# Leaf-damaging behavior by queens is widespread among bumblebee species

## TL;DR

Bumblebee queens damage leaves, which may help plants flower faster, and this behavior is common across many bumblebee species.

## Contribution

The study shows that leaf-damaging behavior is not limited to workers but is also widespread among bumblebee queens across multiple species.

## Key findings

- Mated and unmated Bombus terrestris queens damage leaves, which can accelerate flowering.
- Leaf-damaging behavior was observed in wild-caught queens from 12 Bombus species across seven subgenera.
- This behavior may be ecologically significant during colony founding and early development.

## Abstract

Phenological mismatches and resource limitations resulting from ongoing environmental change can have severe impacts on pollinator fitness. Recent findings show that bumblebee workers respond to pollen scarcity by damaging plant leaves in ways that can accelerate flowering, suggesting a mechanism by which direct information transfer from bees to plants might influence the timing of flower production. However, the ecological and adaptive significance of this interaction remains uncertain. Here we report that mated and unmated queens of Bombus terrestris also damage leaves, with similar effects on flowering. Furthermore, we document leaf damage by wild-caught queens from 12 species, spanning seven subgenera, indicating damaging behavior is widespread among Bombus species. Leaf damage by bumblebee queens may have particular relevance in the context of colony founding and early development, where the timely availability of local floral resources can be critical for colony success and fitness.

Experiments with captive and wild queens show that leaf-damaging behavior is widespread among bumblebee species and can accelerate plant flowering.