A team of researchers at the University of Konstanz have kicked off a thrilling experiment to understand the defensive behavior of honey bees. In doing so, they found striking differences in the type of response within a colony of bees. Neurobiologist Morgane Nouvian heads up this pioneering research. This is because it uncovers how individual honey bee personalities determine how they respond to a threat—whether to attack or remain more docile.
Led by first author, doctoral student Kavitha Kannan. She is a member of the Cluster of Excellence Collective Behavior at the University of Konstanz. Their results, published this week in the journal Royal Society Open Science, shine new light on the complex social dynamics at play inside bee colonies. They further challenge the previous assumption that all group members respond uniformly to threats.
Investigating Defensive Behavior
In order to perform these studies, the research team used beehives on the grounds of the University of Konstanz. One of the most interesting parts of their methodology was the collection of guard bees, which are key sentinels to the hive. By choosing these particular bees, the researchers hoped to rule out outside variables that might affect defensive responses.
Perhaps the most critical decision the team made was to choose guard bees. This was a brilliant choice because it enabled them to focus laser-like on the idiosyncratic behavior of these particular people. In the first two experiments, the researchers simulated different scenarios to test how the bees reacted. An unintended consequence of this was to shine a light on what led to their defensive stance.
Through a series of highly controlled experiments, the scientists found clear and strikingly consistent patterns in answers. Additional guard bees began aggressive flight behavior when faced with an intrusion, with the aggressive bees continuing to attack at will. Other species of bees were far more chill. As people began to panic and violence escalated around them, they decided to show restraint and consider their options, rather than immediately lashing out.
The Role of Personality
The study’s findings imply that personality is a significant factor in predicting how honey bees will respond in conflicts. This landmark finding is significant because it demonstrates that differences in defensive behavior extend beyond environmental contexts or proximate elicitors. They come from the anatomical, behavioral and ecological idiosyncrasies of each bee.
The research team concluded that knowing how these personality traits function is key to understanding complex bee colony dynamics. It is this individual bee’s specific response to a given threat that creates the diversity of behavior necessary for the survival and functionality of the colony as a whole. Beyond our current findings, Nouvian underlined how this study represents a thrilling new frontier for exploration. It gives insight into how personality affects social behaviors in multiple species, beyond simply honey bees.
Nouvian and Kannan are currently pursuing field studies to investigate the mechanisms underlining these personality traits. Their ultimate goal is to understand how these traits act in concert to shape colony defense. They want to study how these behaviors change over time. They’re interested in identifying the factors that lead to their improvement over time.
Future Directions
The impacts of this research go far beyond honey bee colonies. As pollinators essential to worldwide agriculture, discerning honey bee behaviors will be important in the effort to conserve this key species and promote successful farming. Lessons learned through this research may help develop practices and policies that will protect bee health and make hive management more sustainable.
The team’s exciting findings lead to interesting questions surrounding the bigger picture—the role of personality in other social species. By examining behavioral differences within colonies, researchers can better understand how individual traits influence collective behavior in other animals, including humans.