Cooperation is common in animals, yet the specific mechanisms driving collaborative behaviour in different species remain unclear. We investigated the proximate mechanisms underlying the cooperative behaviour of bumblebees in two different tasks, where bees had to simultaneously push a block in an arena or a door at the end of a tunnel for access to reward. In both tasks, when their partner's entry into the arena/tunnel was delayed, bees took longer to first push the block/door compared with control bees that learned to push alone. In the tunnel task, just before gaining access to reward, bees were more likely to face towards their partner than expected by chance or compared with controls. These results show that bumblebees' cooperative behaviour is not simply a by-product of individual efforts but is socially influenced. We discuss how bees' turning behaviours, e.g. turning around before first reaching the door when their partner was delayed and turning back towards the door in response to seeing their partner heading towards the door, suggest the potential for active coordination. However, because these behaviours could also be interpreted as combined responses to social and secondary reinforcement cues, future studies are needed to help clarify whether bumblebees truly use active coordination.

Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Branisovska 31 37005 Czech Republic

Department of Psychology School of Public Health Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 People's Republic of China

Ecology and Genetics Research Unit University of Oulu Oulu 90014 Finland

Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain Inspired Intelligence Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 People's Republic of China

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Evidence for socially influenced and potentially actively coordinated cooperation by bumblebees