The Buzz about Bees
Biology of a Superorganism
Tautz, Jürgen
2008, XIV, 284 p. 230 illus. in color., Hardcover
ISBN: 978-3-540-78727-3
Subject Collection Humanities, Social Sciences and Law
Subject Popular Science, Popular Science in Nature and Environment, Zoology, Behavioural Sciences, Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Agriculture
With spectacularly beautiful colour photographs and an easy understandable text The Buzz about Bees tells the story of honeybees in a new perspective. Based on the latest data, notably from his own research group, Jürgen Tautz provides a wonderful insight into the realms of bees.
In contrast to the view of bee colonies as perfect societies of selfless individuals ruled by a queen, Tautz introduces them as a "superorganism", a self organizing and complex adaptive system based on a network of communication; a fascinating result of evolution – a mammal in several bodies.
The entire range of astonishing bee activities is described. Remarkable action photographs never shown before present bees busy with cell cleaning, caring for the brood, serving in the queen’s court, visiting flowers, receiving nectar, producing honey, comb building, entrance guarding, heating and cooling. Spotlights include bees grooming, swarming, fighting, telephoning, sleeping and communicating by high-toned beeping, scents and dances.