Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Pollination and Flower Structure

Pollination and Flower Structure

Flowers are the reproductive, seed-producing structures of angiosperms. Typically, flowers consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals and petals are the vegetative flower organs. Stamens and carpels are the reproductive organs.

Mate Choice

Mate Choice

Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Testing Bottom-up Cuing Effects on Target Detection and Discrimination in Bumblebees.

Journal of insect behavior·2026

Same author

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

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Commentary: Why local priority setting matters for nursing and midwifery research.

Journal of research in nursing : JRN·2026

Same author

Male bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) are more active and behaviourally flexible than workers.

Animal cognition·2026

Same author

Limb asymmetry assessment: Aligning human and dog approaches to laterality.

Laterality·2026

Same author

A multi-professional approach to assessing research readiness in a large NHS Trust.

BMJ leader·2026

Same journal

Pitch selectivity in ferret auditory cortex.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

A cell size-dependent competition between geometry and polarity governs nuclear and spindle positioning in early embryos.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

Trophic cascades drive sustainability in the agricultural heritage rice-fish coculture system.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

Tracking Satb2-positive retinal ganglion cells in zebrafish unveils developmental functional reorganization.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

RhoGAP54D promotes cell size asymmetry and inhibits pulsatile myosin activity in Drosophila neural stem cells.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

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

Current biology : CB·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 23, 2025

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

Small and Large Bumblebees Invest Differently when Learning about Flowers.

Elisa Frasnelli¹, Théo Robert¹, Pizza Ka Yee Chow¹

¹Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, Washington Singer Laboratories, University of Exeter, Perry Road, Exeter EX1 4QG, UK.

Current Biology : CB

|December 29, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Bumblebees adjust flower-learning flights based on sucrose concentration, with larger bees showing more effort for high rewards. Bee size influences their perception of "high" versus "low" concentrations, impacting learning behavior.

Keywords:

bee exploration foraging range insect memory memoryreward nectar reward visual navigation

More Related Videos

A 3D Printed Pollen Trap for Bumble Bee Bombus Hive Entrances

A 3D Printed Pollen Trap for Bumble Bee Bombus Hive Entrances

Published on: July 9, 2020

Tactile Conditioning And Movement Analysis Of Antennal Sampling Strategies In Honey Bees Apis mellifera L.

Tactile Conditioning And Movement Analysis Of Antennal Sampling Strategies In Honey Bees Apis mellifera L.

Published on: December 12, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 23, 2025

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

A 3D Printed Pollen Trap for Bumble Bee Bombus Hive Entrances

A 3D Printed Pollen Trap for Bumble Bee Bombus Hive Entrances

Published on: July 9, 2020

Tactile Conditioning And Movement Analysis Of Antennal Sampling Strategies In Honey Bees Apis mellifera L.

Tactile Conditioning And Movement Analysis Of Antennal Sampling Strategies In Honey Bees Apis mellifera L.

Published on: December 12, 2012

Area of Science:

Behavioral Ecology
Animal Cognition

Background:

Bees perform learning flights to memorize flower locations and rewards.
Honeybees increase learning flight duration with higher flower rewards.
Bumblebees also exhibit learning flights, facing flowers to memorize them.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if bumblebees adjust learning flights based on sucrose concentration.
To determine if bumblebee size influences their response to varying sucrose concentrations.
To compare bumblebee learning flight behavior to their known foraging strategies.

Main Methods:

Observing bumblebee behavior when visiting artificial flowers with different sucrose concentrations.
Quantifying the duration and frequency of flower-facing behavior during learning flights.
Analyzing the correlation between bumblebee size, sucrose concentration, and learning flight effort.

Main Results:

Bumblebees increase flower-facing behavior with higher sucrose concentrations.
Bumblebee size significantly affects their response to sucrose concentration.
Larger bumblebees enhance flower-facing only at high concentrations, while smaller bees show consistent, lower effort.

Conclusions:

Bumblebee learning behavior is size-dependent, mirroring their foraging specializations.
Individual bumblebee size dictates their assessment of resource value and influences learning investment.
This size-based behavioral plasticity is crucial for colony foraging efficiency.