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Data from: Vespula pensylvanica locate odor sources across diverse natural wind conditions

Houle, Jaleesa1; van Breugel, Floris1

Published Nov 13, 2025 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.wwpzgmsx0

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Abstract

Many organisms across ecosystems track odor plumes to locate mates and food. This behavior holds
particular ecological significance for flying animals, such as bees and birds, due to their critical role in crop
pollination. In flying insects, the task of localizing an odor source is particularly challenging due to the
complicated dynamics associated with wind flow and odor plume dispersion through spatially complex
environments. Though prior studies have discussed the role of wind dynamics in the foraging and flight
behaviors of bees, our knowledge of how wind characteristics influence insects’ success and strategies to
locate odor sources remains an open area of investigation. Here, we tested whether certain wind conditions
were more favorable for foraging insects by comparing yellowjacket arrival times and corresponding wind
conditions across three distinct natural environments. Our results indicated that Vespula pensylvanica
were capable of locating odor sources across the full range of observed wind conditions, without any clear
preferences. This suggests that insects have adapted strategies to perform odor localization tasks across
the full spectrum of natural wind that they may encounter. These experiments provide insight into key
considerations for future wind tunnel experiments which seek to better resolve insect plume tracking in
understudied flow conditions.