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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Behavioural Pharmacology in Classical Conditioning of the Proboscis Extension Response in Honeybees (Apis mellifera)
10:36

Behavioural Pharmacology in Classical Conditioning of the Proboscis Extension Response in Honeybees (Apis mellifera)

Published on: January 24, 2011

Bumblebees exhibit the memory spacing effect.

Nicholas R T Toda1, Jeremy Song, James C Nieh

  • 1Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0116, USA.

Die Naturwissenschaften
|June 30, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bumblebees show improved associative learning and memory when rewarded at spaced intervals, a phenomenon known as the memory spacing effect. Novel encapsulation methods also enhance bumblebee olfactory memory acquisition.

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Area of Science:

  • Animal Behavior
  • Neuroscience
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Associative learning is crucial for pollinators, like bees, to identify and revisit rewarding floral resources, influencing floral constancy and plant gene flow.
  • Honeybees are the standard model for studying pollinator associative learning, but bumblebees' learning abilities in diverse habitats are less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate bumblebee associative learning abilities using the proboscis extension reflex (PER).
  • To explore the impact of spaced learning intervals and a novel encapsulation restraint method on bumblebee memory acquisition.

Main Methods:

  • Assayed associative learning in bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) using the proboscis extension reflex (PER).
  • Employed a novel capsule-based restraint system designed to enhance bumblebee learning.
  • Varied inter-trial intervals (ITIs) between rewarding trials to assess the memory spacing effect.

Main Results:

  • Bumblebees demonstrated the memory spacing effect, with improved associative learning of odor and nectar rewards at longer ITIs.
  • Memory acquisition improved significantly with increased ITIs: 129% at 5 min and 65% at 3 min compared to 1 min.
  • The novel encapsulation method significantly enhanced olfactory memory acquisition, with 10x more foragers responding compared to traditional harnesses.

Conclusions:

  • Spaced learning enhances memory consolidation in bumblebees, likely contributing to the formation of long-term memories of floral resources.
  • The novel encapsulation technique improves bumblebee learning acquisition, facilitating further research into their cognitive abilities.