DOI: 10.1242/jeb.200.19.2513. Visually Mediated Odometry in Honeybees

10.1242/jeb.200.19.2513

Crossref journal-article

The Company of Biologists

Journal of Experimental Biology (237)

Abstract

ABSTRACT The ability of honeybees to gauge the distances of short flights was investigated under controlled laboratory conditions where a variety of potential odometric cues such as flight duration, energy consumption, image motion, airspeed, inertial navigation and landmarks were manipulated. Our findings indicate that honeybees can indeed measure short distances travelled and that they do so solely by analysis of image motion. Visual odometry seems to rely primarily on the motion that is sensed by the lateral regions of the visual field. Computation of distance flown is re-commenced whenever a prominent landmark is encountered en route. ‘Re-setting’ the odometer (or starting a new one) at each landmark facilitates accurate long-range navigation by preventing excessive accumulation of odometric errors. Distance appears to be learnt on the way to the food source and not on the way back.

Bibliography

Srinivasan, M. V., Zhang, S. W., & Bidwell, N. J. (1997). Visually Mediated Odometry in Honeybees. Journal of Experimental Biology, 200(19), 2513â2522.

Authors 3

M. V. Srinivasan (first)
S. W. Zhang (additional)
N. J. Bidwell (additional)

References 26 Referenced 209

10.1016/0003-3472(95)80163-4 / Anim. Behav / Can honey bees count landmarks? by Chittka (1995)
10.1006/anbe.1995.0217 / Anim. Behav. / The influences of landmarks on distance estimation of honeybees by Chittka (1995)
10.1016/0300-9629(93)90147-V / Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A / Route following and the retrieval of memories in insects by Collett (1993)
10.1242/jeb.199.1.227 / J. exp. Biol / Insect navigation en route to the goal: multiple strategies for the use of landmarks. In Navigation by Collett (1996)
10.1007/BF00194993 / J. comp. Physiol. A / On the encoding of movement vectors by honeybees. Are distance and direction represented independently? by Collett (1996)
10.1007/BF01167870 / Naturwissenschaften / Honeybees use optic flow to measure the distance of a food source by Esch (1995)
10.1242/jeb.199.1.155 / J. exp. Biol / Distance estimation by foraging honeybees. In Navigation by Esch (1996)
10.1007/BF00369511 / J. comp. Physiol. B / Honeybee waggle dances: the ‘energy hypothesis’ and thermoregulatory behaviour of foragers by Esch (1994)
10.1007/BF01133734 / Naturwissenschaften / Waggle dances of honeybees: is distance measured through energy expenditure on outward flight? by Goller (1990)
10.1007/BF00338625 / Z. vergl. Physiol. / Ein Beitrag zur Frage nach der Wahrnehmungsgrundlage der Entfernungsweisung der Bienen by Heran (1956)
10.1007/BF00298733 / Z. vergl. Physiol / Wahrnehmung und Regelung der Flugeigengeschwindigkeit bei Apis mellifica by Heran (1959)
10.1007/BF00298052 / Z. vergl. Physiol / Beobachtungen über die Entfernungsmeldung der Sammelbienen by Heran (1952)
10.1006/anbe.1994.1379 / Anim. Behav / Dancing honeybees indicate the location of food sources using path integration rather than cognitive maps by Kirchner (1994)
10.1073/pnas.85.14.5287 / Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. / Path integration in desert ants, Cataglyphis fortis by Müller (1988)
10.1007/BF00367159 / Z. vergl. Physiol / Zur Funktion der Augenborsten bei der Honigbiene by Neese (1965)
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10.1007/BF00298124 / Z. vergl. Physiol. / Die Bedeutung des Rückfluges für die Richtungsund Enfernungsangabe der Bienen by Otto (1959)
{'key': '2024072206504876100_JEXBIO_200_19_2513C115', 'first-page': '465', 'article-title': 'Movement perception in insects', 'volume-title': 'Processing of Optical Data by Organisms and by Machines', 'author': 'Reichardt', 'year': '1969'} / Processing of Optical Data by Organisms and by Machines / Movement perception in insects by Reichardt (1969)
10.1007/BF00243395 / J. comp. Physiol. A / Desert ants Cataglyphis fortis use self-induced optic flow to measure distances travelled by Ronacher (1995)
10.1242/jeb.146.1.177 / J. exp. Biol / Descending interneurones of the locust reporting deviation from flight course: what is their role in steering? by Rowell (1989)
{'key': '2024072206504876100_JEXBIO_200_19_2513C118', 'first-page': '270', 'article-title': 'Loading does not affect measurement of walking distance in desert ants, Cataglyphis fortis', 'volume': '86', 'author': 'Schäfer', 'year': '1993', 'journal-title': 'Verh. dt. zool. Ges'} / Verh. dt. zool. Ges / Loading does not affect measurement of walking distance in desert ants, Cataglyphis fortis by Schäfer (1993)
10.1007/BF00192324 / J. comp. Physiol. A / Optokinetic speed control and estimation of travel distance in walking honeybees by Schöne (1996)
10.1242/jeb.199.1.237 / J. exp. Biol / Honeybee navigation en route to the goal: visual flight control and odometry. In Navigation by Srinivasan (1996)
10.1016/S0003-3472(87)80285-3 / Anim. Behav. / Visual information acquired during displacement and initial orientation in Polistes gallicus by Ugolini (1987)
10.4159/harvard.9780674418776 / The Dance Language and Orientation of Bees by Von Frisch (1993)
10.1007/978-94-011-1588-9_3 / Animal Homing / Arthropods by Wehner (1992)

Dates

Type	When
Created	4 years, 4 months ago (April 25, 2021, 12:18 a.m.)
Deposited	1 year, 1 month ago (July 22, 2024, 2:51 a.m.)
Indexed	3 weeks, 3 days ago (Aug. 3, 2025, 12:28 a.m.)
Issued	27 years, 10 months ago (Oct. 1, 1997)
Published	27 years, 10 months ago (Oct. 1, 1997)
Published Online	27 years, 10 months ago (Oct. 1, 1997)
Published Print	27 years, 10 months ago (Oct. 1, 1997)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Srinivasan_1997, title={Visually Mediated Odometry in Honeybees}, volume={200}, ISSN={1477-9145}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.200.19.2513}, DOI={10.1242/jeb.200.19.2513}, number={19}, journal={Journal of Experimental Biology}, publisher={The Company of Biologists}, author={Srinivasan, M. V. and Zhang, S. W. and Bidwell, N. J.}, year={1997}, month=oct, pages={2513–2522} }

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