Density of predating Asian hornets at hives disturbs the 3D flight performance of honey bees and decreases predation success

Poidatz Juliette, Chiron Guillaume, Kennedy Peter J., Osborne Juliet L., Requier Fabrice. 2023. Density of predating Asian hornets at hives disturbs the 3D flight performance of honey bees and decreases predation success. Ecology and Evolution, 13 (3):e9902, 11 p.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9902

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Url - jeu de données - Entrepôt autre : https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.22233067.v1

Résumé : 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.

Mots-clés Agrovoc : Apis mellifera, Vespa, Vespa velutina, écologie animale, prédateur, courbure, interactions biologiques, espèce envahissante, conduite de la ruche, relation prédateur proie, compétition animale, écologie marine, performance animale, ruche, adaptation

Mots-clés libres : Apis mellifera, Flight performance, Image-based tracking, Predator–prey interaction, Vespa velutina

Classification Agris : L72 - Organismes nuisibles des animaux

Champ stratégique Cirad : CTS 4 (2019-) - Santé des plantes, des animaux et des écosystèmes

Agences de financement européennes : European Commission

Agences de financement hors UE : Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Agence Nationale de la Recherche

Programme de financement européen : H2020

Projets sur financement : (EU) ICT technologies for sustainable food systems, (FRA) Understanding and anticipating mechanisms of honeybee colony mortality with connected beehives

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