Predation risk makes bees reject rewarding flowers and reduce foraging activity |
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Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Emily?I?JonesEmail author Anna?Dornhaus |
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Institution: | (1) School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA;(2) Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA |
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Abstract: | In the absence of predators, pollinators can often maximize their foraging success by visiting the most rewarding flowers.
However, if predators use those highly rewarding flowers to locate their prey, pollinators may benefit from changing their
foraging preferences to accept less rewarding flowers. Previous studies have shown that some predators, such as crab spiders,
indeed hunt preferentially on the most pollinator-attractive flowers. In order to determine whether predation risk can alter
pollinator preferences, we conducted laboratory experiments on the foraging behavior of bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) when predation risk was associated with a particular reward level (measured here as sugar concentration). Bees foraged in
arenas containing a choice of a high-reward and a low-reward artificial flower. On a bee’s first foraging trip, it was either
lightly squeezed with forceps, to simulate a crab spider attack, or was allowed to forage safely. The foragers’ subsequent
visits were recorded for between 1 and 4 h without any further simulated attacks. Compared to bees that foraged safely, bees
that experienced a simulated attack on a low-reward artificial flower had reduced foraging activity. However, bees attacked
on a high-reward artificial flower were more likely to visit low-reward artificial flowers on subsequent foraging trips. Forager
body size, which is thought to affect vulnerability to capture by predators, did not have an effect on response to an attack.
Predation risk can thus alter pollinator foraging behavior in ways that influence the number and reward level of flowers that
are visited. |
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