DOI: 10.1242/jeb.00236. Honeybee navigation: properties of the visually driven `odometer'

Honeybee navigation: properties of the visually driven `odometer'

10.1242/jeb.00236

Crossref journal-article

The Company of Biologists

Journal of Experimental Biology (237)

Abstract

SUMMARY Recent work has revealed that honeybees determine distance flown by gauging the extent to which the image of the environment moves in the eye as they fly toward their destination. Here we examine the properties of this visually driven `odometer', by training bees to fly to a feeder in a tunnel lined with a range of different visual patterns, and analysing their dances when they return to the hive. We find that the odometric signal is relatively unaffected by variations in the contrast and spatial frequency content of the patterns. Furthermore, a strong signal is generated even when the walls or the floor of the tunnel provide only weak optic-flow cues. Thus, distance flown is measured by a visually driven odometer that is surprisingly robust to variations in the texture or sparseness of the visual environment through which the bee flies.

Bibliography

Si, A., Srinivasan, M. V., & Zhang, S. (2003). Honeybee navigation: properties of the visually driven `odometerâ. Journal of Experimental Biology, 206(8), 1265â1273.

Authors 3

Aung Si (first)
Mandyam V. Srinivasan (additional)
Shaowu Zhang (additional)

References 16 Referenced 64

Egelhaaf, M. and Borst, A. (1993). Movement detection in arthropods. In Visual Motion and its Role in the Stabilization of Gaze (ed. F. A. Miles and J. Wallman), pp.57-75. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Esch, H. and Burns, J. E. (1995). Honeybees use optic flow to measure the distance of a food source. Naturwissenschaften82,38-40. (10.1007/BF01167870)
Esch, H. and Burns, J. E. (1996). Distance estimation by foraging honeybees. J. Exp. Biol.199,155-162. (10.1242/jeb.199.1.155)
Esch, H., Goller, F. and Burns, J. E. (1994). Honeybee waggle dances: the `energy hypothesis' and thermoregulatory behavior of foragers. J. Comp. Physiol. B163,621-625. (10.1007/BF00369511)
Esch, H. E., Zhang, S. W., Srinivasan, M. V. and Tautz, J.(2001). Honeybee dances communicate distances measured by optic flow. Nature411,581-583. (10.1038/35079072)
Hassenstein, B. and Reichardt, W. (1956). Systemtheoretische Analyse der Zeit- Reihenfolgen- und Vorzeichenauswertung bei der Bewegungsperzeption des Rüsselkäfers Chlorophanus.Z. Naturforsch. B11,513-524. (10.1515/znb-1956-9-1004)
Ibbotson, M. R. (2001). Evidence for velocity-tuned motion-sensitive descending neurons in the honeybee. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B268,2195-2201. (10.1098/rspb.2001.1770)
Laughlin, S. B. (1981). A simple coding procedure enhances a neuron's information capacity. Z. Naturforsch. C36,910-912. (10.1515/znc-1981-9-1040)
Laughlin, S. B. (1989). The role of sensory adaptation in the retina. J. Exp. Biol.146, 39-62. (10.1242/jeb.146.1.39)
Neese, V. (1988). Die Entfernungsmessung der Sammelbiene: Ein energetisches und zugleich sensorisches Problem. InBiona-Report, vol. 6, The Flying Honeybee, Aspects of Energetics (ed. W. Nachtigall), pp.1-15. Stuttgart: G. Fischer.
Srinivasan, M. V., Lehrer, M., Kirchner, W. H. and Zhang, S. W. (1991). Range perception through apparent image speed in freely-flying honeybees. Vis. Neurosci.6, 519-535. (10.1017/S095252380000136X)
Srinivasan, M. V., Poteser, K. and Kral, K.(1999). Motion detection in insect navigation and orientation. Vis. Res.39,2749-2766. (10.1016/S0042-6989(99)00002-4)
Srinivasan, M. V., Zhang, S. W., Altwein, M. and Tautz, J.(2000). Honeybee navigation: nature and calibration of the`odometer'. Science287,281-283. (10.1126/science.287.5454.851)
Srinivasan, M. V., Zhang, S. W. and Bidwell, N. J.(1997). Visually mediated odometry in honeybees. J. Exp. Biol.200,2513-2522. (10.1242/jeb.200.19.2513)
Srinivasan, M. V., Zhang, S. W., Lehrer, M. and Collett, T. S. (1996). Honeybee navigation en route to the goal:visual flight control and odometry. J. Exp. Biol.199,237-244. (10.1242/jeb.199.1.237)
von Frisch, K. (1993). The Dance Language and Orientation of Bees. London: Harvard University Press. (10.4159/harvard.9780674418776)

Dates

Type	When
Created	22 years, 5 months ago (March 6, 2003, 2:25 p.m.)
Deposited	4 years, 4 months ago (April 25, 2021, 6:42 a.m.)
Indexed	2 months, 3 weeks ago (June 11, 2025, 4:23 p.m.)
Issued	22 years, 4 months ago (April 15, 2003)
Published	22 years, 4 months ago (April 15, 2003)
Published Print	22 years, 4 months ago (April 15, 2003)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Si_2003, title={Honeybee navigation: properties of the visually driven `odometer’}, volume={206}, ISSN={0022-0949}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.00236}, DOI={10.1242/jeb.00236}, number={8}, journal={Journal of Experimental Biology}, publisher={The Company of Biologists}, author={Si, Aung and Srinivasan, Mandyam V. and Zhang, Shaowu}, year={2003}, month=apr, pages={1265–1273} }

JSON

{
  "indexed": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2025,
        6,
        11
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2025-06-11T20:23:44Z",
    "timestamp": 1749673424982
  },
  "reference-count": 16,
  "publisher": "The Company of Biologists",
  "issue": "8",
  "content-domain": {
    "domain": [],
    "crossmark-restriction": false
  },
  "published-print": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2003,
        4,
        15
      ]
    ]
  },
  "abstract": "<jats:title>SUMMARY</jats:title>\n               <jats:p>Recent work has revealed that honeybees determine distance flown by gauging the extent to which the image of the environment moves in the eye as they fly toward their destination. Here we examine the properties of this visually driven `odometer', by training bees to fly to a feeder in a tunnel lined with a range of different visual patterns, and analysing their dances when they return to the hive. We find that the odometric signal is relatively unaffected by variations in the contrast and spatial frequency content of the patterns. Furthermore, a strong signal is generated even when the walls or the floor of the tunnel provide only weak optic-flow cues. Thus, distance flown is measured by a visually driven odometer that is surprisingly robust to variations in the texture or sparseness of the visual environment through which the bee flies.</jats:p>",
  "DOI": "10.1242/jeb.00236",
  "type": "journal-article",
  "created": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2003,
        3,
        6
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2003-03-06T19:25:55Z",
    "timestamp": 1046978755000
  },
  "page": "1265-1273",
  "source": "Crossref",
  "is-referenced-by-count": 64,
  "title": "Honeybee navigation: properties of the visually driven `odometer'",
  "prefix": "10.1242",
  "volume": "206",
  "author": [
    {
      "given": "Aung",
      "family": "Si",
      "sequence": "first",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "Centre for Visual Science, Research School of Biological Sciences,Australian National University, PO Box 475, Canberra, ACT 2601,Australia"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "given": "Mandyam V.",
      "family": "Srinivasan",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "Centre for Visual Science, Research School of Biological Sciences,Australian National University, PO Box 475, Canberra, ACT 2601,Australia"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "given": "Shaowu",
      "family": "Zhang",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "Centre for Visual Science, Research School of Biological Sciences,Australian National University, PO Box 475, Canberra, ACT 2601,Australia"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "member": "237",
  "reference": [
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF1",
      "unstructured": "Egelhaaf, M. and Borst, A. (1993). Movement detection in arthropods. In Visual Motion and its Role in the Stabilization of Gaze (ed. F. A. Miles and J. Wallman), pp.57-75. Amsterdam: Elsevier."
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "Esch, H. and Burns, J. E. (1995). Honeybees use optic flow to measure the distance of a food source. Naturwissenschaften82,38-40.",
      "DOI": "10.1007/BF01167870"
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF3",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "Esch, H. and Burns, J. E. (1996). Distance estimation by foraging honeybees. J. Exp. Biol.199,155-162.",
      "DOI": "10.1242/jeb.199.1.155"
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF4",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "Esch, H., Goller, F. and Burns, J. E. (1994). Honeybee waggle dances: the `energy hypothesis' and thermoregulatory behavior of foragers. J. Comp. Physiol. B163,621-625.",
      "DOI": "10.1007/BF00369511"
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF5",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "Esch, H. E., Zhang, S. W., Srinivasan, M. V. and Tautz, J.(2001). Honeybee dances communicate distances measured by optic flow. Nature411,581-583.",
      "DOI": "10.1038/35079072"
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF6",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "Hassenstein, B. and Reichardt, W. (1956). Systemtheoretische Analyse der Zeit- Reihenfolgen- und Vorzeichenauswertung bei der Bewegungsperzeption des Ru\u0308sselka\u0308fers Chlorophanus.Z. Naturforsch. B11,513-524.",
      "DOI": "10.1515/znb-1956-9-1004"
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF7",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "Ibbotson, M. R. (2001). Evidence for velocity-tuned motion-sensitive descending neurons in the honeybee. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B268,2195-2201.",
      "DOI": "10.1098/rspb.2001.1770"
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF8",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "Laughlin, S. B. (1981). A simple coding procedure enhances a neuron's information capacity. Z. Naturforsch. C36,910-912.",
      "DOI": "10.1515/znc-1981-9-1040"
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF9",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "Laughlin, S. B. (1989). The role of sensory adaptation in the retina. J. Exp. Biol.146, 39-62.",
      "DOI": "10.1242/jeb.146.1.39"
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF10",
      "unstructured": "Neese, V. (1988). Die Entfernungsmessung der Sammelbiene: Ein energetisches und zugleich sensorisches Problem. InBiona-Report, vol. 6, The Flying Honeybee, Aspects of Energetics (ed. W. Nachtigall), pp.1-15. Stuttgart: G. Fischer."
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF11",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "Srinivasan, M. V., Lehrer, M., Kirchner, W. H. and Zhang, S. W. (1991). Range perception through apparent image speed in freely-flying honeybees. Vis. Neurosci.6, 519-535.",
      "DOI": "10.1017/S095252380000136X"
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF12",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "Srinivasan, M. V., Poteser, K. and Kral, K.(1999). Motion detection in insect navigation and orientation. Vis. Res.39,2749-2766.",
      "DOI": "10.1016/S0042-6989(99)00002-4"
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF13",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "Srinivasan, M. V., Zhang, S. W., Altwein, M. and Tautz, J.(2000). Honeybee navigation: nature and calibration of the`odometer'. Science287,281-283.",
      "DOI": "10.1126/science.287.5454.851"
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF14",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "Srinivasan, M. V., Zhang, S. W. and Bidwell, N. J.(1997). Visually mediated odometry in honeybees. J. Exp. Biol.200,2513-2522.",
      "DOI": "10.1242/jeb.200.19.2513"
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF15",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "Srinivasan, M. V., Zhang, S. W., Lehrer, M. and Collett, T. S. (1996). Honeybee navigation en route to the goal:visual flight control and odometry. J. Exp. Biol.199,237-244.",
      "DOI": "10.1242/jeb.199.1.237"
    },
    {
      "key": "2021042509171863100_REF16",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "unstructured": "von Frisch, K. (1993). The Dance Language and Orientation of Bees. London: Harvard University Press.",
      "DOI": "10.4159/harvard.9780674418776"
    }
  ],
  "container-title": "Journal of Experimental Biology",
  "original-title": [],
  "language": "en",
  "link": [
    {
      "URL": "http://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article-pdf/206/8/1265/1247722/1265.pdf",
      "content-type": "application/pdf",
      "content-version": "vor",
      "intended-application": "syndication"
    },
    {
      "URL": "http://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article-pdf/206/8/1265/1247722/1265.pdf",
      "content-type": "unspecified",
      "content-version": "vor",
      "intended-application": "similarity-checking"
    }
  ],
  "deposited": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2021,
        4,
        25
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2021-04-25T10:42:02Z",
    "timestamp": 1619347322000
  },
  "score": 1,
  "resource": {
    "primary": {
      "URL": "https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/206/8/1265/14574/Honeybee-navigation-properties-of-the-visually"
    }
  },
  "subtitle": [],
  "short-title": [],
  "issued": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2003,
        4,
        15
      ]
    ]
  },
  "references-count": 16,
  "journal-issue": {
    "issue": "8",
    "published-print": {
      "date-parts": [
        [
          2003,
          4,
          15
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  "URL": "http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.00236",
  "relation": {},
  "ISSN": [
    "1477-9145",
    "0022-0949"
  ],
  "subject": [],
  "published": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2003,
        4,
        15
      ]
    ]
  }
}