Photoperiod affects daily torpor and tissue fatty acid composition in deer mice

Photoperiod and dietary lipids both influence thermal physiology and the pattern of torpor of heterothermic mammals. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that photoperiod-induced physiological changes are linked to differences in tissue fatty acid composition of deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus (∼18-g body mass). Deer mice were acclimated for >8 weeks to one of three photoperiods (LD, light/dark): LD 8:16 (short photoperiod), LD 12:12 (equinox photoperiod), and LD 16:8 (long photoperiod). Deer mice under short and equinox photoperiods showed a greater occurrence of torpor than those under long photoperiods (71, 70, and 14%, respectively). The duration of torpor bouts was longest in deer mice under short photoperiod (9.3 ± 2.6 h), intermediate under equinox photoperiod (5.1 ± 0.3 h), and shortest under long photoperiod (3.7 ± 0.6 h). Physiological differences in torpor use were associated with significant alterations of fatty acid composition in ∼50% of the major fatty acids from leg muscle total lipids, whereas white adipose tissue fatty acid composition showed fewer changes. Our results provide the first evidence that physiological changes due to photoperiod exposure do result in changes in lipid composition in the muscle tissue of deer mice and suggest that these may play a role in survival of low body temperature and metabolic rate during torpor, thus, enhancing favourable energy balance over the course of the winter.     

微塑料对鲫鱼生长、肝脏损伤和肠道微生物组成的影响

广泛存在于自然环境中的微塑料可能会危害水生生物的生长和健康,目前该方面的研究较少.以淡水杂食性鱼类鲫鱼作为研究对象,喂食不同微塑料浓度的鱼食进行为期30 d的食源暴露试验,分析微塑料对鲫鱼生长、肝脏损伤和肠道微生物组成的影响.结果表明,与对照组相比,各试验组中鲫鱼的身长没有明显变化,但低浓度组的鲫鱼体重显著增加,中浓度组和高浓度组的体重明显下降.低浓度组的鲫鱼肝脏组织基本正常,中浓度组和高浓度组的均出现了不同程度的肝组织异常现象,其中高浓度组的肝脏损伤最为严重.鲫鱼肠道中,变形菌门、梭杆菌门、厚壁菌门和拟杆菌门是门水平上的优势菌种,葡萄球菌属和劳尔氏菌属等致病菌在各试验组鲫鱼肠道中均有出现;α多样性结果表明高浓度组的鲫鱼肠道微生物菌群最为丰富;PCoA结果显示对照组和试验组的鲫鱼肠道微生物存在明显的聚类特征.     

Perturbations in the antioxidant metabolism during Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infection in chicken

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of vitamin E on pro/anti-oxidant status in the liver, brain and heart of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infected chickens. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and the levels of reduced glutathione and malonaldehyde were estimated in selected tissues of uninfected, NDV-infected and NDV + vit. E-treated chickens. A significant increase in MDA levels in brain and liver (p < 0.05) was observed in NDV-infected chickens when compared to controls. The activities of SOD, CAT, GPx, GR, GST and levels of GSH were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in brain and liver of NDV-infected chickens over controls. On the other hand, a significant decreased MDA levels and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity levels were observed in NDV + vit. E-treated animals compared to NDV-infected chickens. Histopathological studies revealed that liver of NDV infected chicken shows focal coagulation and infiltration of hepatocytes, whereas neuronal necrosis and degeneration of Purkinje cells were observed in brain and moderate infiltration of inflammatory cells was observed in heart. However such histological alterations were not observed in NDV + vit. E-treated animals. The results of the present study, thus demonstrated that antioxidant defense mechanism is impaired after the induction of NDV, suggesting its critical role in cellular injury in brain and liver. Further, the results also suggest that vitamin E treatment will ameliorate the antioxidant status in the infected animals. The findings could be beneficial to understand the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of NDV and therapeutic interventions of antioxidants.     

The key to winter survival: daily torpor in a small arid-zone marsupial

Mammalian hibernation, which lasts on average for about 6 months, can reduce energy expenditure by >90% in comparison to active individuals. In contrast, the widely held view is that daily torpor reduces energy expenditure usually by about 30%, is employed for a few hours every few days, and often occurs only under acute energetic stress. This interpretation is largely based on laboratory studies, whereas knowledge on daily torpor in the field is scant. We used temperature telemetry to quantify thermal biology and activity patterns of a small arid-zone marsupial, the stripe-faced dunnart Sminthopsis macroura (16.9 g), in the wild and to test the hypothesis that daily torpor is a crucial survival strategy of this species in winter. All individuals entered torpor daily with the exception of a single male that remained normothermic for a single day (torpor on 212 of 213 observation days, 99.5%). Torpor was employed at air temperatures (T _a) ranging from approximately −1°C to 36°C. Dunnarts usually entered torpor during the night and aroused at midday with the daily increase of T _a. Torpor was on average about twice as long (mean 11.0 ± 4.7 h, n = 8) than in captivity. Animals employed sun basking during rewarming, reduced foraging time significantly, and occasionally omitted activity for several days in sequence. Consequently, we estimate that daily torpor in this species can reduce daily energy expenditure by up to 90%. Our study shows that for wild stripe-faced dunnarts daily torpor is an essential mechanism for overcoming energetic challenges during winter and that torpor data obtained in the laboratory can substantially underestimate the ecological significance of daily torpor in the wild.     

Cerumen of Australian stingless bees (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Tetragonula carbonaria</Emphasis>): gas chromatography-mass spectrometry fingerprints and potential anti-inflammatory properties

Cerumen, or propolis, is a mixture of plant resins enriched with bee secretions. In Australia, stingless bees are important pollinators that use cerumen for nest construction and possibly for colony’s health. While extensive research attests to the therapeutic properties of honeybee (Apis mellifera) propolis, the biological and medicinal properties of Australian stingless bee cerumen are largely unknown. In this study, the chemical and biological properties of polar extracts of cerumen from Tetragonula carbonaria in South East Queensland, Australia were investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses and in vitro 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) cell-free assays. Extracts were tested against comparative (commercial tincture of A. mellifera propolis) and positive controls (Trolox and gallic acid). Distinct GC-MS fingerprints of a mixed diterpenic profile typical of native bee cerumen were obtained with pimaric acid (6.31 ± 0.97%, w/w), isopimaric acid (12.23 ± 3.03%, w/w), and gallic acid (5.79 ± 0.81%, w/w) tentatively identified as useful chemical markers. Characteristic flavonoids and prenylated phenolics found in honeybee propolis were absent. Cerumen extracts from T. carbonaria inhibited activity of 5-LOX, an enzyme known to catalyse production of proinflammatory mediators (IC₅₀ 19.97 ± 2.67 μg/ml, mean ± SEM, n = 4). Extracts had similar potency to Trolox (IC₅₀ 12.78 ± 1.82 μg/ml), but were less potent than honeybee propolis (IC₅₀ 5.90 ± 0.62 μg/ml) or gallic acid (IC₅₀ 5.62 ± 0.35 μg/ml, P < 0.001). These findings warrant further investigation of the ecological and medicinal properties of this stingless bee cerumen, which may herald a commercial potential for the Australian beekeeping industry.     

洱海表层沉积物与鱼体中四溴双酚A的环境暴露水平

应用UPLC-MS-MS,对洱海表层沉积物和5种鱼类(白鲢、鲤鱼、鲫鱼、白条鱼和太湖短吻银鱼)样品中TBBPA(四溴双酚A)的质量分数进行了测定. 结果表明,洱海表层沉积物中w(TBBPA) (以干质量计,下同)为21.06~52.72ng/g,平均值为37.72ng/g,呈西部、南部和北部湖区明显高于中部和东部湖区的分布特征,其分布受所处区域的经济发展水平和生活生产状态等影响. 白鲢、鲤鱼、鲫鱼、白条鱼和太湖短吻银鱼肌肉中w(TBBPA)平均值分别为13.53、8.20、8.86、7.55和10.87ng/g,w(TBBPA)与鱼的体长度特征无关,可能与鱼类的食性、所处营养级有关. 在鱼体的内脏器官中,肾脏中w(TBBPA)最高,平均值为7.64ng/g;其次为鳃和肝脏,分别为7.07和5.68ng/g;卵巢和精巢中没有检测到TBBPA的存在. 与国内其他地区相比,洱海表层沉积物中w(TBBPA)呈较低水平,鱼体中w(TBBPA)为中等水平.      

Specific dynamic action affects the hydrostatic pressure tolerance of the shallow-water spider crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Maja brachydactyla</Emphasis>

The bathymetric distribution of marine benthic invertebrates is likely governed by a combination of ecological and physiological factors. The present study investigates oxygen consumption and heartbeat rate in response to attempted feeding at 1, 100 and 150 atm in the shallow-water spider crab, Maja brachydactyla, from temperate European waters. No significant difference was evident between the resting heartbeat rate of specimens at 1 or 100 atm, which were 56 and 65 bpm, respectively (Mann–Whitney, U = 5382.0; n = 95, 98; p = 0.079). However, at 150 atm the resting heartbeat rate was significantly higher than that observed for 100 atm at 108 bpm (Mann–Whitney, U = 149.0; n = 45, 98; p < 0.001). At 150 atm, feeding was never observed and coupled with the elevated resting heartbeat rate; it is suggested by 150 atm continued survival is unfeasible. At 1 and 100 atm, feeding instigated a distinct increase in heartbeat rate, which remained elevated for over 30 h. This increase peaked within 1 h at 1 atm. At 100 atm, this required 4 h and postprandial oxygen consumption was significantly higher than at 1 atm (Kruskal–Wallis, H = 85.036; df = 2; p < 0.001). Elevated hydrostatic pressure is hypothesized to extend the duration and the total metabolic energy devoted to specific dynamic action. The metabolic requirements of feeding under hyperbaric conditions may even reach such a critical demand that feeding is entirely inhibited.     

Torpor use during gestation and lactation in a primate

Torpor is an energy-saving mechanism that allows endotherms to overcome energetic challenges. Torpor should be avoided during reproduction because of potential incompatibility with offspring growth. To test if torpor can be used during gestation and lactation to compensate for food shortage, we exposed reproductive female grey mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus), a heterothermic primate, to different levels of food availability. Torpor use was characterised by daily skin temperature profiles, and its energetic outcome was assessed from changes in body mass. Food shortage triggered torpor during the end of the gestation period (n = 1), ranging from shallow in response to 40% food restriction to deep daily torpor in response to 80% restriction. During the early period of lactation, females fed ad libitum (n = 2) or exposed to a 40% restriction (n = 4) remained normothermic; but 80% food restricted females (n = 5) gave priority to energy saving, increasing the frequency and depth of torpor bouts. The use of torpor was insufficient to compensate for 80% energetic shortage during lactation resulting in loss of mass from the mother and delayed growth in the pups. This study provides the first evidence that a heterothermic primate can use torpor to compensate for food shortages even during reproduction. This physiological flexibility likely evolved as a response to climate-driven fluctuations in food availability in Madagascar.     

Yearlong hibernation in a marsupial mammal

Many mammals hibernate each year for about 6 months in autumn and winter and reproduce during spring and summer when they are generally not in torpor. I tested the hypothesis that the marsupial pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus), an opportunistic nonseasonal hibernator with a capacity for substantial fattening, would continue to hibernate well beyond winter. I also quantified how long they were able to hibernate without access to food before their body fat stores were depleted. Pygmy-possums exhibited a prolonged hibernation season lasting on average for 310 days. The longest hibernation season in one individual lasted for 367 days. For much of this time, despite periodic arousals after torpor bouts of ∼12.5 days, energy expenditure was reduced to only ∼2.5% of that predicted for active individuals. These observations represent the first report on body-fat-fuelled hibernation of up to an entire year and provide new evidence that prolonged hibernation is not restricted to placental mammals living in the cold.     

The dynamic changes of arsenic biotransformation and bioaccumulation in muscle of freshwater food fish crucian carp during chronic dietborne exposure

Dietary uptake is the major way that inorganic arsenic (iAs) enters into benthic fish; however, the metabolic process of dietborne iAs in fish muscle following chronic exposure remains unclear. This was a 40-day study on chronic dietborne iAs [arsenite (AsIII) and arsenate (AsV)] exposure in the benthic freshwater food fish, the crucian carp (Carassius auratus), which determined the temporal profiles of iAs metabolism and toxicokinetics during exposure. We found that an adaptive response occurred in the fish body after iAs dietary exposure, which was associated with decreased As accumulation and increased As transformation into a non-toxic As form (arsenobetaine). The bioavailability of dietary AsIII was lower than that of AsV, probably because AsIII has a lower ability to pass through fish tissues. Dietary AsV exhibited a high potential for transformation into AsIII species, which then accumulated in fish muscle. The largely produced AsIII considered more toxic at the earlier stage of AsV exposure should attract sufficient attention to human exposure assessment. Therefore, the pristine As species and exposure duration had significant effects on As bioaccumulation and biotransformation in fish. The behavior determined for dietborne arsenic in food fish is crucial for not only arsenic ecotoxicology but also food safety.     

血吸虫病疫区水生生物体内氯苯化合物的污染特征与潜在风险

采用GC/MS技术对典型血吸虫病疫区不同水期采集的1种软体生物和5种鱼体肌肉进行分析.实验发现3类二氯苯和六氯苯(HCB)为优势污染物.ΣCBs在软体生物肌肉中几何均值(以脂肪质量计,下同)为11 947 ng·g-1;在鱼体肌肉中范围为1 851~8 159 ng·g-1,鱼体ΣCBs最高浓度出现在鲶鱼体内,最低浓度出现在鲫鱼体内;实验结果与国内外相关文献报道值比较,显示该区域软体生物体内HCB含量与其他区域相当;鱼体肌肉中HCB含量则处于较高污染水平.癌症风险评价结果表明因软体生物和鱼类摄入HCB而带来的风险分别为1.49×10-7和3.73~21.1×10-7,说明研究区域水生生物中因HCB污染引起的癌症风险处于可接受水平.     

Magnetic properties of the microorganism Candidatus Magnetoglobus multicellularis

Magnetotactic microorganisms use the interaction of internal biomineralized nanoparticles with the geomagnetic field to orientate. The movement of the magnetotactic multicellular prokaryote Candidatus Magnetoglobus multicellularis under an applied magnetic field was observed. A method using digital image processing techniques was used to track the organism trajectory to simultaneously obtain its body radius, velocity, U-turn diameter, and the reorientation time. The magnetic moment was calculated using a self-consistent method. The distribution of magnetic moments and radii present two well-characterized peaks at (9 ± 2) × 10⁻¹⁵ and (20 ± 3) × 10⁻¹⁵ A m² and (3.6 ± 0.1) and (4.3 ± 0.1) μm, respectively. For the first time, simultaneous determination of the distribution of the organism radii and magnetic moment was obtained from the U-turn method by a new digital imaging processing. The bimodal distributions support an organism reproduction process model based on electron microscopy observations. These results corroborate the prokaryote multicellular hypothesis for Candidatus M. multicellularis.     

汞在小浪底水库的赋存形态及其时空变化

为了解小浪底水库汞的赋存状况,采用冷原子荧光光谱法测定了小浪底水库水体、表层沉积物、沉积物间隙水以及鱼类肌肉样品中的总汞,采用乙基化衍生-气相色谱-原子荧光法测定了上述样品中的甲基汞,进而分析了小浪底水库鱼体中汞的富集状况.结果表明,小浪底水库水体中丰、枯水期总汞浓度分别为0.71~1.42 ng·L-1和0.90~2.49 ng·L-1,均符合国家地表水环境质量标准(GB 3838-2002)一类水汞浓度标准限值,水样中未检出甲基汞.丰、枯水期沉积物中总汞浓度分别为51.74~90.42 ng·g-1和95.66~172.52 ng·g-1,甲基汞浓度分别为0.09~0.26 ng·g-1和0.18~0.39 ng·g-1,甲基汞浓度较低,这可能与水体底层溶解氧浓度较高以及沉积物中有机碳浓度较低有关.丰、枯水期沉积物间隙水总汞浓度分别为4.27~9.49 ng·L-1和5.46~41.04 ng·L-1,甲基汞浓度分别为0.09~0.99 ng·L-1和0.07~1.01 ng·L-1,间隙水中总汞和甲基汞浓度明显高于上覆水体,与水体间存在汞浓度梯度,可能存在从沉积物间隙水向水体中的扩散.鱼体肌肉总汞浓度在43.47~304.98 ng·g-1之间,甲基汞浓度为10.77~265.23 ng·g-1,甲基汞低于食品安全国家标准规定的污染物限量(GB 2762-2012)(非肉食性鱼500 ng·g-1和肉食性鱼1 000 ng·g-1).水库鱼体总汞的生物富集系数分别为鳙鱼1.3×105,梭鱼9.3×104,鲫鱼4.7×104,白条5.0×104,黄颡鱼1.7×105,弓鱼3.9×104.     

Strategic 3-hydroxy-2-butanone release in the dominant male lobster cockroach, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nauphoeta cinerea</Emphasis>

In the lobster cockroach Nauphoete cinerea, the dominant–subordinate hierarchy formed via the agonistic interactions is unstable, and changes in rank order are common. Our previous results showed that in the first encounter fight during initial rank formation, microgram levels of 3H-2B are released by the aggressive posture (AP)-adopting dominant male. In the present study, the pattern of daily pheromone (3H-2B) release during the domination period and on the day of rank switch, rank duration, and rank switch frequency were investigated in three-male groups and six-male groups to examine the effect of higher frequency of agonistic encounters. The results showed that, in the three-male groups (50-day observation period), daily 3H-2B release rate was not constant, but fluctuated, the average duration of dominant rank was 16.6 ± 2.0 days, rank switch occurred in 58.8% of groups, and the frequency of rank switching (average number of rank switches/group/50 days) was 1.4 ± 0.2. For the six-male groups (30-day observation period), the daily 3H-2B release rate also fluctuated, but the duration of dominant rank was significantly shorter at 4.2 ± 0.6 days, rank switch occurred in 100% of groups, and the frequency of rank switching (average number of rank switches/group/30 days) was significantly higher at 6.9 ± 0.6. The results for both sets of male groups showed that as a new rank formed (either on the first encounter day or on the day of rank switching), the dominant status was significantly associated with a higher 3H-2B release rate. In the animal kingdom, fighting usually involves communication or the exchange of signals, and the results of this study indicated that the fluctuating daily 3H-2B release rate adopted by the dominants is a kind of strategic release and the 3H-2B release rate is a signal used to determine dominance.     

Anatomical localization and stereoisomeric composition of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tribolium castaneum</Emphasis> aggregation pheromones

We report that the abdominal epidermis and associated tissues are the predominant sources of male-produced pheromones in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum and, for the first time, describe the stereoisomeric composition of the natural blend of isomers of the aggregation pheromone 4,8-dimethyldecanal (DMD) in this important pest species. Quantitative analyses via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry showed that the average amount of DMD released daily by single feeding males of T. castaneum was 878 ± 72 ng (SE). Analysis of different body parts identified the abdominal epidermis as the major source of aggregation pheromone; the thorax was a minor source, while no DMD was detectable in the head. No internal organs or obvious male-specific glands were associated with pheromone deposition. Complete separation of all four stereoisomers of DMD was achieved following oxidation to the corresponding acid, derivatization with (1R, 2R)- and (1S, 2S)-2-(anthracene-2,3-dicarboximido)cyclohexanol to diastereomeric esters, and their separation on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography at −54°C. Analysis of the hexane eluate from Porapak-Q-collected volatiles from feeding males revealed the presence of all four isomers (4R,8R)/(4R,8S)/(4S,8R)/(4S,8S) at a ratio of approximately 4:4:1:1. A walking orientation bioassay in a wind tunnel with various blends of the four synthetic isomers further indicated that the attractive potency of the reconstituted natural blend of 4:4:1:1 was equivalent to that of the natural pheromone and greater than that of the 1:1 blend of (4R,8R)/(4R,8S) used in commercial lures.     

8种典型PhACs在水中的赋存、生态风险及其对大型溞的影响

检测了8种典型的药物活性化合物(PhACs)在污水处理厂尾水受纳河流中的赋存情况.结果显示8种PhACs夏、冬两季总浓度范围分别为27.6～226.4 ng·L~(-1)和56.6～368.8 ng·L~(-1),其中咖啡因的浓度最高(16.2～125.8 ng·L~(-1)),其次是罗红霉素(3.3～89.2 ng·L~(-1))和布洛芬(3.6～59.2 ng·L~(-1)). 8种PhACs对绿藻、溞类和鱼类的总体生态风险(MRQ)在夏、冬两季分别为1.51、 0.08、 5.68和8.34、 0.22、 6.45,其中酮康唑、红霉素和布洛芬对藻类、溞类和鱼类MRQ的贡献率分别达到了49%、 85%和92%以上.从敏感物种来看,冬季绿藻对PhACs最为敏感,夏季鱼类对PhACs最为敏感.环境浓度下PhACs对大型溞21 d混合暴露实验结果显示:混合PhACs能够显著干扰大型溞的生长、生殖情况,显著提升了大型溞生殖能力和游泳活性,降低了心脏和胸肢跳动频率.     

Reversed sex change by widowed males in polygynous and protogynous fishes: female removal experiments in the field

Sex change, either protogyny (female to male) or protandry (male to female), is well known among fishes, but evidence of bidirectional sex change or reversed sex change in natural populations is still very limited. This is the first report on female removal experiments for polygnous and protogynous fish species to induce reversed sex change in the widowed males in the field. We removed all of the females and juveniles from the territories of dominant males in the cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus (Labridae) and the rusty angelfish Centropyge ferrugata (Pomacanthidae) on the coral reefs of Okinawa. In both species, if new females or juveniles did not immigrate into the territories of the widowed males, some of them emigrated to form male–male pairs. When a male–male pair formed, the smaller, subordinate partner began to perform female sexual behaviours (n = 4 in L. dimidiatus; n = 2 in C. ferrugata) and, finally, released eggs (n = 1, respectively). Thus, the reversed sex change occurred in the widowed males according to the change of their social status. These results suggest that such female removal experiments will contribute to the discovery of reversed sex change in the field also in other polygnous and protogynous species.     

Electric Organ Discharges of Mormyrid Fish as a Possible Cue for Predatory Catfish

During reproductive migration the electroreceptive African sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Siluriformes), preys mainly on a weakly electric fish, the bulldog Marcusenius macrolepidotus (Mormyridae; Merron 1993). This is puzzling because the electric organ discharges of known Marcusenius species are pulses of a duration (<1 ms) too short for being detected by the catfishes' low-frequency electroreceptive system (optimum sensitivity, 10–30 Hz; Peters and Bretschneider 1981). On the recent discovery that M. macrolepidotus males emit discharges lasting approximately ten times longer than those of females (Kramer 1997a) we determined behavioral thresholds for discharges of both sexes, using synthetic playbacks of field-recorded discharges. C. gariepinus detected M. macrolepidotus male discharges down to a field gradient of 103 μV_peak-peak/cm and up to a distance of 1.5 m at natural field conditions. In contrast, thresholds for female discharges were not reached with our setup, and we presume the bulldogs eaten by catfish are predominantly male. Received: 7 October 1998 / Accepted in revised form: 29 December 1998     

Experience,but not distance,influences the recruitment precision in the stingless bee <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scaptotrigona mexicana</Emphasis>

Recruitment precision, i.e. the proportion of recruits that reach an advertised food source, is a crucial adaptation of social bees to their environment. Studies with honeybees showed that recruitment precision is not a fixed feature, but it may be enhanced by factors like experience and distance. However, little is known regarding the recruitment precision of stingless bees. Hence, in this study, we examined the effects of experience and spatial distance on the precision of the food communication system of the stingless bee Scaptotrigona mexicana. We conducted the experiments by training bees to a three-dimensional artificial patch at several distances from the colony. We recorded the choices of individual recruited foragers, either being newcomers (foragers without experience with the advertised food source) or experienced (foragers that had previously visited the feeder). We found that the average precision of newcomers (95.6 ± 2.61%) was significantly higher than that of experienced bees (80.2 ± 1.12%). While this might seem counter-intuitive on first sight, this “loss” of precision can be explained by the tendency of experienced recruits to explore nearby areas to find new rewarding food sources after they had initially learned the exact location of the food source. Increasing the distance from the colony had no significant effect on the precision of the foraging bees. Thus, our data show that experience, but not the distance of the food source, affected the patch precision of S. mexicana foragers.