Optimal foraging: A case for random movement

Abstract

The bumblebee, Bombus flavifrons, forages randomly with respect to direction on Polemonium foliosissimum. This foraging pattern is as predicted for a system where there is a low probability of revisiting any given flower upon returning to a patch. This low revisitation probability is a function of the floral resource arrangement. It is further shown that B. flavifrons is using the resource distribution to direct its movements. A large percentage of all movements are to nearest neighbors with maximal foraging efficiency gained through minimization of flight distances.