Flower constancy

[3] Flower constancy has been observed for insect pollinators: especially honeybees (Apis mellifera),[4] a bumblebee (Bombus terrestris),[5][6] and a butterfly (Thymelicus sylvestris).

Individuals that show constant behavior ignore other flowers that could potentially provide more nectar (reward) than their preferred type.

As a result, flower constancy seems to contradict optimal foraging models, which assume that animals will move minimal distances between food resources and so will feed on a mixture of these to maximize their energy intake per unit time.

[3] Conversely, other scientists argue that insects such as bees can store large amounts of information (location of nest, flower patches, and existence of surrounding landmarks) in their long-term memory.

Learning these motor skills could require substantial investment; switching to other flower types or species could be inefficient and consequently non-adaptive.