International Buzz: Honeybees Caught Red-Handed Stealing Pollen from Bumblebees In a surprising revelation, Italian researchers have uncovered a case of honeybee larceny, as some honeybees shamelessly pilfer pollen off the backs of unsuspecting bumblebees. The observations, detailed in the journal Apidologie on December 21, mark one of the most extensive documentations of bee-on-bee theft, previously witnessed primarily in the United States. During a summer expedition in 2019 to Mount Antola in Liguria, northern Italy, naturalists Tiziano Londei and Giuliana Marzi captured video footage of honeybees attempting to push bumblebees away from a woolly thistle flower. Upon closer examination, the footage revealed not competitive harassment but outright robbery. The honeybees targeted red-tailed bumblebees, with a preference for males, who seemed less bothered by the thievery. To assess the prevalence of this behavior, researchers revisited the site multiple times over the next three y...
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