Network-based diffusion analysis reveals context-specific dominance of dance communication in foraging honeybees.

ABSTRACT: The honeybee (Apis mellifera) dance communication system is a marvel of collective behaviour, but the added value it brings to colony foraging efficiency is poorly understood. In temperate environments, preventing communication of foraging locations rarely decreases colony food intake, potentially because simultaneous transmission of olfactory information also plays a major role in foraging. Here, we employ social network analyses that quantify information flow across multiple temporally varying networks (each representing a different interaction type) to evaluate the relative contributions of dance communication and hive-based olfactory information transfer to honeybee recruitment events. We show that virtually all successful recruits to novel locations rely upon dance information rather

SUBMITTER: Hasenjager MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6994492 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature