Bumblebees May Self-Medicate when Their Colony Faces Fungal Pathogen
A study published in Royal Society Open Science suggests that bumblebees may engage in self-medication by consuming antimicrobial compounds when their colonies are threatened by fungal pathogens. Researchers used robotic flowers to observe this adaptive behavior in the insects.
Why it matters
This research provides new insights into zoopharmacognosy and how social insects adapt their foraging behavior to protect colony health.
In a new study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science , buff-tailed bumblebees ( Bombus terrestris ) exposed to a brood-killing fungus shifted their foraging habits toward nectar laced with a natural antimicrobial compound, offering a rare glimpse of behavior consistent with self-medication in a social insect.
Debeuckelaere et al . used robotic flowers to test the hypothesis that bumblebees ( Bombus terrestris ) modify nectar choice after pathogen exposure, focusing on quercetin, a common nectar secondary compound with antimicrobial activity. Image credit: Josef Pichler.
“The field of zoopharmacognosy examines how animals use natural compounds for medicinal purposes , such as alleviating pain, fighting infections, or protecting against parasites,” said Dr. María Pozo from the University of Valladolid and her colleagues from KU Leuven in Belgium.
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