Bumblebees kept in isolation make up for it by being more social later

It's a little sloppy to use the language "make up for it" which makes it sound like they are compensating. The hypothesis they present is that perhaps the bees don't learn how not to react to other bees with the suggestion that this might make them more "distractable" (my word) from the task at hand, so ADHB

and as a small point, suggesting that they "blossomed into social butterflies"...?

I too was caught on the heavily mixed metaphor of bees... blossoming... into butterflies... what?

It's always fascinating to see social interactions in animals.

This is the reason I love opening HN in the morning. I very much have lived experience with this as well. Thanks for sharing.

Perhaps programmers can learn a thing or two from bumblebees?

it's me.

We're all bumblebees now.