Experimental access to associative learning in honeybees

Mauelshagen, Juliane; Greggers, Uwe

doi:10.1051/apido:19930306

Cited by 29 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 50 publications

(25 reference statements)

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“…Previous studies have shown variable, low or no success in classically conditioning bees to light stimuli (Kubawara, 1957;Masuhr and Menzel, 1972;Gerber and Smith, 1998), leading some authors to argue that the learning of visual cues in bees might be mediated by stimulus-response rather than stimulus-reward associations (Mauelshagen and Greggers, 1993). In the present study, we observed fast and stable acquisition that occurred within the first few trials for all of the five coloured stimuli used.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Fast learning but coarse discrimination of colours in restrained honeybees

Niggebrügge

Leboulle

Menzel

et al. 2009

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYColours are quickly learnt by free-moving bees in operant conditioning settings. In the present study, we report a method using the classical conditioning of the proboscis extension response (PER) in restrained honeybees (Apis mellifera), which allows bees to learn colours after just a few training trials. We further analysed how visual learning and discrimination is influenced by the quality of a stimulus by systematically varying the chromatic and achromatic properties of the stimuli. Using differential conditioning, we found that faster colour discrimination learning was correlated with reduced colour similarity between stimuli. In experiments with both absolute and differential conditioning, restrained bees showed poor colour discrimination and broad generalisation. This result is in strong contrast to the well-demonstrated ability of bees to finely discriminate colours under freeflight conditions and raises further questions about the temporal and perceptual processes underlying the ability of bees to discriminate and learn colours in different behavioural contexts.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Fast learning but coarse discrimination of colours in restrained honeybees

Niggebrügge

Leboulle

Menzel

et al. 2009

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…Although most honey bees learn rapidly to associate floral odors with a food reward, an ability that is fundamental to their success as foragers (Mauelshagen and Greggers, 1993;Menzel, 1993;Hammer and Menzel, 1995;Menzel and Müller, 1996), young adult workers 0 -3 d of age have been found to be very poor learners (Fig. 5) (Morgan et al, 1997).…”

Section: A Role For the Antennal Lobes In Memory Formation?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Activity-Dependent Changes to the Brain and Behavior of the Honey Bee,Apis mellifera(L.)

Sigg¹,

Thompson

Mercer³

1997

J. Neurosci.

116

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To explore the origins and possible behavioral consequences of structural plasticity in an insect brain, we have taken advantage of the following: (1) the highly compartmentalized nature of the primary antenno-sensory centers (antennal lobes) of the brain, (2) the ease with which individual compartments, or glomeruli, within the antennal-lobe neuropil can be identified, and (3) the predictability of changes to readily identifiable glomeruli in the antennal lobes of the adult worker honey bee. Treatment with the juvenile hormone analog methoprene and hive manipulation techniques are used to induce precocious foraging behavior in young worker honey bees. The impact of these treatments on the ontogeny of olfactory learning performance and on the volumes of readily identifiable glomeruli in the antennal lobes of the bee brain are examined in parallel. The study reveals that (1) significant changes in glomerular volume are activity dependent and (2) associative learning of floral odors improves with experience. Improvements in associative learning performance coincide temporally with increases in glomerular volume. This raises an important question: are changes in glomerular volume that result from shifts in behavior simply a consequence of changes in the use of peripheral sensory pathways, or are they associated with events that underlie learning and the formation of long-term memories?

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“…Bees can exhibit the PER as a conditioned response to the odour alone after even a single pairing of the odour with a sucrose reward 12–15. Some reports have indicated that good correlation can be found between olfactory responses in free‐flying foragers and in individuals subjected to the PER paradigm 25. 26 Therefore, the PER assay could be a tool in studies on sublethal effects of pesticides, especially on foraging behaviour, since it guarantees good control of bee‐rearing conditions and of exposure to chemicals, as well as standardised responses in the test.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning performances of honeybees (Apis mellifera L) are differentially affected by imidacloprid according to the season

Decourtye

Lacassie

Pham-Delègue

2003

Pest Management Science

257

192

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To establish the sublethal concentrations domain, acute and chronic oral tests were conducted on caged honeybee workers (Apis mellifera L) using imidacloprid and a metabolite, 5-OH-imidacloprid, under laboratory conditions. The latter showed a 48-h oral LD50 value (153 ng per bee) five times higher than that of imidacloprid (30 ng per bee). Chronic feeding tests indicated that the lowest observed effect concentrations (LOEC) of imidacloprid and of 5-OH-imidacloprid on mortality of winter bees were 24 and 120 microg kg(-1) respectively. Behavioural effects of imidacloprid and 5-OH-imidacloprid were studied using the olfactory conditioning of proboscis extension response at two periods of the year. Winter bees surviving chronic treatment with imidacloprid and 5-OH-imidacloprid had reduced learning performances. The LOEC of imidacloprid was lower in summer bees (12 microg kg(-1)) than in winter bees (48 microg kg(-1)), which points to a greater sensitivity of honeybees behaviour in summer bees, compared to winter bees.

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Experimental access to associative learning in honeybees

Cited by 29 publications

References 50 publications

Fast learning but coarse discrimination of colours in restrained honeybees

Fast learning but coarse discrimination of colours in restrained honeybees

Activity-Dependent Changes to the Brain and Behavior of the Honey Bee,Apis mellifera(L.)

Learning performances of honeybees (Apis mellifera L) are differentially affected by imidacloprid according to the season

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