Novel pollen analogue technique shows bumblebees display low floral constancy and prefer sites with high floral diversity

Abstract Context There have been dramatic global declines in pollinating insects. A common land management intervention to support wild pollinators is plant non-crop flowering plants (‘pollinator planting’). However, there are limited data on which species or spatial arrangement of planting provide maximum benefit pollinators. Objectives Here we investigate and locations visited by free-foraging Bombus terrestris (buff-tailed bumblebees) species-rich semi-natural grassland woodland. Methods Two study nests buff-tailed bumblebees were established Wytham Woods, UK. Pollen analogue pigments sprayed open flowers the area over a period two months, with unique colours used identify separate sections area. load analysis was forage foraging locations. Results Bumblebees showed low flower constancy, visiting five per trip average, as group sampled 36 49 identified surveys. Many individuals foraged multiple, spatially-discrete during single trips. Conclusions The positive relationship between floral diversity pollen diversity, site frequency visitation, suggest behavioural strategies that maximize visited, line energetic costs benefits hypothesis . This supports recommendations for pollinator plantings high potentially spread across many small areas landscape.