Bumblebees learn polarization patterns.

ABSTRACT: Foraging insect pollinators such as bees must find and identify flowers in a complex visual environment. Bees use skylight polarization patterns for navigation, a capacity mediated by the polarization-sensitive dorsal rim area (DRA) of their eye. While other insects use polarization sensitivity to identify appropriate habitats, oviposition sites, and food sources, to date no nonnavigational functions of polarization vision have been identified in bees. Here we investigated the ability of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) to learn polarization patterns on artificial "flowers" in order to obtain a food reward. We show that foraging bumblebees can learn to discriminate between two differently polarized targets, but only when the target artificial "flower" is viewed from below. A context for thes

SUBMITTER: Foster JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4062934 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature