Distance estimation by Asian honey bees in two visually different landscapes [SHORT COMMUNICATION]

In this study, we determined the calibration curves of two Asian honey bee species, A. florea and A. cerana, in two different natural environments with clear differences in the vegetation conditions and hence visual contrast. We found that the dense vegetation condition (with higher contrast) elicited a more rapid increase in the waggle phase duration with distance than the sparse vegetation in A. florea but not in A. cerana. Our findings suggest that contrast sensitivity of the waggle dance odometer might vary among honey bee species.

Source: Journal of Experimental Biology - April 1, 2021 Category: Biology Authors: George, E. A., Thulasi, N., Kohl, P. L., Suresh, S., Rutschmann, B., Brockmann, A. Tags: SHORT COMMUNICATION Source Type: research