I bet you are asking yourself what is new in bee science? You would be right to be curious because we are living golden age for bumblebology..
Just today in PLoS ONE the leading open access journal there were two brilliantly bonkers new bee papers.
Hasegawa Y, Ikeno H (2011) How Do Honeybees Attract Nestmates Using Waggle Dances in Dark and Noisy Hives? PLoS ONE 6(5): e19619. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019619
Hagen M, Wikelski M, Kissling WD (2011) Space Use of Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) Revealed by Radio-Tracking. PLoS ONE 6(5): e19997. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019997
The first put bees in a flight simulator and listened to them dancing. The second attached radio tracking devices to bees and followed them round Europe.
Unbeelievable!