Measurement of Electric Charges Carried by Bees: Evidence of Biological Variations

Colin, M. E.; Richard, D.; Chauzy, Serge

doi:10.3109/15368379109031397

Cited by 30 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Bees accumulate charge during motion through their environment, (14,17). A similar phenomenology likely applies to other flying or walking insects (18,19).…”

Section: Minimum Electric Field Strengths Required To Elicit Electrommentioning

confidence: 88%

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Mechanosensory hairs in bumblebees ( Bombus terrestris ) detect weak electric fields

Sutton

Clarke

Morley

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) use information from surrounding electric fields to make foraging decisions. Electroreception in air, a nonconductive medium, is a recently discovered sensory capacity of insects, yet the sensory mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we investigate two putative electric field sensors: antennae and mechanosensory hairs. Examining their mechanical and neural response, we show that electric fields cause deflections in both antennae and hairs. Hairs respond with a greater median velocity, displacement, and angular displacement than antennae. Extracellular recordings from the antennae do not show any electrophysiological correlates to these mechanical deflections. In contrast, hair deflections in response to an electric field elicited neural activity. Mechanical deflections of both hairs and antennae increase with the electric charge carried by the bumblebee. From this evidence, we conclude that sensory hairs are a site of electroreception in the bumblebee.electric fields | bees | behavior | sensory biology

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“…Bees accumulate charge during motion through their environment, (14,17). A similar phenomenology likely applies to other flying or walking insects (18,19).…”

Section: Minimum Electric Field Strengths Required To Elicit Electrommentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Only when the bee's charge was deliberately set to zero, did the antennae respond to a lower voltage than the hair. In natural free-flight situation, however, bees are only rarely found with zero charge (15,17).…”

Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanosensory hairs in bumblebees ( Bombus terrestris ) detect weak electric fields

Sutton

Clarke

Morley

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In insects, the wax layer of the exocuticle causes a high electrical resistance between the inner and outer parts of the body, and along the body surface leading to charge accumulation when insects walk or fly [3][4][5]. It is now clear that surface charge in insects is a biological phenomenon reflecting their movements and the movements of their body parts [6]. It is also clear that insects respond to electric fields, e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reception and learning of electric fields in bees

et al. 2013

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Honeybees, like other insects, accumulate electric charge in flight, and when their body parts are moved or rubbed together. We report that bees emit constant and modulated electric fields when flying, landing, walking and during the waggle dance. The electric fields emitted by dancing bees consist of low-and high-frequency components. Both components induce passive antennal movements in stationary bees according to Coulomb's law. Bees learn both the constant and the modulated electric field components in the context of appetitive proboscis extension response conditioning. Using this paradigm, we identify mechanoreceptors in both joints of the antennae as sensors. Other mechanoreceptors on the bee body are potentially involved but are less sensitive. Using laser vibrometry, we show that the electrically charged flagellum is moved by constant and modulated electric fields and more strongly so if sound and electric fields interact. Recordings from axons of the Johnston organ document its sensitivity to electric field stimuli. Our analyses identify electric fields emanating from the surface charge of bees as stimuli for mechanoreceptors, and as biologically relevant stimuli, which may play a role in social communication.

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“…These fields may also alter the behaviour of the bee parasite Varroa jacobsoni, and can assist their attack by attraction of the parasite to the charged bee [2]. Other studies have suggested that accumulation of charge during flight could assist foraging and pollination through the transfer of pollen grains onto plant stigmata [3][4][5]. Static electric fields can also lead to changes in walking [6,7] and avoidance behaviour [6,8], and influence locomotion and agitation [9][10][11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure to static electric fields leads to changes in biogenic amine levels in the brains ofDrosophila

et al. 2015

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Natural and anthropogenic static electric fields are commonly found in the environment and can have both beneficial and harmful effects on many animals. Here, we asked how the fruitfly responds to these fields and what the consequences of exposure are on the levels of biogenic amines in the brain. When given a choice in a Y-tube bioassay Drosophila avoided electric fields, and the greater the field strength the more likely Drosophila were to avoid it. By comparing wild-type flies, flies with wings surgically removed and vestigial winged flies we found that the presence of intact wings was necessary to produce avoidance behaviour. We also show that Coulomb forces produced by electric fields physically lift excised wings, with the smaller wings of males being raised by lower field strengths than larger female wings. An analysis of neurochemical changes in the brains showed that a suite of changes in biogenic amine levels occurs following chronic exposure. Taken together we conclude that physical movements of the wings are used by Drosophila in generating avoidance behaviour and are accompanied by changes in the levels of amines in the brain, which in turn impact on behaviour.

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Measurement of Electric Charges Carried by Bees: Evidence of Biological Variations

Cited by 30 publications

References 15 publications

Mechanosensory hairs in bumblebees ( Bombus terrestris ) detect weak electric fields

Mechanosensory hairs in bumblebees ( Bombus terrestris ) detect weak electric fields

Reception and learning of electric fields in bees

Exposure to static electric fields leads to changes in biogenic amine levels in the brains ofDrosophila

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