All articles tagged with #defensive behavior
Researchers at Japan's National Institute for Environmental Studies have discovered that Japanese honeybees use a unique defensive behavior of slapping invading ants with their wings to knock them away from their nests. This method, which is less energy-intensive than other defensive tactics, was observed through high-speed camera footage and detailed in the journal Ecology.
Bumble bees have developed a successful defense strategy against Asian hornets by dropping to the ground when attacked, causing the hornets to lose their grip or engage in a struggle. Researchers from the University of Exeter observed over 120 such attacks and found that the bumble bees were able to fend off the hornets every time. However, bumble bee colonies in areas with high Asian hornet densities experienced reduced growth rates, indicating a negative impact. Asian hornets are invasive species that prey on various insects, including honey bees and bumble bees, and their presence poses a threat to pollinators.