Data from: Age dominates flight distance and duration, while body size shapes flight speed in Bombus terrestris L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Flight plays crucial role in the fitness of insect pollinators, such as bumble bees. Despite their relatively large body size compared to their wings, bumble bees can fly under difficult ambient conditions, such as cooler temperatures. While their body size is often positively linked to their foraging range and flight ability, the influence of age remains less explored. Here, we studied the flight performance (distance, duration, and speed) of aging bumble bee workers using tethered flight mills. Additionally, we measured their intertegular distance (ITD) and dry mass as proxies for their body size. We found that flight distance and duration was predominantly influenced by age, challenging assumptions that age does not play a key role in foraging and task allocation. From the age of 7 to 14 days, flight distance and duration increased six-fold and five-fold, respectively. Conversely, body size primarily impacted the maximum and average flight speed of workers. Our findings indicate that age substantially influences flight distance and duration in bumble bee workers, affecting foraging performance and potentially altering task allocation strategies. This underscores the importance of considering individual age and physiological changes alongside body size/mass in experiments involving bumble bee workers.