Physiological and Environmental Impact of Temperature Change on Bumblebee Flight

Abstract

Insects are impressive flyers due to their intricate wing anatomy, exceptional maneuvering abilities, and capacity to fly in harsh conditions. Bees adapt to extreme environmental conditions through thermoregulation, which allows them to lose or gain heat to regulate their body temperature and increase survivability and foraging capability. The temperature of the thorax, which is regulated by heat transfer between the body and the environment must be kept within a specific range to generate enough power to fly. Computational studies examining heat transfer effects on the aerodynamic performance of bees are limited. This study analyzes effects of ambient temperature and heat dissipation from the body on lift and thrust using morphologically accurate models from Bombus pensylvanicus scans. Three-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations were solved to predict flow around the bee in different environments. The results of the study showed that even though the thoracic activity changes the flow conditions around the wing, the effect of heat transfer given the assumptions made was not found to have a significant effect. Ambient conditions, however, play a crucial role in flight performance. Increasing ambient temperature reduced the pressure surrounding the wings, which led to decreased lift and aerodynamic power production at hovering and forward flight.