Issue |
Apidologie
Volume 34, Number 1, January-February 2003
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Page(s) | 67 - 72 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2002050 |
DOI: 10.1051/apido:2002050
Variation in water and sucrose responsiveness during the foraging season affects proboscis extension learning in honey bees
Ricarda Scheiner, Marcus Barnert and Joachim ErberInstitut für Ökologie, Technische Universität Berlin, Franklinstr. 28/29, 10587 Berlin, Germany
(Received 21 March 2002; revised 28 June 2002; accepted 31 July 2002)
Abstract
Honey bee foragers often show a variation in laboratory proboscis extension
learning during the foraging season, making comparisons between experiments
difficult. We analysed whether the seasonal variation in learning performance
was related to a variation in sucrose responsiveness in pollen and non-pollen
foragers. Pollen foragers were very responsive to water and sucrose throughout
the season. Non-pollen foragers were overall less responsive and showed more
variation. Sucrose responsiveness strongly correlated with tactile and olfactory
learning performance in pollen and non-pollen foragers throughout the season.
Learning performance was significantly better when sucrose responsiveness was
high than when it was low. We suggest conditioning bees that have uniform
sucrose responsiveness throughout the season to reduce experimental variance.
Key words: Apis mellifera / proboscis extension response / learning / responsiveness to sucrose / seasonal variation
Correspondence and reprints: Ricarda Scheiner
e-mail: rici0734@mailszrz.zrz.tu-berlin.de
© INRA, EDP Sciences, DIB, AGIB 2003