For the first time, the Andean bumblebee Bombus funebris is captured eating carrion and condor feces in Ecuador
A study developed by researchers from the Andean Condor Foundation Ecuador, Uru Foundation, National Institute of Amazonian Research, National Institute of Biodiversity (Inabio), and the Polytechnic School of Chimborazo reports new observations about the feeding habits of the Andean bumblebee Bombus funebris, a unique species of the Andean ecosystems of Ecuador.
The study, developed by Yarina Tapuy‑Avilés, Joceline López‑Poveda, Rúben Pineida, Sebastián Kohn, Marcio Luiz de Oliveira, and Alex Pazmiño‑Palomino, documents, for the first time in South America, a bumblebee feeding on Andean condor feces and carrion associated with the bird's nests in the Pichincha province of Ecuador.
In April 2024, during monitoring activities of an active Andean condor nest located in a rocky cavity in Yaruquí, the researchers from the Andean Condor Foundation observed three Bombus funebris bumblebees entering and exiting the nest repeatedly. The bees moved between feathers and sand particles until they reached the dry and moist feces of the condor, where they remained in contact with them for approximately two to three minutes, sucking the liquids with their mouthparts.
A second finding occurred in September 2025, in the páramos of the Chakana Reserve, next to the Antisana National Park. There, after several condors interacted with the dry carcass of a lamb, the researchers observed two specimens of Bombus funebris foraging in different parts of the carrion, including the fur, bones, and exposed tissues. One of the individuals repeatedly entered the abdominal cavity of the carcass and remained for approximately 30 minutes interacting with tissues and bones.
The bees are mainly recognized for their role as pollinators and for collecting nectar and pollen. However, some species can occasionally utilize non-floral resources, such as decomposing fruits, fungi, exudates, feces, and carrion.
The study indicates that this type of behavior could be related to the search for nutrients that are not always available in floral resources. Carrion and feces can constitute sources of nitrogenous substances and potentially provide proteins, amino acids, or other nutrients. Nevertheless, the researchers emphasize that new studies are required to determine exactly what nutrients B. funebris obtains from these resources and what their importance is for its metabolism.
Bombus funebris is an emblematic species of the Andean environments and has a wide altitudinal distribution up to more than 4000 meters above sea level. Recent research has also documented its interaction with a great diversity of plants.
The full publication can be found here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13592-026-01296-y
INABIO is an institution that seeks to generate knowledge and develop science, technology, and innovation that requires the Ecuadorian state to guarantee the conservation of its natural heritage through the sovereign, strategic, and sustainable use of biodiversity and its components. In a synergistic way, the strengthening of research and project programs, along with national and international academic institutions, allows for the achievement of strategic objectives detailed in the National Biodiversity Agenda of Ecuador.
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National Institute of Biodiversity, an entity affiliated with the Ministry of Environment and Energy