Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The bee's map of the e-vector pattern in the sky.

S Rossel1, R Wehner

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|July 1, 1982
PubMed
Summary

Bees navigate using a consistent celestial map, utilizing polarized light patterns as a compass. This study reveals how bees derive this internal map from sky polarization, even with limited sky view.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Profiling autoantibodies at baseline and during immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy of renal cell carcinoma patients-exploratory results from TITAN-RCC.

ESMO open·2025
Same author

Revealing higher than expected diversity of Harpacticoida (Crustacea:Copepoda) in the North Sea using MALDI-TOF MS and molecular barcoding.

Scientific reports·2019
Same author

Fine structure of light- and dark-adapted eyes of desert ants, Cataglyphis bicolor (Formicidae, Hymenoptera).

Journal of morphology·2018
Same author

Why Are Water-Seeking Insects Not Attracted by Mirages? The Polarization Pattern of Mirages.

Die Naturwissenschaften·2016
Same author

Potential of Ni(II)-NTA-modified poly(ethylene imine) glycopolymers as carrier system for future dendritic cell-based immunotherapy.

Biomacromolecules·2014
Same author

Azacytidine impairs NK cell activity in AML and MDS patients undergoing MRD-based pre-emptive treatment after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Blood cancer journal·2013

Area of Science:

  • Animal behavior
  • Sensory ecology
  • Navigation

Background:

  • Bees utilize polarized light patterns in the sky for navigation.
  • The mechanism by which bees process limited sky views for orientation remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate how bees navigate using polarized light cues.
  • To investigate the nature of the bees' celestial compass.
  • To determine if bees use a generalized celestial map.

Main Methods:

  • Analyzing bee navigation errors when exposed to single e-vectors.
  • Reconstructing the bees' celestial map based on observed errors.
  • Demonstrating the derivation of the celestial map from sky polarization patterns.

Main Results:

  • Bees employ a generalized celestial map for navigation throughout the day.
  • This map is consistently used irrespective of the portion of the sky visible.
  • The bee's celestial map can be accurately reconstructed from sky e-vector patterns.

Conclusions:

  • Bees possess a robust internal celestial map for orientation.
  • The bees' navigation system effectively interprets polarized light for directional information.
  • Understanding this map provides insight into insect navigation strategies.

Related Experiment Videos