The behavioural responses of bumblebees Bombus terrestris to simulated rain

Abstract

Bumblebee activity typically decreases during rainfall, putting them under the threat of the increased frequency of precipitation due to climate change. A novel rain machine was used within a flight arena to observe the behavioural responses of bumblebees ( Bombus terrestris ) to simulated rain at both a colony and individual level. During rainfall, a greater proportion of workers left the arena than entered, the opposite of which was seen during dry periods, implying that they compensate for their lack of activity when conditions improve. The proportion of workers flying and foraging decreased while resting increased in rain. This pattern reversed during dry periods, providing further evidence for compensatory activity. The increase in resting behaviour during rain is thought to evade the high energetic costs of flying while wet without unnecessarily returning to the nest. This effect was not repeated in individual time budgets, measured with lone workers, suggesting that the presence of conspecifics accelerates the decision of their behavioural response, perhaps via local enhancement. Bumblebees probably use social cues to strategize their energetic expenditure during precipitation, allowing them to compensate for the reduced foraging activity during rainfall when conditions improve.