Social transmission of nectar-robbing behaviour in bumble-bees

摘要

Social transmission of acquired foraging techniques is rarely considered outside of a vertebrate context.nHere, however, we show that nectar robbing by bumble-bees (Bombus terrestris)—an invertebratenbehaviour of considerable ecological significance—has the potential to spread through a population atnthe accelerated rates typical of social transmission. Nectar robbing occurs when individuals either bitenthrough the base of a flower to ‘steal’ nectar (primary robbing) or use robbing holes that others havenmade (secondary robbing). We found that experience of foraging from robbed flowers significantlynpromoted the development of primary robbing in previously legitimate foragers, thus implying that thenacquisition of nectar robbing by one individual will facilitate its adoption in others. Our findings suggestnthat the positive feedback effects of social transmission may potentially play an ecologically importantnrole in the relationship between plants and pollinators.