Most people identify "the wave" with football, crowded stadiums and entertainment. But the wave is not just for screaming fans. Researchers at the University of Graz, Austria, and the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, UK, have unveiled the mystery behind the phenomenon of 'shimmering' in giant honeybees. Their discovery was recently published in the journal PLoS ONE.
When in alarm, hundreds or even thousands of individual honey bees move their abdomens upwards sull'alveare creating a pattern like a wave. The research team said the phenomenon of tremor allows honey bees communicate and defend themselves against predatory hornets. This move is particularly important because the wave forces the predators to find other prey, thus protecting not only bees but also their nests.
Professor. Gerald Kastberger Institute of Zoology at the University of Graz led the team of scientists who have examined how effectively does this behavior. Researchers had long been understood that the tremor was triggered by a visual stimulus for predators. The giant honeybees motivation for its hive mates, thus creating the effect of the tremor.
This behavior creates a "curtain of bees' or "protected area" of about 50 cm from the honeycomb, which makes communication between the bees fast, efficient and continuous. Moreover, potential predators are faced with a wall and can not enter. Professor. Kastberger installed two cameras to resume the activity of honeybee colonies. The research team examined about 500 cases of interactions between bees and hornets, frame by frame. It was shown that colonies of giant honeybees trigger this behavior in order to remove the bees, the faster the convergence of the hornets, the stronger the thrill of bees.
The study also shown that when faced with this iridescent ola, bumblebees they turn around and leave. According to the researchers, the thrill on a large scale can expel predatory hornets, while a minor tremor can confuse the dangerous insects. The predators are forced to feed on bees flying freely.
In their report, researchers have also focused on evolutionary principles relating to the manner in which the giant honeybees benefit from the tremor. Based on their findings, the team said that the tremor is a key factor in the lives of honeybees, in particular because it allows them to pursue the lifestyle they have developed a nest open millions of years ago.
are honey bees in South-East Asia to form their nests in open areas only a comb. These giant honeybees choose to place the hives on trees, rocks or buildings built by man. The team said that their typical behavior is to return to these sites over the years.
According to the researchers, the transfer of information and self-organization are the key components of the effect shudder.
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