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 Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Using Pharmacological Manipulation and High-precision Radio Telemetry to Study the Spatial Cognition in Free-ranging Animals
08:28

Using Pharmacological Manipulation and High-precision Radio Telemetry to Study the Spatial Cognition in Free-ranging Animals

Published on: November 6, 2016

Spatial memory in insect navigation.

Matthew Collett1, Lars Chittka, Thomas S Collett

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Perry Rd, Exeter EX4 4QG, Devon, UK.

Current Biology : CB
|September 14, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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

Male bumblebees sustain mate-seeking by adjusting foraging to environmental conditions.

Behavioral ecology : official journal of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology·2026
Same author

Synaptic high-frequency jumping synchronises vision to high-speed behaviour.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Aversive memory and extinction learning for noxious stimuli and aversive tastants in bumblebees.

The Journal of experimental biology·2026
Same author

The audience shapes the information content of the honey bee waggle dance.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Bees, blindsight, and consciousness.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2025
Same author

The exploration of consciousness in insects.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2025
Same journal

Increased rates of hybridization in swordtails are associated with water pollution.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Visual uncertainty and task demands shape active sensing strategies in mice.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

An adaptable, self-organizing, single-cell morphology circuit optimizes suctorian predatory trap structure.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Temporal tuning of switch-like virulence expression resolves environmental uncertainty through phenotypic heterogeneity.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

An abstract relational map emerges in the human medial prefrontal cortex with consolidation.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Phloem evolved gradually and asynchronously to xylem in early vascular plants.

Current biology : CB·2026
See all related articles

Insects utilize spatial memory for navigation, employing distinct guidance systems rather than a unified cognitive map. These systems, including visual matching and path integration, work together for effective insect navigation.

Area of Science:

  • Animal Behavior
  • Neuroethology
  • Spatial Cognition

Background:

  • Insects, particularly Hymenoptera, rely on spatial memories for survival behaviors like foraging and nest provisioning.
  • Understanding insect navigation mechanisms is crucial for comprehending their ecological success.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the mechanisms of spatial memory-based guidance in insects.
  • To investigate the organization of memory processing streams supporting navigation.
  • To evaluate the evidence for and against cognitive maps in insect spatial behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of behavioral experiments on insects, primarily social bees and ants.
  • Analysis of proposed guidance mechanisms: alignment image-matching, positional image-matching, and path integration.

More Related Videos

Assessing Human Spatial Navigation in a Virtual Space and its Sensitivity to Exercise
06:17

Assessing Human Spatial Navigation in a Virtual Space and its Sensitivity to Exercise

Published on: January 26, 2024

A Behavioral Assay for Investigating the Role of Spatial Memory During Instinctive Defense in Mice
05:49

A Behavioral Assay for Investigating the Role of Spatial Memory During Instinctive Defense in Mice

Published on: July 21, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 7, 2026

Using Pharmacological Manipulation and High-precision Radio Telemetry to Study the Spatial Cognition in Free-ranging Animals
08:28

Using Pharmacological Manipulation and High-precision Radio Telemetry to Study the Spatial Cognition in Free-ranging Animals

Published on: November 6, 2016

Assessing Human Spatial Navigation in a Virtual Space and its Sensitivity to Exercise
06:17

Assessing Human Spatial Navigation in a Virtual Space and its Sensitivity to Exercise

Published on: January 26, 2024

A Behavioral Assay for Investigating the Role of Spatial Memory During Instinctive Defense in Mice
05:49

A Behavioral Assay for Investigating the Role of Spatial Memory During Instinctive Defense in Mice

Published on: July 21, 2018

  • Examination of computational systems underlying spatial memory and guidance.

    • Main Results:

    • Identified three primary memory-based guidance strategies: alignment image-matching, positional image-matching, and path integration.
    • Evidence suggests modular computational systems support these guidance mechanisms.
    • Found no conclusive evidence for cognitive maps in insects; instead, a collective of separate, cooperating guidance systems is proposed.

    Conclusions:

    • Insect spatial navigation is achieved through a combination of distinct, modular guidance systems.
    • These systems, including visual memory and path integration, cooperate to provide robust navigation.
    • Insects likely do not possess cognitive maps but rather a flexible network of specialized navigation modules.