Adjustment of fuel loads in stingless bees (Melipona subnitida).

Abstract

Eusocial bee foragers leave their nest with nectar as flight fuel, therewith reducing the risk of starvation during a foraging trip. Yet, the extra mass results in an increase of energetic expenditure for flight. Thus, bees should tune their fuel loads to the respective foraging situation. In the present study, we investigated the fuel adjustment in the Brazilian stingless bee Melipona subnitida (Apidae, Meliponini). Specifically, we examined whether foragers of this species increase their fuel loads when they have low expectation for nectar collection during a foraging trip. Crop load measurements revealed that nectar foragers carried significantly less fuel on departing the nest than foragers collecting either pollen, clay, or resin. Surprisingly, 75% of nectar foragers left the nest without any detectable amount of nectar, which suggests that the majority of bees collected at nearby nectar sources and avoided an increase in foraging costs. Moreover, foragers increased their fuel loading when repeatedly experiencing empty food sources that had previously been rewarding. These results support our hypothesis and demonstrate that the capability of fuel adjustment is not restricted to honey bees.