Sex-Related Variation in Circadian Rhythms in the Bumble Bee .

Mating success depends on many factors, but first of all, a male and a female need to meet at the same place and time. The circadian clock is an endogenous system regulating activity and sex-related behaviors in animals. We studied bumble bees () in which the influence of circadian rhythms on sexual behavior has been little explored.

Bumble Bees () Use Time-Memory to Associate Reward with Color and Time of Day.

Circadian clocks regulate ecologically important complex behaviors in honey bees, but it is not clear whether similar capacities exist in other species of bees. One key behavior influenced by circadian clocks is time-memory, which enables foraging bees to precisely time flower visitation to periods of maximal pollen or nectar availability and reduces the costs of visiting a non-rewarding flower patch. Bumble bees live in smaller societies and typically forage over shorter distances than honey bees, and it is therefore not clear whether they can similarly associate reward with time of day.