Thomson J D, Peterson S C, Harder L D
Ecology and Evolution Department, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 11794, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
Oecologia. 1987 Jan;71(2):295-300. doi: 10.1007/BF00377298.
In field experiments, we mapped the regular foraging routes (traplines) of marked bumble bees visiting Aralia hispida. When other bees were removed to create localized "competitive vacuums", the marked bees shifted their feeding activity toward the removal areas. Bees foraging in these competitive vacuums probed more flowers per inflorescence than control bees. One bee's foraging was studied intensively before and after its local competitors were removed. Compared to four nestmates foraging elsewhere, the focal bee's trip times were shorter (p<0.005) and its food collection rate was marginally higher (P=0.064) during the removal, although all the bees foraged similarly before the removal. These observations indicate that traplining bumble bees opportunistically modify their use of space in response to the activities of other bees in a highly competitive environment.
在野外实验中，我们绘制了标记的熊蜂访问糙叶土当归时的常规觅食路线（陷阱线）。当移除其他蜜蜂以创造局部“竞争真空”时，标记的蜜蜂将其觅食活动转向移除区域。在这些竞争真空中觅食的蜜蜂比对照蜜蜂对每个花序的花朵探查更多。在其本地竞争者被移除之前和之后，对一只蜜蜂的觅食进行了深入研究。与在其他地方觅食的四只同巢伙伴相比，在移除期间，焦点蜜蜂的行程时间更短（p<0.005），其食物收集率略高（P=0.064），尽管在移除之前所有蜜蜂的觅食方式相似。这些观察结果表明，沿陷阱线觅食的熊蜂在高度竞争的环境中会根据其他蜜蜂的活动机会主义地改变其空间利用方式。
