A viral video published by the Nature is Amazing account shows a large nest of giant bees that begins to move in waves, creating an impressive visual effect. This is called scintillation, and it's these bees' way of telling predators, "You better stay away."
The twinkling of giant bees is an impressive natural spectacle, a consequence of the perfect coordination between thousands of individuals. It occurs when bees, upon detecting a threat, begin to move their abdomen upwards in a synchronized manner, creating a wave that sweeps through the hive. This movement is not random, but rather a highly organized defensive response intended to disorient or scare away predators, making the nest appear to vibrate or flash.
The key to this phenomenon is the bees' visual perception. They are especially sensitive to dark objects moving against light backgrounds, a common situation when predators, such as wasps, fly over clear skies.
This visual sensitivity is what triggers the appearance of blinking. Furthermore, bees not only see danger, but can also judge its size and the speed at which it is approaching, adjusting their response accordingly.
During a study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology aimed at shedding light on this behavior, experts found that black subjects moving on a gray background provoked the most intense reaction, suggesting that the contrast and clarity of the stimulus are crucial factors to trigger scintillation. This shows that bees do not respond to just any stimulus; its reaction is specific and calculated to be effective against certain types of threats.
Additionally, this behavior is less likely in low light conditions, such as at dawn or dusk, indicating that light plays an important role in bees' ability to perceive and react to threats. In more unfavorable scenarios, they have other ways to avoid attacks.
