Does "Flight of the Bumblebee" resemble bumblebee flight?

"Flight of the Bumblebee" is one of the rare pieces of classical music which, through its association with bees, has cemented its place in pop culture. However, it is unclear whether its composer, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, actually took inspiration from bumblebee flight patterns. I address this question using new tools from ethology, mathematics, and music theory. Surprisingly, the melody line of "Flight of the Bumblebee" mimics a distinctive property of bumblebee flight, a property which was not formally discovered until decades after Rimsky-Korsakov's death. Therefore, it is very likely that Rimsky-Korsakov observed and incorporated actual bumblebee flight patterns into his music.