Are bumble bees… BIGTIME PLAYAS?!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Play behavior is common in mammals and birds. But insects???
Hiruni Samadi Galpayage Dona and team investigated whether bumble bees play. They gave forty-five bees tiny wooden balls with no food and no incentive. Still, many bees rolled, pushed, and spun the balls repeatedly.
Play was defined as behavior that is voluntary, not functional, and intrinsically rewarding. The rolling bees met that definition!
Males played longer than females. And overall, young bees played much more than did older bees. Some even preferred chambers previously linked to play, even when no balls or food were present!
I guess it’s bye bye worker bees! Remember, don’t hate the playa, hate the game.
Reference: Galpayage Dona, H. S., Solvi, C., Kowalewska, A., Mäkelä, K., MaBouDi, H., & Chittka, L. (2022). Do bumble bees play? Animal Behaviour, 194, 239–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.08.013