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Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Behavioural Pharmacology in Classical Conditioning of the Proboscis Extension Response in Honeybees (Apis mellifera)
Published on: January 24, 2011
From foraging to operant conditioning: a new computer-controlled Skinner box to study free-flying nectar gathering
Michel B C Sokolowski1, Charles I Abramson
1Unité Dynamiques des Systèmes Anthropisés, Dpt de Psychologie, Université de Picardie - Jules Verne, Chemin du Thil, F-80025 Amiens, Cedex 1, France. michel.sokolowski@u-picardie.fr
Abstract:
The experimental study of nectar foraging behavior in free-flying bees requires the use of automated devices to control solution delivery and measure dependent variables associated with nectar gathering. We describe a new computer-controlled artificial flower and provide calibration data to measure the precision of the apparatus. Our device is similar to a "Skinner box" and we present data of an experiment where various amounts of a 50% sugar solution are presented randomly to individual bees. These data show large individual variations among subjects across several dependent variables. Finally, we discuss possible applications of our device to problems in behavioral sciences.
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