Complex operant learning by worker bumblebees (Bombus impatiens): detour behaviour and use of colours as discriminative stimuli

Mirwan, Hamida B.; Mason, Georgia; Kevan, Peter G.

doi:10.1007/s00040-015-0414-6

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 40 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…To examine whether the isoform‐specific expression differences, reported for mammals (Gabut et al, ), also occur in insects, we mapped isoform‐specific AmFoxP protein expression in developing and adult honeybee brains. We also mapped FoxP expression in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris , another eusocial hymenopteran species, recently recognized for sophisticated cognitive behaviors (Mirwan, Mason, & Kevan, ; Alem et al, ; Loukola, Perry, Coscos, & Chittka, ) and in the dwarf bee ( Apis florea ) which constitutes the most basal extant species in the Apis genus and shows important behavioral differences to Apis mellifera (I'Anson Price & Grüter, ). We quantified the neuron number and volume of the largest neuron cluster (Kiya et al, ) in all three species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

FoxP in bees: A comparative study on the developmental and adult expression pattern in three bee species considering isoforms and circuitry

Schatton

Mendoza

Grube

et al. 2018

J of Comparative Neurology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mutations in the transcription factors FOXP1, FOXP2, and FOXP4 affect human cognition, including language. The FoxP gene locus is evolutionarily ancient and highly conserved in its DNA-binding domain. In Drosophila melanogaster FoxP has been implicated in courtship behavior, decision making, and specific types of motor-learning. Because honeybees (Apis mellifera, Am) excel at navigation and symbolic dance communication, they are a particularly suitable insect species to investigate a potential link between neural FoxP expression and cognition. We characterized two AmFoxP isoforms and mapped their expression in the brain during development and in adult foragers. Using a custom-made antiserum and in situ hybridization, we describe 11 AmFoxP expressing neuron populations. FoxP was expressed in equivalent patterns in two other representatives of Apidae; a closely related dwarf bee and a bumblebee species. Neural tracing revealed that the largest FoxP expressing neuron cluster in honeybees projects into a posterior tract that connects the optic lobe to the posterior lateral protocerebrum, predicting a function in visual processing. Our data provide an entry point for future experiments assessing the function of FoxP in eusocial Hymenoptera.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

FoxP in bees: A comparative study on the developmental and adult expression pattern in three bee species considering isoforms and circuitry

Schatton

Mendoza

Grube

et al. 2018

J of Comparative Neurology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This behavioral complexity has often been dismissed as ‘just instinct.’ Yet, recent discoveries in insect learning, memory and cognition have generated a profound change in the perception of the behavioral flexibility of several species. For example, bees learn from past experiences to improve motor skills ( Mirwan et al, 2015 ; Abramson et al, 2016 ). Such operant learning is distinguished from cognitive operations, where, for example, bees are also able to combine multiple experiences (acquired in separate learning trials) to form simple rules and concepts ( Giurfa et al, 2001 ; Avargues-Weber et al, 2012 ) and display counting-like abilities ( Howard et al, 2018 ; Skorupski et al, 2018 ), and ants and bumblebees show simple forms of tool use ( Loukola et al, 2017 ; Maák et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive Aspects of Comb-Building in the Honeybee?

Gallo

Chittka

2018

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The wax-made comb of the honeybee is a masterpiece of animal architecture. The highly regular, double-sided hexagonal structure is a near-optimal solution to storing food and housing larvae, economizing on building materials and space. Elaborate though they may seem, such animal constructions are often viewed as the result of ‘just instinct,’ governed by inflexible, pre-programmed, innate behavior routines. An inspection of the literature on honeybee comb construction, however, reveals a different picture. Workers have to learn, at least in part, certain elements of the technique, and there is considerable flexibility in terms of how the shape of the comb and its gradual manufacture is tailored to the circumstances, especially the available space. Moreover, we explore the 2-century old and now largely forgotten work by François Huber, where glass screens were placed between an expanding comb construction and the intended target wall. Bees took corrective action before reaching the glass obstacle, and altered the ongoing construction so as to reach the nearest wooden wall. Though further experiments will be necessary, these results suggest a form of spatial planning skills. We discuss these findings in the context of what is now known about insect cognition, and ask if it is possible that the production of hexagonal wax combs is the result of behavioral heuristics where a complex structure emerges as the result of simple behavioral rules applied by each individual, or whether prospective cognition might be involved.

show abstract

“…Insects have been trained on complex behaviors such as pushing a cap (14), rotating a lever (15), and pulling a string (16) to gain a reward. Although these works have added to our understanding of operant conditioning, such behaviors required shaping with simple associations, in which subjects are trained on a series of tasks that increase in difficulty (17).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In most of the aforementioned studies on operant conditioning (14,15), bees had to remove an obstacle that blocked their access to a known rewarding location. By approaching a stimulus associated with reward, they moved this obstacle until reward was accessible.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous works also trained bees on tasks that relied on local and stimulus enhancement to solve the task (14)(15)(16). In our current work, on most successful trials, bees used the closest ball instead of the furthest ball (which they had seen the demonstrator moving) and in the generalization test used a differently colored ball than previously encountered, suggesting that bees did Fig.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Bumblebees show cognitive flexibility by improving on an observed complex behavior

Loukola

Perry

Coscos

2017

Science

200

114

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We explored bees' behavioral flexibility in a task that required transporting a small ball to a defined location to gain a reward. Bees were pretrained to know the correct location of the ball. Subsequently, to obtain a reward, bees had to move a displaced ball to the defined location. Bees that observed demonstration of the technique from a live or model demonstrator learned the task more efficiently than did bees observing a "ghost" demonstration (ball moved via magnet) or without demonstration. Instead of copying demonstrators moving balls over long distances, observers solved the task more efficiently, using the ball positioned closest to the target, even if it was of a different color than the one previously observed. Such unprecedented cognitive flexibility hints that entirely novel behaviors could emerge relatively swiftly in species whose lifestyle demands advanced learning abilities, should relevant ecological pressures arise.

show abstract

Complex operant learning by worker bumblebees (Bombus impatiens): detour behaviour and use of colours as discriminative stimuli

Cited by 14 publications

References 40 publications

FoxP in bees: A comparative study on the developmental and adult expression pattern in three bee species considering isoforms and circuitry

FoxP in bees: A comparative study on the developmental and adult expression pattern in three bee species considering isoforms and circuitry

Cognitive Aspects of Comb-Building in the Honeybee?

Bumblebees show cognitive flexibility by improving on an observed complex behavior

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About