Vector integration and novel shortcutting in honeybee navigation

Abstract

-Honeybees that had been trained to visit two feeders simultaneously were released at five sites located further away from the training area. Harmonic radar tracking was used to record the complete homing flights. The bees performed multiple straight flight components (SFCs) between curved search flights. SFCs reflect vector directions between the two feeding sites and the respective vectors between the feeding sites and the hive. Direct flights back to the hive were also observed. The latter belong to a homing strategy that requires the bee to identify its location relative to the hive. We interpret these two navigation strategies as reflecting the application of a directional component of novel shortcut flights. Taken together, our findings indicate that bees apply several different directional components of vectors which are either experienced directly during flight or derived from long-distance vector integration or mapping.navigation / vector integration / shortcut flights / cognitive map

Pesticide risk assessment in free-ranging bees is weather and landscape dependent

“…Interestingly, the greatest treatment effect was measured during poor weather conditions in environments with a greater density of landmarks (Fig. 2b), suggesting that treated foragers had greater difficulties to recover and integrate the information on vector flights among learned landmarks and/or to derive novel shortcut vector flights 18,19 . This also matches the recent evidence from harmonic radar tracking surveys that honeybees experience difficulties in their homing flight pattern after non-lethal exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides 28 .…”

“…Herein, Navigation Evironmental Correlate, thereafter abbreviated as NECs, refer to those extrinsic drivers of bee navigation and flight performances, comprising weather conditions (temperature, cloudiness or visibility of sun) and salient landmarks acting as visual cues for orientation [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] . Homing honeybees rely on a network of learned interconnected vectors for orientation 18 , conceptualized as memorized distances and directions among known locations.…”

“…Homing honeybees rely on a network of learned interconnected vectors for orientation 18 , conceptualized as memorized distances and directions among known locations. They further have the ability to derive novel shortcut vectors from the integration of two or more previously learned vector flights 19 . Honeybees retrieve the directional components of vector flights based on the sun as a celestial cue, but also on known landmarks whenever the sun compass or any spot of polarized light in the sky are masked by clouds 16,19,21 .…”

“…They further have the ability to derive novel shortcut vectors from the integration of two or more previously learned vector flights 19 . Honeybees retrieve the directional components of vector flights based on the sun as a celestial cue, but also on known landmarks whenever the sun compass or any spot of polarized light in the sky are masked by clouds 16,19,21 . Navigation in honeybees is further driven by temperature.…”

From chemotaxis to the cognitive map: The function of olfaction

“…Orienting to laboratory simulations of local geomagnetic fields, Caribbean spiny lobsters can accurately orient toward their home den (74). Studies of cognitive mapping in honey bees by Menzel et al have shown that displaced honeybees can initiate homing flights from any location within the explored area along novel shortcuts and can choose among at least three goals (75,76). Honeybees can also shortcut between vectors learned from exploration and those learned from the waggle dance (77).…”