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Behavioural Pharmacology in Classical Conditioning of the Proboscis Extension Response in Honeybees Apis mellifera
Published on: January 24, 2011
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Starving honeybees lose self-control.
Christopher Mayack1, Dhruba Naug2
1Martin Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Institute for Biology/General Zoology, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany cmayack@gmail.com.
Biology Letters
|January 30, 2015
Summary
Starvation increases impulsive behavior in honeybees, even when isolated. This suggests an individual's energy levels, not just social factors, drive impulsivity and can impact group dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Ecology
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Impulsivity, the preference for immediate rewards, varies across species.
- Metabolic and social hypotheses offer contrasting explanations for this variation.
- Honeybees, being highly social with high metabolic rates, present a paradox for these hypotheses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of hunger on impulsivity in honeybees.
- To test competing metabolic versus social hypotheses of impulsivity.
- To understand the role of individual energetic state in decision-making.
Main Methods:
- Honeybees were isolated from their social environment.
- An olfactory conditioning assay was used to train bees on reward associations with delays.
- Choice between immediate and delayed rewards was tested at varying starvation levels.
- Brain dopamine levels were measured.
Main Results:
- Impulsivity increased significantly with increasing starvation.
- Dopamine levels in the brain were elevated with increased starvation.
- These findings support the metabolic hypothesis over the social hypothesis in this context.
Conclusions:
- An individual's energetic state is a critical driver of impulsivity, even in social species.
- Conflicting energetic states among group members may threaten social harmony.
- Hunger influences decision-making processes and neurochemical responses in honeybees.
