International Buzz: Honeybees Caught Red-Handed Stealing Pollen from Bumblebees
In a surprising revelation, Italian researchers have uncovered a case of honeybee larceny, as some honeybees shamelessly pilfer pollen off the backs of unsuspecting bumblebees. The observations, detailed in the journal Apidologie on December 21, mark one of the most extensive documentations of bee-on-bee theft, previously witnessed primarily in the United States.
During a summer expedition in 2019 to Mount Antola in Liguria, northern Italy, naturalists Tiziano Londei and Giuliana Marzi captured video footage of honeybees attempting to push bumblebees away from a woolly thistle flower. Upon closer examination, the footage revealed not competitive harassment but outright robbery. The honeybees targeted red-tailed bumblebees, with a preference for males, who seemed less bothered by the thievery.
To assess the prevalence of this behavior, researchers revisited the site multiple times over the next three years and observed bees at two additional locations. While honeybees at the other sites did not engage in pollen theft, those at the original location persisted in their larcenous activities. The researchers speculate that honeybees resort to theft in areas where collecting pollen directly from flowers is challenging, but numerous other bees are present.
The phenomenon of honeybees stealing pollen was previously documented in North America, making the recent observations in Italy indicative of a potentially global occurrence. Biologist Avery Russell, not involved in the study, notes that understanding the impact of pollen theft on bumblebees and the flowers they pollinate is crucial. Additionally, he expresses curiosity about whether other bee species engage in similar behavior.
This international discovery sheds light on the intricacies of bee behavior and poses intriguing questions about the ecological consequences of such pollen theft.
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