Princeton University
As bees' social behavior evolved, their complex chemical communication systems evolved in concert, according to a study published online by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
An international team of researchers, including those from Princeton University, reported that a certain species of bees, called halictid bees, have more sensorial machinery compared with related solitary species. The difference …
Psychologists find examples of conscientiousness, such as working hard, paying attention to detail and striving to do the right thing, throughout the animal kingdom
University of California - Berkeley
Humans are not the only species to show a strong work ethic and scruples. UC Berkeley researchers have found evidence of conscientiousness in insects, reptiles, birds, fish and other critters.
In reviewing nearly …
The emergence of colonies with individuals more robust and larger than other workers coincided with the appearance of "robber bees"
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Like ants and termites, several species of stingless bees have specialized guards or soldiers to defend their colonies from attacks by natural enemies.
The differentiation of these guardian bees, which are more robust, …
Queen Mary University of London
Nicotine-laced nectar can speed up a bumblebee's ability to learn flower colours, according to scientists at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
The researchers used artificial flowers in a tightly-monitored flight arena in the laboratory to mimic how flowering plants use animals as pollen carriers and reward pollinators with sugars found in floral nectar.
The team sought …
Uppsala University
In a new study, researchers from Uppsala University sequenced the genomes of Africanized bees that have invaded large parts of the world to find out what makes them so extraordinarily successful. One particular region in the genome caught the researchers' attention and the genes found there could be part of the explanation for the aggressive advances of these …
About 80 million years ago, a group of bees began exhibiting social behavior, which includes raising young together, sharing food resources and defending their colony. Today, their descendants--honey bees, stingless bees and bumble bees--carry stowaways from their ancient ancestors: five species of gut bacteria that have evolved along with the host bees.
These bacteria, living in the guts of social bees, …
Researchers quantify the cleaning process
Georgia Institute of Technology
With honey bee colony health wavering and researchers trying to find technological ways of pollinating plants in the future, a new Georgia Tech study has looked at how the insects do their job and manage to stay clean.
According to the study, a honey bee can carry up to 30 percent of …