Effect of floral symmetry on flower choice and foraging behaviour of bumble bees

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 730-739 ◽  
Author(s):  
E L West ◽  
T M Laverty
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Travel Times ◽  
Nectar Guides ◽  
Choice Tests ◽  
Flower Choice ◽  
Artificial Flowers ◽  
Flower Handling ◽  
Nectar Guide ◽  
Better Than

Bumble bees are known to prefer symmetrical over asymmetrical flowers and bilateral over radial flower types. This study examined the basis of these preferences in three experiments with artificial flowers. The first experiment showed that flower-naive worker bees (Bombus impatiens) displayed no innate preference for symmetrical over asymmetrical or bilateral over radial flowers in choice tests. The second experiment tested whether bees showed a learning or memory bias for symmetrical over asymmetrical rewarding flowers when foraging on arrays of either bilateral or radial flower types. There was no evidence that bees learned or remembered symmetrical rewarding flowers better than asymmetrical rewarding flowers. The percentage of visits to rewarding flowers during test runs for bees foraging on arrays with bilateral flowers was consistently greater than on arrays with radial flowers. A third experiment examined the effect of nectar-guide symmetry on flower-handling and travel times. Bees were tested on homogeneous arrays with bilateral or radial flowers of either symmetrical or asymmetrical shapes and with symmetrical, asymmetrical, or no nectar guides. Guide symmetry had no effect on flower-handling or travel times. However, bees handled symmetrical flowers about 20% faster than asymmetrical flowers and bilateral flowers about 45% faster than radial flowers; travel times of bees on arrays with bilateral flowers were about 2.5 times faster than travel times of bees foraging on arrays of radial flowers.

Foraging by bumble bees on patches of artificial flowers: a laboratory study

1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (10) ◽  
pp. 1866-1870 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. K. Hartling ◽  
R. C. Plowright
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Study ◽  
Optimal Foraging ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Optimal Foraging Theory ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Bee Foraging ◽  
Bombus Atratus ◽  
Artificial Flowers ◽  
Repeat Visits

A remotely controlled artificial flower system for investigation of bumble bee foraging behaviour in the laboratory is described. The behaviour of Bombus atratus Fkln. workers from captive colonies trained to forage on patches of artificial flowers in a flight room conformed well to the predictions of optimal foraging theory. Within-patch movement was systematic, tending to minimize repeat visits to flowers sampled previously. Between-patch movement was influenced both by frequency of encounters with empty flowers in the first patch and by inter-patch distance.

FORAGING FOR NECTAR AND POLLEN ON THISTLE FLOWERS (CIRSIUM VULGARE) AND ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS: HOW BUMBLE BEES (BOMBUS IMPATIENS) RESPOND TO COLONY REQUIREMENTS

Behaviour ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 136 (8) ◽  
pp. 951-963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Cohen-Salmon ◽  
France Landry ◽  
Virginia Simonds ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Relative Frequency ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Bombus Impatiens ◽  
Deprivation Condition ◽  
Cirsium Vulgare ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Artificial Flowers ◽  
Flower Handling

AbstractThis study documented two behavioural responses to pollen and nectar deprivation in a colony of bumble bees: flower handling and choice. In two laboratory experiments, colonies were deprived, on successive days, of pollen and of nectar. In the first experiment, the bees foraged on thistle flowers, and in the second, they foraged on artificial flowers. In both studies, flower handling depended on deprivation condition: the relative frequency of scrabbling for pollen rather than probing for nectar was of the order of tenfold higher when the colony was deprived of pollen. Choice also depended on deprivation condition. In Experiment 1, old thistle flowers, which had abundant pollen visible, were visited more frequently than new flowers when the colony was deprived of pollen. Similarly in Experiment 2, the row of artificial flowers containing both nectar and pollen was visited more frequently than the row of flowers containing only nectar when the colony was deprived of pollen.

How many flower types can bumble bees work at the same time?

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (7) ◽  
pp. 1358-1365 ◽  
Author(s):  
R J Gegear ◽  
T M Laverty
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Bombus Impatiens ◽  
Interference Effects ◽  
Artificial Flower ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Flower Type ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Flower Handling

Bumble bees often restrict their foraging behaviour to the flowers of two plant species on a single foraging trip ("a major and a minor" sensu Heinrich), perhaps because learning additional flower-handling techniques interferes with their ability to recall previously learned flower-handling skills. This hypothesis was tested with bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) foraging on arrays of artificial flower types. Test bees were first trained on one flower type, then retested on the same flower type after learning one, two, or three different types. The number of flower types selected by bees on a mixed array consisting of several types was also tested. Interference effects increased with the number and complexity of interfering flower types: a 0% increase for one simple flower type; 278% for two simple flower types; 357% for three simple flower types; and 565% for two complex flower types; switching among more than two flower types caused substantial interference. On the mixed array of three flower types, none of the 20 foragers tested randomly visited all three types, 67% primarily visited two types, and 33% primarily visited one type. These findings suggest that the bees limited the number of flower types to two because of the substantial costs incurred when a third flower type was included in their foraging repertoire.

scholarly journals The Abundance and Pollen Foraging Behaviour of Bumble Bees in Relation to Population Size of Whortleberry (Vaccinium uliginosum)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. e50353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolin Mayer ◽  
Denis Michez ◽  
Alban Chyzy ◽  
Elise Brédat ◽  
Anne-Laure Jacquemart
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Pollen Foraging ◽  
Vaccinium Uliginosum

Mirror Image Pattern Matching By Bumble Bees

Behaviour ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 132 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 87-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.M.S. Plowright ◽  
Y.G. Korneluk
Keyword(s):  
Pattern Matching ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Mirror Image ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Bombus Impatiens ◽  
Artificial Flower ◽  
Choice Tests ◽  
Image Transformations ◽  
Image Pattern

AbstractBumble bees (Bombus impatiens) were trained to discriminate between a rewarding and non-rewarding artificial flower that differed only in their configuration of four identical petals. On choice tests between 2 empty flowers, the bees chose the flower with the configuration of the rewarding flower over the mirror image, but the mirror image over a novel flower. This behaviour is the same as has been observed with honey bees and functional interpretations are considered. The problem of distinguishing between left-right pattern reversals and true mirror image transformations is discussed.

scholarly journals Effect of Flower Shapes and Nectar Guides On the Behaviour of Foraging Honeybees

Behaviour ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 37 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 269-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.B. Free
Keyword(s):  
Central Area ◽  
Training Model ◽  
Nectar Guides ◽  
Black Circle ◽  
Guide Ring ◽  
Guide Lines ◽  
Previous Training ◽  
Nectar Guide

AbstractI. Honeybees were trained to collect syrup from coloured discs and then presented with a choice of 'model' flowers. 2. The colour of a model was an important distinguishing feature, but its scent was even more important. A foreign odour made the models less attractive than no odour. 3. The size of a training model did not influence the size of model later chosen, but the bees preferred radially symmetrical to bilaterally symmetrical models, and models with a disruptive outline to circular models, even though trained to circular ones. 4. Adding nectar guides to a model increased its attractiveness, independently of conditioning ; dotted lines were more attractive than continuous lines, and a group of dots was more attractive than a black circle in the centre of a model. Adding a disruptive outline to a model similarly increased attractiveness and effects of a disruptive outline and nectar guide lines were additive. However, a limit was soon reached in which more guide lines or further segmentation failed to increase attractiveness. 5. Bees showed no preference to alight in the centres of circular models, and preferred the edges of the petaloid or star-shaped models. 6. Nectar guide lines had a directing function only when the bees had learned to seek food at a particular site in relation to them. Training to a point where nectar guide lines converged was quickly achieved, and could be transferred to models of other types. A nectar guide ring in the centre of a model sometimes slightly increased the proportion of visits to its centre, but conditioning was again necessary to obtain much effect. 7. Bees without previous training were attracted to a black central area, and this was still more effective after training. The bees' behaviour was not affected by attempts to give models an illusion of depth.

Effect of flower complexity on relearning flower-handling skills in bumble bees

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 2052-2058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Gegear ◽  
Terence M. Laverty
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Lythrum Salicaria ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Access Time ◽  
Interference Effects ◽  
Flower Constancy ◽  
Flower Handling ◽  
Interference Hypothesis

Pollinators often forage sequentially among the flowers of the same plant species while bypassing flowers of other rewarding species. Darwin proposed that it is more efficient for pollinators to remain constant to one plant species because switching to a second species interferes with their ability to recall a previously learned flower-handling technique. This interference hypothesis was tested using Bombus impatiens workers. Bees that had learned to handle one type of flower (species A) were retested on species A after they had learned to handle a second type of flower (species B). Interference effects were detected by comparing flower access times (time to insert the tongue into the flower) during the retesting period with initial access times on species A. Bees retested on both simple (red clover, Trifolium pratense) and complex (toadflax, Linaria vulgaris) flowers showed no evidence of interference after learning simple-flowered plant species (blueweed, Echium vulgare; purple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria). However, bees relearning the complex flowers of toadflax showed a 2.2-s (81%) increase over their initial access time after switching to a second complex-flowered species (orange touch-me-not, Impatiens capensis). These results suggest that the interference effects incurred by bees switching between toadflax and orange touch-me-not under biologically realistic conditions are relatively small, and are unlikely to account for flower constancy in bumble bees.

Blindsight in Subjects with Homonymous Visual Field Defects

1999 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heinz Schärli ◽  
Alison M. Harman ◽  
John H. Hogben
Keyword(s):  
Visual Field ◽  
Visual Fields ◽  
Neural Mechanism ◽  
Stray Light ◽  
Visual Field Defects ◽  
Optic Radiation ◽  
Visual Ability ◽  
Choice Tests ◽  
Visual Areas ◽  
Better Than

Brain damage in the visual system can lead to apparently blind visual areas. However, more elaborate testing indicates that some visual ability may still exist for specific stimuli in the otherwise blind regions. This phenomenon is called “blindsight” if subjects report no conscious awareness of visual stimuli but when forced to guess, nevertheless perform better than chance. It has mainly been suggested that secondary visual pathways are responsible for this phenomenon. However, no published study has clearly shown the neural mechanism responsible for blindsight. Furthermore, experimental artifacts may have been responsible for the appearance of the phenomenon in some subjects. In the present study, the visual fields of nine subjects were mapped and residual visual performance was examined in many areas using three different experimental procedures. Artifacts such as stray light or eye movements were well controlled. In addition, confidence ratings were required after each trial in the forced-choice tests. The results show that only one subject with a lesion in the optic radiation had blindsight in two discrete areas of the affected visual field. Spared optic radiation fibers of the main (primary) geniculo-striate visual pathway were most likely to account for this finding.

scholarly journals THE USE OF GROUP TESTS TO PROMOTE COLLABORATION AND LEARNING: DO THEY WORK?

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 237-257
Author(s):  
Kimberley Ann Gilbride
Keyword(s):  
Science Students ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Multiple Choice Tests ◽  
Lecture Material ◽  
Choice Tests ◽  
Class Average ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Undergraduate Science ◽  
Core Course ◽  
Better Than

The research was carried out to determine whether the use of group tests for undergraduate science students to augment lecture material in a second-year core course in microbiology would improve the retention of material on a subsequent regular mid-term/final exam. On three separate occasions, the students were asked to complete short multiple-choice tests individually and then were asked to get together in groups of 4 to re-answer the same questions. The discussions they had in the groups improved their individual marks by 10.9% in the first test, 14.5% in the second test and 20.9% in the third test. Overall, the class average was 2.5% better than the previous year. The majority of the students indicated that the group tests improved their understanding and helped them to learn the lecture material.

LE CHOIX DE LA DIRECTION DES TRAJETS ENTRE FLEURS DES BOURDONS (BOMBUS) BUTINEURS

1997 ◽  
Vol 129 (5) ◽  
pp. 915-925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Plowright ◽  
Nathalie Cantin-Plante
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiment ◽  
Decision Rule ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
The Other ◽  
Simple Rule ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Straight Line ◽  
Artificial Flowers ◽  
Straight Ahead

AbstractIn a laboratory experiment on the decision rule underlying the avoidance of flower revisitation by foraging bumble bees (Bombus impatiens), artificial flowers were arranged in two rows. For each flower visited, the choice was either to travel straight ahead onto a flower in the same row or to change direction and choose a flower in the other row. The distance between rows was manipulated to be smaller than, equal to, or greater than the distance between flowers in the same row. When the distances between adjacent flowers within a row and between rows were equal, a significant tendency to travel straight ahead was observed. This tendency was sensitive to changes in distance between rows, even when the distances between rows far exceeded the distance between flowers within a row. The tendency was abolished when the distance between rows was smaller than the distance between flowers within a row. A significant alternation of the bumble bee between rows (zigzag path) was observed in only one condition: when not only the distance between rows was much smaller than the distance between flowers in the same row, but also when the rows were staggered such that the bee could alternate between rows while still travelling in an almost straight line. These results show that the two variables of distance and angle are integrated, and that the choices made by bumble bees do not reflect a simple rule. Future research on tradeoffs is suggested.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document