Pollen picking bumblebees.
by Chris, 4 August, 2016, 1 comments
It has been known for some time that bees and bumblebees are attracted to flowers by their colour(s), scent (volatile oils), shape, nectar and indeed electric fields (see recent post). However, it has now been shown that bumblebees can pick a plant on the basis of the nutritional content of its pollen.
Anthony Vaudo et al at the Centre for Pollinator Research (Penn State University) recorded the foraging patterns of bumblebees in defined outdoor areas, and then determined the chemical make-up (carbohydrate, protein and lipid levels) of the pollen from the different species present. They found that the bumblebees went for pollen with a high Protein:Lipid value. Read more...
