Honey bees switch mechanisms to drink deep nectar efficiently

Abstract

The feeding mechanisms of animals constrain the spectrum of resources that they can exploit profitably. For floral nectar eaters, both corolla depth and nectar properties have marked influence on foraging choices. We report the multiple strategies used by honey bees to efficiently extract nectar at the range of sugar concentrations and corolla depths they face in nature. Honey bees can collect nectar by dipping their hairy tongues or capillary loading when lapping it, or they can attach the tongue to the wall of long corollas and directly suck the nectar along the tongue sides. The honey bee feeding apparatus is unveiled as a multifunctional tool that can switch between lapping and sucking nectar according to the instantaneous ingesting efficiency, which is determined by the interplay of nectar–mouth distance and sugar concentration. These versatile feeding mechanisms allow honey bees to extract nectar efficiently from a wider range of floral resources than previously appreciated and endow them with remarkable adaptability to diverse foraging environments.

Bio-inspired sustained entrainment in immiscible liquid–liquid systems for collecting floating oil

“…1(a)). 12,15,22,[42][43][44] Considering the tongue's enhancement effect on the air-liquid entrainment, we abstracted it as a typical model to investigate its behavior in the liquid-liquid entraining process. The experimental setup includes a 3D-printed rod as the solid object, a liquid tank containing two liquids, and a high-speed camera to record the entrainment (Fig.…”

“…[6][7][8][9][10] Recent advancements in this eld have emphasized the importance of mesoscale structures, such as micro-textured or mesoscale structures similar to those found on a bee's tongue, in enhancing the efficiency of liquid entrainment. [11][12][13][14][15] These structures help retain the liquid lm on the solid surface, preventing it from draining away too quickly. Learning from nature, the methodology of mimicking natural structures has been demonstrated to provide more effective manipulation upon uidic processes.…”

Fine structure of sensilla on the proboscis of the Indian Honey Bee Apis cerana indica Fabricius (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae)

“…Feeding in honeybees is well-studied by several authors as summarized by (Düster et al 2018). A recent study shows that honeybees can switch from lapping to sucking mode when needed (Wei et al 2023). While J TT in the groove identified by (Whitehead & Larsen 1976b).…”

Professor Sue Nicolson 1950-2023: Sweet solutions: pollinators and their physiology

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Obituary-On 27 April 2023 the scientific community lost an inspirational and influential biologist of rare quality following the death of Professor Sue Nicolson and we have lost a dear friend and colleague. Sue's most recent paper (Wei et al 2023), which reports on how honey bees drink, was published in PNAS just a few months after her passing. It seems a fitting coda to such an illustrious career in science since it captures her research interests in the last two decades on pollination and related topics following a lifetime studying the biology of insects.

Sue was born in 1950 inDargaville, New Zealand and was awarded a B.Sc.

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