DOI: 10.1242/jeb.00436. The spectral input to honeybee visual odometry

The spectral input to honeybee visual odometry

10.1242/jeb.00436

Crossref journal-article

The Company of Biologists

Journal of Experimental Biology (237)

Abstract

SUMMARY Bees returning from a feeder placed in a narrow tunnel that is lined with a chequered pattern will strongly overestimate travel distance. This finding supports the view that their distance estimation is based on integrating optic flow experienced during flight. Here, we use chequered tunnels with various colour combinations as a tool to identify the spectral channel used by bees to gauge travel distance. The probability of bees performing waggle dances after a short travel distance correlates only with the low range of the green contrast of the pattern in the tunnel. But it does not correlate with the pattern's chromatic contrast or brightness contrast. Distance estimation is therefore colour blind. We also evaluated the waggle runs as a function of colour pattern. Their duration is the code for the food source distance. Waggle run duration is entirely independent of the colour pattern used,implying that once green contrast is above detection threshold, distance estimation depends solely on the angular motion of the landscape passed in flight.

Bibliography

Chittka, L., & Tautz, J. (2003). The spectral input to honeybee visual odometry. Journal of Experimental Biology, 206(14), 2393â2397.

Authors 2

Lars Chittka (first)
Jürgen Tautz (additional)

References 23 Referenced 30

Dates

Type	When
Created	22 years, 2 months ago (June 9, 2003, 7:20 p.m.)
Deposited	4 years, 4 months ago (April 25, 2021, 5:53 a.m.)
Indexed	1 month, 3 weeks ago (July 4, 2025, 3:04 a.m.)
Issued	22 years, 1 month ago (July 15, 2003)
Published	22 years, 1 month ago (July 15, 2003)
Published Print	22 years, 1 month ago (July 15, 2003)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Chittka_2003, title={The spectral input to honeybee visual odometry}, volume={206}, ISSN={0022-0949}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.00436}, DOI={10.1242/jeb.00436}, number={14}, journal={Journal of Experimental Biology}, publisher={The Company of Biologists}, author={Chittka, Lars and Tautz, Jürgen}, year={2003}, month=jul, pages={2393–2397} }

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