Asian honeybees are renowned for their intricate strategies to protect their hives from intruders. In addition to their well-known defensive tactics like shimmering waves and defensive balls, researchers in Japan have discovered a new weapon in their arsenal: wing-slapping.
Scientists have observed that Asian honeybee guards utilize their wings to repel invasive ants attempting to enter the hive. Slow-motion footage captured during a study published in the journal Ecology showcased the precision and force with which the guard bees execute their wing-slapping maneuvers.
When confronted by ants at the hive entrance, the guard bees deftly use their wings to deliver powerful blows, sending the ants tumbling through the air before they crash to the ground. This swift and effective tactic serves as a deterrent to prevent ants from infiltrating the hive and potentially depleting its resources.
Through careful observation and analysis, researchers at Japan’s National Institute for Environmental Studies found that wing-slapping was an energy-efficient method employed by Asian honeybees to fend off ant intruders. The rapid and precise nature of the wing-slaps often caught the ants off guard, leading to their swift expulsion from the vicinity of the hive.
The study team utilized slow-motion cameras to capture the interactions between guard bees and invading ant species, shedding light on the effectiveness of the wing-slapping technique. In many instances, the wing-slaps successfully propelled smaller ant species away from the hive, preventing potential threats to the honeybee colony.
According to Kiyohito Morii, a behavioral ecologist and co-author of the study, the wing-slapping action was so rapid that ants sometimes struggled to react in time, resulting in their disorientation and retreat. Yoshiko Sakamoto, another study author and senior researcher at the institute, noted that the speed and precision of the wing-slaps made it challenging for ants to counter the honeybees’ defensive maneuvers.
