- [v] [The collision frequency hypothesis best explains wing wear in bumble bees.](https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.051730) - ["] Flying is an ecologically important behaviour in many insects, but it often results in permanent wing damage. wing wear in insects is often used as a method to determine insect age. Wing wear may result from three distinct flight characteristics during foraging: time spent in flight, flight frequency and frequency of wing collisions with vegetation. We conclude that wing use during foraging in bumble bees results in wing wear. Wing wear reflects behaviour, not simply age. Because wing wear has elsewhere been shown to increase mortality, this study provides an important mechanism linking foraging behaviour with lifespan.