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From: mmm@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Bumblebee behavior
Message-ID: <42694@cup.portal.com>
Date: 26 May 91 17:32:10 GMT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 8

There's a big honeysuckle plant in front of my house, and the bumblebees
love it, presumably because the flowers are too deep to be serviced by
honeybees.  I've noticed what appears to be territorial behavior on the
part of the bumblebees.  For example, I've seen one bumblebee chase after
and harass another bumblebee.  I've also noticed bumblebees just sort of
hanging around -- not drinking nectar, just hovering and inspecting the
plant, possibly looking for interlopers.  Are bumblebees territorial, or
am I mistaking some other behavior, such as mating, for what I see?