Self-medicating behavior in bumble bees has cascading consequences for pollination and plant reproduction
Gordon M. Fitch, Brooke Donzelli, Rebecca E. Irwin, Ken Keefover‐Ring, Lynn S. Adler
This study shows that bumble bee self-medication behavior affects pollination and plant reproduction, with infected bees preferring medicinal plant chemotypes, leading to increased medicinal plant offspring.
bioRxiv · Jul 21, 2025 · PreprintEcology