The Buzz about Bees: Biology of a SuperorganismTis book, already translated into ten languages, may at frst sight appear to be just about honeybees and their biology. It c- tains, however, a number of deeper messages related to some of the most basic and important principles of modern biology. Te bees are merely the actors that take us into the realm of phys- ology, genetics, reproduction, biophysics and learning, and that introduce us to the principles of natural selection underlying the evolution of simple to complex life forms. Te book destroys the cute notion of bees as anthropomorphic icons of busy self-sacr -i fcing individuals and presents us with the reality of the colony as an integrated and independent being—a “superorganism”—with its own, almost eerie, emergent group intelligence. We are s- prised to learn that no single bee, from queen through drone to sterile worker, has the oversight or control over the colony. - stead, through a network of integrated control systems and fee- backs, and communication between individuals, the colony - rives at consensus decisions from the bottom up through a type of “swarm intelligence”. Indeed, there are remarkable parallels between the functional organization of a swarming honeybee colony and vertebrate brains. |
Contents
Mans Smallest Domestic Animala Picture Guide | 11 |
The Inevitable Honeybees | 29 |
Honeybeesa Model for Success | 53 |
What Bees Know About Flowers | 71 |
Honeybee Sex and Virgin Brides | 115 |
Royal JellyDesigner Diet in Bee Colonies | 141 |
The Largest Organ of the Bee Colony | 156 |
The Circle Closes | 247 |
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Common terms and phrases
ability able activity alleles amount animals appear attractive become bee colony begin behavior biological body brood nest building capped carry cells close collect colors comb communication complex construction contains continuous dance dancer dependent determine developed direction distance drones eggs emerge empty energy entire environment feeding females flight flow flowers followers foragers genetic glands heater bees heating highly hive honey honeybees important individual insects jelly larvae lead leave less living males mass material mating means nature nectar observer occur organisms orientation particular pattern performance period phase plants pollen possible present produce properties pupae queen raise relative reproductive result rims royal signals significant single sisters situation stage superorganism swarm take place temperature tion visited visual waggle walls worker bees young queens