Stingless bee response to spider webs is dependent on the context of encounter |
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Authors: | Dinesh Rao Ken Cheng Marie E Herberstein |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia;(2) Centre for the Integrative Study of Animal Behaviour, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia |
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Abstract: | In the course of their foraging bouts, bees frequently encounter spider webs among the vegetation. The ability to see and
avoid these webs is vital for the success of the individual bee’s foraging bout. In this study, we report on the response
of stingless bees (Trigona carbonaria) towards the webs of the St. Andrew’s Cross spider (Argiope keyserlingi). We studied the ability of bees to avoid webs in different contexts: when bees were on their foraging path or when they
were returning to the hive as well as when they were flying North or South. We show that the probability of a bee being able
to avoid a web depends on the context of the bee’s flight rather than the visual appearance of the web. Furthermore, the presence
of the spider seems to alert the bee to the web, resulting in bees being more able to avoid capture. We show, specifically,
that the probability of being captured is higher when the bee is returning to the hive compared with when the bee is foraging.
The likelihood of avoiding a web is also influenced by the compass direction of the flight, although to a lesser extent. Our
results indicate that the context of the predator–prey encounter has a significant influence on a bee’s ability to escape
interception by a spider web. |
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Keywords: | Argiope keyserlingi Orb web Stabilimenta Decorations Trigona carbonaria Visibility Bee flight Predator– prey interactions |
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