Scientists have recently discovered bees that can bang their heads. Banging their heads at a speed of 350 times a second, the bees utilize this task to spread pollen.
An Australian blue-banded bee's (Amegilla murrayensis) head banging was recorded on video by researchers from the University of Adelaide in a joint project with RMIT, Harvard University and University of California, Davis. The bee bangs its head into the flower to release more pollen into the air so it spends less time with each flower. This method of cross-pollination provided researchers with a broad understanding of how it pollination happens and can aid in providing a better technique for crop pollination, according to the Examiner.
Aussie #bees know a good banger! Our new research reveals high-speed headbanging: https://t.co/dFZeizymSh ^AF pic.twitter.com/LKPww8G3ty
— Uni of Adelaide (@UniofAdelaide) December 15, 2015
The bee can be seen gripping the flower using its legs as it vibrates its thorax muscles, then lets the vibrations travel to its head. These vibrations are usually transferred to the wings, but in the blue-banded bee's case, it is transferred to the anther which results in a major head banging feat, according to ABC News.
"We were absolutely surprised. We were so buried in the science of it, we never thought about something like this. This is something totally new," Katja Hogendoorn from the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine of the University of Adelaide said, according to Science Daily. "We were absolutely surprised. We were so buried in the science of it, we never thought about something like this. This is something totally new."
"Our earlier research has shown that blue-banded bees are effective pollinators of greenhouse tomatoes," Hogendoorn added. "This new finding suggests that blue-banded bees could also be very efficient pollinators - needing fewer bees per hectare."
Watch the video below.
