SPATIAL FORAGING PATTERNS AND COLONY ENERGY STATUS IN THE AFRICAN HONEY-BEE, APIS-MELLIFERA-SCUTELLATA

The relationship between changes in foraging patterns (inferred from w aggle dance activity) and colony energy status (inferred from brood re aring activity, food storage, and colony weight) was examined for the African honey bee during a period of relative resource abundance and r esource dearth. When resources were more abundant mean foraging distan ces (about 400 m) and foraging areas (4-5 km2) were small, and colonie s recruited to 12-19 different sites per day. Colony foraging ranges a nd sites visited increased slightly during the dearth period, yet fora ging continued to be concentrated within less than 10 km2. The degree to which fluctuations in foraging patterns were correlated with colony energy status varied with the availability of floral resources. Durin g periods of relative forage abundance, increases in foraging range an d number of sites visited were significantly correlated with increases in brood rearing and colony weight. In contrast, colonies examined du ring periods of resource dearth exhibited no correlations between fora ging areas, foraging distances, and fluctuations in brood rearing, foo d storage, or colony weight. Thus, during dearth periods colonies may not be able to coordinate foraging patterns with changes in colony ene rgy status.