Energetic cost of learning and memory can cause cognitive impairment in honeybees

Jaumann, Sarah; Scudelari, Robin; Naug, Dhruba

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2013.0149

Cited by 55 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…It is also interesting that the longer duration spent on a foraging trip does not translate to a higher foraging return for infected bees, which could result from a reduced ability in locating quality resources. The likely factors underlying this reduction are the longer time spent by such bees in orientation and flight [4,5,7] and the learning impairment seen in both infected [16] and energetically stressed bees [11], even more reinforced by the fact that any precocious foraging by infected bees [6] would have alleviated such reductions. If the foraging trips for infected bees are longer but their returns are lower, what does it mean for the two foraging currencies?…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infected honeybee foragers incur a higher loss in efficiency than in the rate of energetic gain

Naug

2014

Biol. Lett.

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Parasites, by altering the nutritional and energetic state of their hosts, can significantly alter their foraging behaviour. In honeybees, an infection with Nosema ceranae has been shown to lower the energetic state of individual bees, bringing about changes in behaviours associated with foraging. Comparing the foraging trip times, hive times in between trips, and the crop contents of uninfected and infected foragers as they depart on foraging trips and return from them, this study examined how any differences in these variables influence alternative foraging currencies. The results show that infected bees take longer foraging trips, spend shorter time in the hive between successive trips and bring back less sugar from each trip. These changes have a stronger adverse effect on their efficiency of energetic gain as compared with their rate of energetic gain, which has important implications for individual and colony life history.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infected honeybee foragers incur a higher loss in efficiency than in the rate of energetic gain

Naug

2014

Biol. Lett.

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“…In this way, learning is expected to increase the fitness of insects that evolved such abilities. However, like any biological process, learning requires energy [37-39 and see Box 2] and is subjected to trade-offs with other functions [40-41]. In the end, the capacity for learning would be selected for if evolutionary benefits exceed costs [42].…”

Section: Epidemiological Consequences Of Vector Memorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning and Memory in Disease Vector Insects

Vinauger

Lahondère

Cohuet

et al. 2016

Trends in Parasitology

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Learning and memory plays an important role in host preference and parasite transmission by disease vector insects. Historically there has been a dearth of standardized protocols that permit testing their learning abilities, thus limiting discussion on the potential epidemiological consequences of learning and memory to a largely speculative extent. However, with increasing evidence that individual experience and associative learning can affect processes such as oviposition site selection and host preference, it is timely to review the recently acquired knowledge, identify research gaps and discuss the implication of learning in disease vector insects in perspective with control strategies.

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“…Such cognitive impairment could also explain the increase in flight duration. However, the energetic and cognitive hypotheses are not mutually exclusive as learning and memory have an energetic cost for bees (Jaumann et al, 2013). Therefore, an energetic stress caused by the parasite would add costs to both orientation and locomotion in the field (Jaumann et al, 2013), leading to a significant increase in flight duration.…”

Section: Research Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

Parasitic and immune-modulation of flight activity in honey bees tracked with optical counters

Alaux¹,

Crauser²,

Pioz³

et al. 2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Host-parasite interactions are often characterized by changes in the host behaviour, which are beneficial to either the parasite or the host, or are a non-adaptive byproduct of parasitism. These interactions are further complicated in animal society because individual fitness is associated with group performance. However, a better understanding of host-parasite interaction in animal society first requires the identification of individual host behavioural modification. Therefore, we challenged honey bee (Apis mellifera) workers with the parasite Nosema ceranae or an immune stimulation and tracked their flight activity over their lifetime with an optic counter. We found that bees responded differently to each stress: both Nosema-infected and immune-challenged bees performed a lower number of daily flights compared with control bees, but the duration of their flights increased and decreased over time, respectively. Overall, parasitized bees spent more time in the field each day than control bees, and the inverse was true for immune-challenged bees. Despite the stress of immune challenge, bees had a survival similar to that of control bees likely because of their restricted activity. We discuss how those different behavioural modifications could be adaptive phenotypes. This study provides new insights into how biological stress can affect the behaviour of individuals living in society and how host responses have evolved.

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Energetic cost of learning and memory can cause cognitive impairment in honeybees

Cited by 55 publications

References 19 publications

Infected honeybee foragers incur a higher loss in efficiency than in the rate of energetic gain

Infected honeybee foragers incur a higher loss in efficiency than in the rate of energetic gain

Learning and Memory in Disease Vector Insects

Parasitic and immune-modulation of flight activity in honey bees tracked with optical counters

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