Zeng et al. (2026, Science) report an intriguing study of rhythmic pattern discrimination in bumble bees. We applaud their effort to extend the study of abstract, flexible rhythm perception as a foundational property for human music, dance and language beyond the few mammal and bird species studied so far. However, while we appreciate their findings regarding the sensory plasticity of Bombus terrestris, we suggest that the claim that ‘bumble bees … form robust abstract rhythm representations’ may be premature.