Meeting Abstract
Honeybee colonies often form swarms [1] wherein the queen and workers bees (on average ~10,000 bees) may gather in a tree or on a branch and send scout bees out to find new suitable nest locations. Generally, the swarm takes on an inverted cone shape where the bees hold on to each other, and form a large structure that can be hundreds of times the size of an organism. The aspect ratio of the cone depends on the geometry of the branch (or other attachment surface). The mechanisms by which a multitude of bees work together without an overseer to create a stable structure that compete with gravity remains elusive. Here we combine both experimental observations and modeling, to test the role of mechanical cues in honeybee swarm morphogenesis. In the experiments, mechanical perturbations were applied to a swarm. In response, the bees tune the aspect ratio of the cone dynamically. As the frequency of perturbation increase, the larger the base of the cone and the shorter its height become. Furthermore, we explored the formation of the swarm and its response to mechanical perturbations using an agent based simulations and confirmed a mechanism by which individual bees are capable to sense mechanical stresses, and respond by changing the global shape of the swarm. Together these observations suggest a new paradigm for sensing and feedback-driven stabilization of structures made of active elements. [1] T. D. Seeley, Honeybee Democracy, Princeton University Press, 2010
