A model of resource partitioning between foraging bees

Central place foraging pollinators tend to develop multi-destination routes (traplines) to exploit several patchily distributed plant resources. While the formation of traplines by individual pollinators has been studied in details, how populations of individuals exploit resources in a common area is an open ques-tion difficult to address experimentally. Here we explored conditions for the emergence of resource partitioning among traplining bees using agent-based models built from experimental data of bumble-bees foraging on artificial flowers. In the models, bees learn to develop routes as a consequence of feedback loops that change their probabilities of moving between flowers. While a positive reinforce-ment of route segments leading to rewarding flowers is sufficient for the emergence of resource parti-tioning when flowers are evenly distributed, a negative reinforcement of route segments leading to un-rewarding flowers is necessary when flowers are patchily distributed. In these more complex environ-ments, the negative experiences of individual bees favour the spatial segregation of foragers and high levels of collective foraging efficiency.