A new study published in PLOS Biology shows that bumblebees can learn new behavior by watching and imitating other bees, and that this behavior can quickly spread throughout a colony. The research suggests that social learning plays a significant role in how bumblebees forage for food.
A new study has shown that bumblebees pick up new “trends” in their behavior by watching and learning from other bees, and that one form of behavior can spread rapidly through a colony even when a different version gets discovered.
The research, led by Queen Mary University of London and published today (March 7) in PLOS Biology, provides strong evidence that social learning drives the spread of bumblebee behavior – in this case, precisely how they forage for food.
A variety of experiments were set up to establish this. The researchers designed a two-option puzzle box that could be opened either by pushing