[Pollinator] Bumblebee in spider's web rescued by other bumblebee

[Kim Fellows]

Hi Folks,

Looks like you're all coming to a consensus ... posted directly under the original youtube video is a disclaimer, leading to this link, written by Dave Goulson http://theconversation.com/no-thats-not-a-video-of-a-bee-rescuing-its-friend-from-a-spider-28020

Cheers,
Kim


K i m b e r l e y   F e l l o w s
Pollination Outreach Coordinator
Pollination Canada Seeds of Diversity
    
                        

> On Jul 30, 2014, at 4:43 PM, Peter Bernhardt <bernhap2 at slu.edu> wrote:
> 
> Dear Liz:
> 
> I'm not convinced either.  The footage doesn't convince me that one bee is trying to save another.  It looks like a second bee blundered into the web after the first one.  Note that the man filming the activity said he went outside and released BOTH of the bees.  On the other hand, it would not surprise me that a tangled bee's first response it to sting and it might (note, I say might) have nicked the spider.  Otherwise, its thrashing might have knocked the spider out of the web.  It was having a hard time with the first bee.  The second probably strained the tensile strength of the web filaments.  This is what happens when you get too much of a good thing.  
> 
> Does anyone else have anecdotal or published material to confirm that bees are known to sting spiders following web entrapment?  Of course, there is plenty of literature on wasps preying on spiders.  I saw that once, as a boy.
> 
> Peter
> 
> 
>> On Wed, Jul 30, 2014 at 1:23 PM, Liz Day <lizday44 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> >Subject: Bumblebee in spider's web rescued by other bumblebee
>> >
>> >>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs_3FHh3z4o
>> 
>> I'm not so sure about this. As nearly as I can tell, it does not appear to me that the second bee is aiming for the spider, or that it actually stung it. When slowed down, it looks almost as if the dark projection which is pointed out as being the sting might be one of the second bee's hind legs.
>> What do others think?
>> 
>> Liz
>> Indy
>> 
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