Bumblebee

Bumblebees demonstrate the marginal value theorem through flower visitation patterns. A bee visiting a flower gets 10 nectar units on first visit (5 seconds), 4 units on second visit, and 1 unit on third visit as nectar partially replenishes. The thorough strategy (3 visits per flower) yields 0.83 units/second, while the skimming strategy (1 visit per flower, then move) yields 1.25 units/second - 50% more efficient. The optimal strategy is visiting each flower once and moving on, even though 5 nectar units remain per flower. In rich environments, visit many patches briefly; in poor environments, extract thoroughly.