Triangulating from the cairns…
By setting out arrays of potted plants of Penstemon strictus, I tested whether freely foraging bumblebee (Bombus spp.) workers would establish regular foraging routes that reflected the geometry of the array. They did, passing through an asymmetrical array in a pattern that minimized interplant flight distances. After the array was changed to a symmetrical pattern, however, the experienced bees continued to show their previous asymmetrical flight patterns. New bees without experience on the asymmetrical array showed no asymmetry on the symmetrical array. I term this persistence of flight-path geometry "trapline holdover," and discuss its implications for the study of animals' learning and foraging behavior.
Knowledge graph centered on Trapline foraging by bumblebees: I. Persistence of with 17 nodes and 76 connections. Top connected: Two-form Bumble Bee, Bumble Bees, Yellow-fronted Bumble Bee, Buff-tailed Bumble Bee, Common Eastern Bumble Bee.
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