A study led by Queen Mary University of London found that bumblebees can socially learn, which means they can pick up new habits by watching and copying what other bees do. The research published in PLOS Biology shows that the behavior of bumblebees, specifically how they forage for food, can be rapidly spread through a colony through social learning.
The researchers did a number of tests to back up their findings. For example, they set up a two-choice puzzle box where bees had to push a red tab clockwise or a blue tab counterclockwise to get to a sucrose solution reward. They trained “demonstrator” bees to use one of the tabs, and “observer” bees watching them repeatedly chose the same method, even after discovering the alternative option. Whole colonies of bees maintained this preference for the taught option.
The study shows that social learning is a key way to figure out how to solve puzzle boxes and spread behavioral trends. This could explain how many of the complex behaviors we see in social insects evolved over time. The researchers argue that what now appears instinctive in these insects may have been socially learned, at least initially.
Professor Lars Chittka, Professor of Sensory and Behavioural Ecology at Queen Mary University of London and author of the book “The Mind of a Bee,” said that bees are far more intelligent than people give them credit for. Their research shows that new ideas can spread through insect colonies like “memes” on social media. This means that they can respond to changes in their environment much faster than through evolutionary changes.
References
- Bridges, A. D., MaBouDi, H., Procenko, O., Lockwood, C., Mohammed, Y., Kowalewska, A., Romero González, J. E., Woodgate, J. L., & Chittka, L. (2023). Bumblebees acquire alternative puzzle-box solutions via social learning. PLOS Biology, 21(3), e3002019. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002019
- Queen Mary University of London Press Office. (2023, March 7). Bumblebees learn new “trends” in their behaviour by watching and learning. Queen Mary University of London News; Queen Mary University of London. https://www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2023/se/bumblebees-learn-new-trends-in-their-behaviour-by-watching-and-learning.html
