Density of predating Asian hornets at hives disturbs the 3D flight performance of honey bees and decreases predation success
Abstract Automated 3D image‐based tracking systems are new and promising devices to investigate the foraging behavior of flying animals with great accuracy and precision. 3D analyses can provide accurate assessments of flight performance in regard to speed, curvature, and hovering. However, there ha...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2023-03-01
|
| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9902 |
| _version_ | 1797857471309545472 |
|---|---|
| author | Juliette Poidatz Guillaume Chiron Peter Kennedy Juliet Osborne Fabrice Requier |
| author_facet | Juliette Poidatz Guillaume Chiron Peter Kennedy Juliet Osborne Fabrice Requier |
| author_sort | Juliette Poidatz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Automated 3D image‐based tracking systems are new and promising devices to investigate the foraging behavior of flying animals with great accuracy and precision. 3D analyses can provide accurate assessments of flight performance in regard to speed, curvature, and hovering. However, there have been few applications of this technology in ecology, particularly for insects. We used this technology to analyze the behavioral interactions between the Western honey bee Apis mellifera and its invasive predator the Asian hornet, Vespa velutina nigrithorax. We investigated whether predation success could be affected by flight speed, flight curvature, and hovering of the Asian hornet and honey bees in front of one beehive. We recorded a total of 603,259 flight trajectories and 5175 predator–prey flight interactions leading to 126 successful predation events, representing 2.4% predation success. Flight speeds of hornets in front of hive entrances were much lower than that of their bee prey; in contrast to hovering capacity, while curvature range overlapped between the two species. There were large differences in speed, curvature, and hovering between the exit and entrance flights of honey bees. Interestingly, we found hornet density affected flight performance of both honey bees and hornets. Higher hornet density led to a decrease in the speed of honey bees leaving the hive, and an increase in the speed of honey bees entering the hive, together with more curved flight trajectories. These effects suggest some predator avoidance behavior by the bees. Higher honey bee flight curvature resulted in lower hornet predation success. Results showed an increase in predation success when hornet number increased up to 8 individuals, above which predation success decreased, likely due to competition among predators. Although based on a single colony, this study reveals interesting outcomes derived from the use of automated 3D tracking to derive accurate measures of individual behavior and behavioral interactions among flying species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T20:57:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-29d61733fe4e47bf96819103541e3170 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T20:57:11Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-29d61733fe4e47bf96819103541e31702023-03-29T14:14:48ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582023-03-01133n/an/a10.1002/ece3.9902Density of predating Asian hornets at hives disturbs the 3D flight performance of honey bees and decreases predation successJuliette Poidatz0Guillaume Chiron1Peter Kennedy2Juliet Osborne3Fabrice Requier4Environment and Sustainability Institute University of Exeter Penryn UKLaboratoire L3i Université de La Rochelle La Rochelle FranceEnvironment and Sustainability Institute University of Exeter Penryn UKEnvironment and Sustainability Institute University of Exeter Penryn UKUniversité Paris‐Saclay, CNRS, IRD UMR Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et Écologie Gif‐sur‐Yvette FranceAbstract Automated 3D image‐based tracking systems are new and promising devices to investigate the foraging behavior of flying animals with great accuracy and precision. 3D analyses can provide accurate assessments of flight performance in regard to speed, curvature, and hovering. However, there have been few applications of this technology in ecology, particularly for insects. We used this technology to analyze the behavioral interactions between the Western honey bee Apis mellifera and its invasive predator the Asian hornet, Vespa velutina nigrithorax. We investigated whether predation success could be affected by flight speed, flight curvature, and hovering of the Asian hornet and honey bees in front of one beehive. We recorded a total of 603,259 flight trajectories and 5175 predator–prey flight interactions leading to 126 successful predation events, representing 2.4% predation success. Flight speeds of hornets in front of hive entrances were much lower than that of their bee prey; in contrast to hovering capacity, while curvature range overlapped between the two species. There were large differences in speed, curvature, and hovering between the exit and entrance flights of honey bees. Interestingly, we found hornet density affected flight performance of both honey bees and hornets. Higher hornet density led to a decrease in the speed of honey bees leaving the hive, and an increase in the speed of honey bees entering the hive, together with more curved flight trajectories. These effects suggest some predator avoidance behavior by the bees. Higher honey bee flight curvature resulted in lower hornet predation success. Results showed an increase in predation success when hornet number increased up to 8 individuals, above which predation success decreased, likely due to competition among predators. Although based on a single colony, this study reveals interesting outcomes derived from the use of automated 3D tracking to derive accurate measures of individual behavior and behavioral interactions among flying species.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9902Apis melliferaflight performanceimage‐based trackingpredator–prey interactionstereovisionVespa velutina |
| spellingShingle | Juliette Poidatz Guillaume Chiron Peter Kennedy Juliet Osborne Fabrice Requier Density of predating Asian hornets at hives disturbs the 3D flight performance of honey bees and decreases predation success Ecology and Evolution Apis mellifera flight performance image‐based tracking predator–prey interaction stereovision Vespa velutina |
| title | Density of predating Asian hornets at hives disturbs the 3D flight performance of honey bees and decreases predation success |
| title_full | Density of predating Asian hornets at hives disturbs the 3D flight performance of honey bees and decreases predation success |
| title_fullStr | Density of predating Asian hornets at hives disturbs the 3D flight performance of honey bees and decreases predation success |
| title_full_unstemmed | Density of predating Asian hornets at hives disturbs the 3D flight performance of honey bees and decreases predation success |
| title_short | Density of predating Asian hornets at hives disturbs the 3D flight performance of honey bees and decreases predation success |
| title_sort | density of predating asian hornets at hives disturbs the 3d flight performance of honey bees and decreases predation success |
| topic | Apis mellifera flight performance image‐based tracking predator–prey interaction stereovision Vespa velutina |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9902 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT juliettepoidatz densityofpredatingasianhornetsathivesdisturbsthe3dflightperformanceofhoneybeesanddecreasespredationsuccess AT guillaumechiron densityofpredatingasianhornetsathivesdisturbsthe3dflightperformanceofhoneybeesanddecreasespredationsuccess AT peterkennedy densityofpredatingasianhornetsathivesdisturbsthe3dflightperformanceofhoneybeesanddecreasespredationsuccess AT julietosborne densityofpredatingasianhornetsathivesdisturbsthe3dflightperformanceofhoneybeesanddecreasespredationsuccess AT fabricerequier densityofpredatingasianhornetsathivesdisturbsthe3dflightperformanceofhoneybeesanddecreasespredationsuccess |