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Age-related variation of homing range in honeybee males (Apis mellifera)

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Abstract

Homing toward specific places is critical for the survival and reproduction of motile animals and can influence the spatial range of animal behavior. The homing distance often varies temporally, which has been thoroughly studied in the context of foraging in social Hymenopteran insects, but little is known about the variation in males engaging in mating. This study released males of different ages with guaranteed flight experience in locations at various distances from the colony and evaluated how, over time, honeybee males change the distances they can travel when homing toward their colony. Furthermore, the effect of age and flight experience on flight ability was investigated to evaluate their effect on homing performance. This study found that older males can return to the colony from a greater distance and faster than younger males and also that flight ability did not vary due to males’ age and flight experience. The results suggest that males could undergo a behavioral process that enables them to expand their homing range. This temporal variation provides an insight into the expansion of males’ dispersal distance, which reduces the possibility of inbreeding and male–male competition.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Prof. Madoka Nakai and Dr. Maki Inoue for providing helpful comments on this study.

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Author notes

  1. S. Hayashi

    Present address: Department of Earth System Science, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The United Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8, Saiwai, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan

    S. Hayashi

  2. Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan

    T. Sasaki, K. Kaneko & Y. Hosaka

  3. Laboratory of Animal Husbandry and Management, Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Kabul University, Kabul, Afghanistan

    S. Ibrahim Farkhary

  4. Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8, Saiwai, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan

    T. Satoh

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  1. S. Hayashi
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Correspondence to S. Hayashi.

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Hayashi, S., Sasaki, T., Farkhary, S.I. et al. Age-related variation of homing range in honeybee males (Apis mellifera). Insect. Soc. 69, 37–45 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-021-00843-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-021-00843-3

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