Motivation and vector navigation in honey bees

Area of Science:

• Animal behavior
• Neuroethology
• Insect navigation

Background:

• Animals use path integration to track displacement from home.
• Insect navigation models typically assume homing resets the path integration system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if motivational cues, specifically food deprivation, influence the resetting of the honey bee path integration system.
• To determine if food deprivation can cause a 'reverse' homing vector in honey bees.

Main Methods:

• Honey bees were held at a feeding site for several hours.
• Their initial flight direction upon release was recorded.
• Behavior was analyzed in relation to food deprivation and potential positional cues.

Main Results:

• Honey bees held for extended periods sometimes flew in the reverse of the homeward direction.
• This 'outward' flight direction suggests a reset of the path integration system.
• The effect was linked to food deprivation and occurred independently of landmarks or goal-directed travel.

Conclusions:

• Motivational state, particularly food deprivation, can influence the honey bee path integration system.
• The experience of reaching a food source under deprivation may reset navigation to an outward vector.
• This challenges the assumption that only reaching home resets the path integration system in insects.