用孤独的工人来衡量,这表明特定物种的存在加速了他们行为反应的决定,也许是通过局部增强。大黄蜂可能会利用社交线索来制定降水期间的能量支出策略,当条件改善时,它们可以补偿降雨期间觅食活动的减少。