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Optic flow informs distance but not profitability for honeybees
Sharoni Shafir1, Andrew B Barron
1B. Triwaks Bee Research Center, Department of Entomology, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel. shafir@agri.huji.ac.il
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|December 19, 2009
Summary
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) do not use optic flow to gauge foraging costs. Instead, they independently assess distance and profitability, signaling these separately in their dances for efficient navigation and communication.
Area of Science:
- Animal Behavior
- Insect Navigation
- Sensory Ecology
Background:
- Flying insects, like honeybees (Apis mellifera), use optic flow as an odometer to estimate travel distance.
- It remains unclear if optic flow also informs the estimation of foraging costs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether optic flow influences honeybees' assessment of foraging costs.
- To determine if honeybees can independently assess distance and profitability.
Main Methods:
- Honeybees were trained to feeders in flight tunnels with varying optic flow.
- Dance communication of trained bees was analyzed.
- Bee visitation preferences were recorded when offered a choice between feeders.
Main Results:
- Bees indicated the closer feeder (higher optic flow) as being further away.
- Bees also perceived the closer feeder as more profitable and preferentially visited it.
- Honeybee foraging cost estimation is not dependent on optic flow information.
Conclusions:
- Honeybees assess distance and profitability independently, communicating them as separate elements in their dances.
- Optic flow is a reliable indicator of distance for navigation and communication but not energetic costs.
- This suggests an adaptive dual-processing system for navigation and cost evaluation in honeybees.
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