Corrigendum: Honeybees are buffered against undernourishment during larval stages

Schilcher, Felix; Hilsmann, Lioba; Ankenbrand, Markus J.; Krischke, Markus; Mueller, Martin J.; Steffan‐Dewenter, Ingolf; Scheiner, Ricarda

doi:10.3389/finsc.2023.1146464

Cited by 1 publication

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“…Age-based polyethism, the transition from inside to outside nest tasks, has been intensively studied in the honeybee A. mellifera [13], mediated by physiological changes such as alterations in juvenile hormone (JH) [11,18]. In bumblebees, task allocation appears to be more complex, with workers not experiencing age-dependent changes in JH levels [19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age dominates flight distance and duration, while body size shapes flight speed in Bombus terrestris L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Gilgenreiner,

Kurze

2024

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Flight plays a crucial role in the fitness of insect pollinators, such as bumblebees. Despite their relatively large body size compared with their wings, bumblebees can fly under difficult ambient conditions, such as cooler temperatures. While their body size is often positively linked to their foraging range and flight ability, the influence of age remains less explored. Here, we studied the flight performance (distance, duration and speed) of ageing bumblebee workers using tethered flight mills. Additionally, we measured their intertegular distance and dry mass as proxies for their body size. We found that the flight distance and duration were predominantly influenced by age, challenging assumptions that age does not play a key role in foraging and task allocation. From the age of 7 to 14 days, flight distance and duration increased sixfold and fivefold, respectively. Conversely, the body size primarily impacted the maximum and average flight speed of workers. Our findings indicate that age substantially influences the flight distance and duration in bumblebee workers, affecting foraging performance and potentially altering task allocation strategies. This underscores the importance of considering individual age and physiological changes alongside body size/mass in experiments involving bumblebee workers.

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