Articles tagged with Foraging Behavior
Researchers discovered that giant honeybees' shimmering behavior acts as an anti-predatory defense, forcing hornets to hunt free-flying bees rather than nesting bees. This unique trait is linked to the hornet's flight speed and proximity to the nest.
Researchers found that bumblebees slow down when approaching camouflaged crab spiders to detect predators, losing valuable foraging time. However, this strategy doesn't improve their chances of avoiding capture and even leads to reduced efficiency.
Scientists have discovered that bumblebees choose whether to search for food according to how stocked their nests are. The team used RFID technology to track the activity of bees in the lab and found that colonies with low food reserves had a stronger response to pheromones, leading to more worker bees becoming active.
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have applied Geographic Profiling (GP) technique to bumblebees to analyze their foraging behavior. The study revealed that bees create a 'buffer zone' around their hive to reduce the risk of predators and parasites.
Biologists found that wasps warm up when finding protein-rich meat and bumble bees do the same with pollen, suggesting an ancestral behavior. Both insects' elevated body heat may be a signal to other bees that has acquired meaning beyond its original physiological function.
Researchers at the University of Bristol demonstrate that birds respond to subtle signals from humans, including eye-gaze direction, to avoid predators. This ability allows starlings to gain valuable feeding time before others join a competitive foraging patch.
Researchers found that sit-and-wait lizards use running mechanics when moving at slower speeds, while wide foragers evolved a walking gait. The study used 18 species of lizards to understand the impact of foraging styles on biomechanics.
Researchers found that birds using sentry duty call out to alert their group-mates to safe foraging areas, leading to increased food capture and improved group survival. This cooperative behavior is a rare example of selflessness in the animal kingdom.
Research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that organic alfalfa and wheat can be as productive as conventional systems. Organic grain crops, such as corn and soybeans, also yielded 90% of their conventional counterparts in terms of dry matter production.
A long-term study has found mercury levels impacting common loons' health, reproductive success, and behavior. Loons with high mercury levels spend less time at nests and produce fewer young, while also experiencing sluggishness and flight issues.
A new study found that male European starlings exposed to environmental pollutants develop more complex songs, which are preferred by females, and show reduced immune function. The researchers also discovered an enlargement of the brain area controlling song complexity due to estrogen exposure.
A new study found that adult male chimpanzees, like females, have distinct core areas for foraging alone and show high site fidelity. They remain faithful to the area in which they grew up, even 20 years after their mother's death.
Researchers analyzed high-resolution data from loggers on wandering albatrosses' legs, showing they land on the water at simpler random intervals. This challenges previous findings about Lévy flight behavior in animals like deer and bumblebees.
In a study on female Galápagos marine iguanas, researchers found that females devote substantial energy to picking among suitors, with visiting attractive males carrying the highest costs. This includes weight loss and reduced egg production, as well as decreased chances for survival during food-scarce seasons.
Scientists at the University of Liverpool discovered that humans' ability to walk upright developed from ancestors foraging for food in forest tree tops. They found that this trait evolved before walking on all fours on open land, and was later adapted for life on the ground.
Army ants form living 'plugs' to plug uneven potholes in their trails, reducing the impact on prey-laden foragers and increasing daily prey intake. The study found that specialized behavior by a minority of ant workers improves the performance of the majority, resulting in a clear benefit for the society as a whole.
Research reveals that rare genetic variants in fruit flies can provide a survival advantage, with individuals with unique traits being less conspicuous to predators. The study's findings offer insights into why genetic variation persists in nature and may have implications for understanding human food-related disorders.
Marine turtles migrate hundreds of miles to foraging sites, equally loyal as nesting sites, according to University of Exeter research. The study tracked twenty green and loggerhead turtles, finding they return to same feeding grounds up to five years later.
Researchers found that fruit flies' flight patterns are optimal for searching, using scale-free movement with intermittent turns. This behavior is also observed in other animals, including humans and crickets, suggesting a unified theory for finding food.
Researchers found that a single gene, vitellogenin, plays a crucial role in coordinating the social life of honeybees. The study showed that vitellogenin regulates workers' division of labor, foraging preferences, and lifespan, with higher levels favoring pollen collection and lower levels favoring nectar collection.
Researchers used virtual robots to study the evolution of communication in social organisms, finding that genetically similar individuals and group-level selection drive rapid communication evolution. In contrast, low-relatedness colonies with individual-level selection led to deceptive communication signals and decreased colony perfor...
ASU researchers have identified ancestral genes from solitary predecessors as likely connected to social behavior in honeybees. The study mapped behavior precisely to genome regions using high recombination rates, revealing a conserved pathway of insulin signaling involved in foraging decisions.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that African pied babbler adults continue to care for their young after they stop feeding directly. The parents call the inexperienced fledglings to areas with readily available food, improving their foraging success rate.
A study by Daniel A. Hahn found that worker ants in desert carpenter ant colonies store more fat per unit lean mass than lighter ants, leading to a greater proportion of soldiers being stored. This difference in individual-level storage tactics contributes to between-species differences in behavioral development and motivation.
Researchers found that gray-cheeked mangabeys revisit fig trees after warm and sunny days, rather than after cold and cloudy days. This suggests monkeys use past weather conditions to inform their foraging decisions.
Researchers found that caterpillars respond to variations in plant volatile production to reduce encounters with parasitic wasps. The study demonstrates that plant volatiles, rather than light, control the daily behavior of caterpillars.
A recent study reveals that wasp helpers are more likely to take risks when they have a better chance of becoming the next queen or breeder. Brighter wasps face a fundamental trade-off between helping and ensuring their own survival, ultimately leading them to become lazier as their future reproductive success increases.
Ants can use landmarks to find their way home, but also have an internal 'path integrator' that constantly reassesses their position. Researchers found that this system needs regular reset via nest entry and food release to maintain accuracy.
A new study has found significant regional differences in ocean contamination levels among albatrosses, with black-footed albatrosses foraging in the California Current exhibiting higher concentrations of mercury and organochlorine compounds. The findings suggest that these contaminants build up in the tissues of animals high on the fo...
Researchers found that wasps use biting to recruit new foragers, particularly those who haven't left the nest before. The study reveals a crucial role of biting in communication and task performance within colonies.
Researchers are using electronic tags on marine animals to collect data on oceanographic conditions, such as water temperature and salinity. This data is being used to improve ocean circulation models and gain insights into the lives of California sea lions and other apex predators.
A study by Arizona State University researchers found a connection between a bee's reproductive traits and its social behavior. The findings suggest that elements of a solitary ancestor's reproductive behavior may have evolved into the complex social structure and divisions of labor seen in highly social bees.
Researchers Bocquet-Appel and Naji found a sudden 20-30% increase in birth rates worldwide during the Neolithic period, as indicated by an abrupt change in skeletal evidence. This finding corroborates a global demographic transition, with archaeological evidence showing parallels between Europe, North Africa, and the Americas.
Researchers propose that mass cooperative food foraging in army ants evolved to subdue large prey, a theory supported by the observation of Cheliomyrmex andicola feeding on giant earthworms and snakes. The species' unique jaw structure and venomous sting may play a key role in this behavior.
New studies reveal that a significant portion of US species are threatened, with only 15% well-studied. Wandering albatrosses have an unique foraging strategy, catching prey in highly dispersed areas. Coral reefs can recover from nuclear tests within five years, but ecosystem integrity is crucial.
Researchers found that cave crickets in Texas forage up to 80 meters from their caves, double the previously reported range. This discovery highlights the need to extend protective buffer areas around caves to safeguard endangered invertebrate species.
Bumblebees are twice as likely to choose green flowers over orange flowers when they watch others foraging on them. This is the first demonstration of insect social learning, where bumblebees learn by observing other insects.
Researchers found that bumblebees choose flowers based on the choices of other bees, especially when encountering unfamiliar plant species. This behavior suggests an efficient shortcut to success, and provides new insights into the complexity of insect foraging behavior.
Scientists at the University of Thessaloniki, Bar-Ilan University, and Justus-Liebig-Universitat Giessen have quantified network vulnerability, finding that knowledge of top nodes can significantly reduce attack points. This research has implications for controlling contagious disease spread through social networks.
Researchers found that whooping cranes exhibit high-amplitude head movements to control their visual world while searching for food. By holding the head still more than 50% of the time, they permit close and stable examination of objects in view, allowing accurate detection, localization, and recognition of food items.
The PLMS system provides instant feedback on alternative grazing systems' impact on farm profit, milk production, and greenhouse gas emissions. A multidisciplinary team is developing the system to balance forage needs with livestock requirements.
Researchers are drawing inspiration from honeybees' collaborative decision-making and ants' behavior to develop new collaboration frameworks for disaster relief efforts. The study aims to create flexible networks of responders who can act based on local information, mimicking the spread patterns of viruses and rumors.
The star-nosed mole's exceptional foraging ability is attributed to its star-shaped appendages that ring its nose, allowing it to detect small prey quickly. By minimizing handling time, the mole achieves a net energy 'profit' with a diet of insect larvae and other small food sources.
Research suggests that impulsive behavior in animals, including blue jays, may be an evolutionary adaptation to foraging in the wild. The study found that birds prioritized immediate rewards over delayed ones, as they would often forget about food and continue foraging. This impulsiveness may have been beneficial for survival but is no...
Researchers at Michigan State University have identified a new pheromone that regulates the behavioral maturation of honey bees, keeping younger nurse bees in check until they are more mature. This discovery sheds light on the complex social dynamics within bee colonies and how older forager bees exert influence over younger bees.
Researchers found that social insects' policing behavior against cheating workers cannot be explained by relatedness alone. Instead, the energy invested in laying eggs detracts from colony efficiency and growth.
Research reveals that beavers' selective herbivory affects plant types in their community, favoring hybrid cottonwoods with lower tannin levels. This study suggests a link between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems through genetically-based plant traits.
Researchers observed walruses using four different foraging techniques: beating their right flipper, left flipper, water-jet from their mouth, and rooting through sediment with their muzzle. They found that 66% of the time they used their right flipper, and this preference was consistent in skeletons analyzed.
A new study found that gene expression is robustly associated with behavior in adult honey bee brains, revealing a dynamic genome involved in modulating behavior.
Researchers find that one species of Brazilian stingless bee uses an abbreviated scent trail to communicate food location, avoiding broadcasting information to competitors. The unique trail has a teardrop shape and scent concentration that allows bees to pinpoint specific food sources.
Researchers found that ants use distinct body odors to signal tasks, such as foraging and patrolling, allowing them to coordinate complex behaviors without a hierarchical control structure. The discovery sheds light on the importance of scent in insect communication and has implications for fields like computer science and robotics.
Climate change is expected to increase winter temperatures, leading to greater risks for perennial forage crops in Eastern Canada. The study used agro-climatic indices to analyze the effect of climate conditions on winter survival, finding increased risks due to warmer winters and reduced cold hardiness.
Researchers found that Rockhoppers, the smallest species, swim up to 180 miles or more from their home territory on New Island, putting them at risk of collisions with fishing nets and oil spills. This expansion highlights the need for conservation strategies to reduce conflicts between humans and organisms in the open ocean.
A new study found that a specific gene stimulates an activity-boosting enzyme in the brain's visual processing centers of honeybees, leading to changes in foraging behavior. The gene's impact on foraging is similar to its effects in other species, suggesting a crucial role in understanding how genes influence behavior.
Researchers studied right whales' feeding grounds, finding they use prior experience, environmental cues, and tactile clues to locate dense zooplankton patches. This understanding may help address the decline of North Atlantic right whale populations by revealing key mechanisms for their survival.
Researchers found that forager bees have lower activity levels of a protein called acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in their brains, which may lead to enhanced cognitive performance. A study led by Gene E. Robinson at the University of Illinois showed that reducing AChE activity improved learning abilities in foragers.
Researchers from Universität Bonn discovered that seals can navigate through dark water by detecting the hydrodynamic trail of a fish using their whiskers. In experiments with two seals, Henry and Nick, they found that the whiskers played a crucial role in finding prey over long distances.
Researchers observed that biting behavior in Polybia occidentalis wasps is a continuum, transitioning from mild to highly aggressive. This behavior affects the life cycle of individual wasps, influencing foraging and social hierarchy.
A recent study found that a biological clock gene in honeybees is more active in older bees, especially foragers who perform jobs outside the hive. The discovery suggests molecular connections between the division of labor and biological clocks in social insects.
Researchers discovered that sea slugs, despite their simple brain structure, make decisions based on a sliding scale of pleasure and pain. Hungry snails are quicker to strike at tempting food sources, while satiated ones avoid danger, reflecting the need for a meal to overcome prey defenses.