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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Radio Frequency Identification and Motion-sensitive Video Efficiently Automate Recording of Unrewarded Choice Behavior by Bumblebees

Radio Frequency Identification and Motion-sensitive Video Efficiently Automate Recording of Unrewarded Choice Behavior by Bumblebees

Published on: November 15, 2014

Gap perception in bumblebees.

Sridhar Ravi^1,2, Olivier Bertrand³, Tim Siesenop³

¹Department of Neurobiology and Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC), Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany Sridhar.ravi@uni-bielefeld.de.

The Journal of Experimental Biology

|January 27, 2019

Summary

Bumblebees navigate cluttered environments by adjusting flight speed and trajectory. They use optic flow to assess gap passability, altering their path based on visual cues from the obstacle and background.

Keywords:

Cluttered environment Flight Optic flow Sensorimotor system Vision

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Last Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Radio Frequency Identification and Motion-sensitive Video Efficiently Automate Recording of Unrewarded Choice Behavior by Bumblebees

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Published on: November 15, 2014

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Area of Science:

Insect navigation
Animal behavior
Biophysics

Background:

Insects navigate complex, cluttered environments with obstacles.
Effective aerial navigation requires perceiving and evaluating potential flight obstructions.
Gap identification and passability assessment are crucial for safe flight.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate bumblebee mechanisms for identifying gaps in obstacles.
To understand behavioral compensations used to assess gap properties during flight.

Main Methods:

Bumblebee foragers were trained in a flight tunnel.
An unexpected obstacle with a gap was introduced during their return flight.
Flight trajectories were analyzed to evaluate behavior relative to gap-background distance.

Main Results:

Bumblebees decelerated upon encountering an obstacle (around 35° retinal subtension).
Bees traded longitudinal velocity for lateral velocity, increasing lateral displacement and speed.
Flight trajectory adjustments correlated with optic flow contrast, indicating gap salience.

Conclusions:

Bumblebees dynamically adjust their flight paths to navigate gaps in cluttered environments.
Optic flow contrast is a key visual cue for assessing gap passability.
Lateral flight maneuvers likely aid in evaluating gap geometry and determining safe passage.