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Varga-Szilay's research @vargaszilay.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

🐝 We investigated the foraging behaviour of bumblebees on three plant species. 🌸 We trained computer vision models on custom datasets for automated detection (accuracy 0.88–0.95). Our results confirm that computer vision is a reliable tool for studying pollinator behaviour. 👩‍💻 doi.org/10.3390/inse...

ABSTRACT: To understand the processes behind pollinator declines and for the conservation of pollination services, we need to understand fundamental drivers influencing pollinator behaviour. Here, we aimed to elucidate how wild bumblebees interact with three plant species and investigated their foraging behaviour with varying flower densities. We video-recorded Bombus terrestris in 60 × 60 cm quadrats of Lotus creticus, Persicaria capitata, and Trifolium pratense in urban areas of Terceira (Azores, Portugal). For the automated bumblebee detection and counting, we created deep learning-based computer vision models with custom datasets. We achieved high model accuracy of 0.88 for Lotus and Persicaria and 0.95 for Trifolium, indicating accurate bumblebee detection. In our study, flower cover was the only factor that influenced the attractiveness of flower patches, and plant species did not have an effect. We detected a significant positive effect of flower cover on the attractiveness of flower patches for flower-visiting bumblebees. The time spent per unit of inflorescence surface area was longer on the Trifolium than those on the Lotus and Persicaria. However, our result did not indicate significant differences in the time bumblebees spent on inflorescences among the three plant species. Here, we also justify computer vision-based analysis as a reliable tool for studying pollinator behavioural ecology.

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Varga-Szilay's research @vargaszilay.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

📢 NEW PAPER 📢 I am excited to share our latest article, entitled 'Improving biodiversity in Central and Eastern European gardens needs regionally scaled strategies', which has just been published in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening and is now available online ⬇️ www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

I am excited to share our latest article, entitled 'Improving biodiversity in Central and Eastern European gardens needs regionally scaled strategies', which has just been published in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening and is now available online.
Our main aim was to explore the ecological values of gardens and gardening practices, identifying characteristics that might contribute to building high biodiversity.
The project was conducted in ten languages and implemented across nine countries in Central, Eastern, and Northern Europe: Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Highlights
- Significant variability both between and within countries in gardening practices.
- Improving biodiversity in gardens needs regionally scaled strategies.
- Reducing pesticide use and increasing public awareness are key.
- Our indicators can support local strategies to increase urban biodiversity.

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Varga-Szilay's research @vargaszilay.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

Many thanks to Hymenoptera Research for the interview and the chance to share what inspires my work as a researcher, some of the projects I’m currently involved in, and why I’m so passionate about studying pollinators. 🐝 I’d love for you to have a read - you can find the link in the comments below 👇

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Varga-Szilay's research @vargaszilay.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

📚 Have a read of my latest book review about two amazing and inspiring books: Stephen Buchmann's What a Bee Knows? and Lars Chittka’s The Mind of a Bee. 🐝 🔗 link.springer.com/article/10.1... @larschittka.bsky.social @islandpress.bsky.social @princetonupress.bsky.social

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Varga-Szilay's research @vargaszilay.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

I am excited to share our latest article, entitled 'Anthropogenic noise can decrease tomato reproductive success by hindering bumblebee-mediated pollination', which has just been published in Basic and Applied Ecology and is now available online: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... #beeresearch

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Varga-Szilay's research @vargaszilay.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Yesterday was the first Bombus-Lotus fieldwork day in this year 🎥🐝 Thanks to Alexandra, Guillaume, and Ricardo for carrying out the data collection this year, helping to ensure the continuity of the study that @pozsgaig.bsky.social and I have been running for four years now.

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Varga-Szilay's research @vargaszilay.bsky.social · 21/04/2025

How AI can support animal behavioural studies 💡 Have a look at how we tracked the bumblebees' flight paths with AI on a flowering Lotus creticus patch. 👀🐝 @pozsgaig.bsky.social #Yolov5 #Norfair #Bombusterrestris #Beestudies #InsectAI ➡️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2JZ...

youtube.com

Tracking the bumblebees' flight paths with AI

YouTube video by Zsófia Varga-Szilay

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Varga-Szilay's research @vargaszilay.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

How AI can support animal behavioural studies 💡 👀 Field observations on a flowering Lotus creticus patch have shown that within a relatively small quadrat (60 × 90 cm), up to 5–7 (or more) bumblebees may be foraging simultaneously. 🐝 www.youtube.com/watch?v=DACm... (Watch it in 4K)

youtube.com

How AI detects bumblebees on a flowering Lotus patch

YouTube video by Zsófia Varga-Szilay

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