Document Detail


Olfactory learning in the stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini).
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20512581     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Tetragonisca angustula stingless bees are considered as solitary foragers that lack specific communication strategies. In their orientation towards a food source, these social bees use chemical cues left by co-specifics and the information obtained in previous foraging trips by the association of visual stimuli with the food reward. Here, we investigated their ability to learn the association between odors and reward (sugar solution) and the effect on learning of previous encounters with scented food either inside the hive or during foraging. During food choice experiments, when the odor associated with the food was encountered at the feeding site, the bees' choice is biased to the same odor afterwards. The same was not the case when scented food was placed inside the nest. We also performed a differential olfactory conditioning of proboscis extension response with this species for the first time. Inexperienced bees did not show significant discrimination levels. However, when they had had already interacted with scented food inside the hive, they were able to learn the association with a specific odor. Possible olfactory information circulation inside the hive and its use in their foraging strategies is discussed.
Authors:
S I Mc Cabe; W M Farina
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't     Date:  2010-05-30
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology     Volume:  196     ISSN:  1432-1351     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Comp. Physiol. A Neuroethol. Sens. Neural. Behav. Physiol.     Publication Date:  2010 Jul 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-06-23     Completed Date:  2010-09-22     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101141792     Medline TA:  J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol     Country:  Germany    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  481-90     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Grupo de Estudio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, IFIBYNE-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Analysis of Variance
Animals
Appetite / physiology
Association Learning / physiology*
Bees / physiology*
Choice Behavior / physiology
Conditioning, Operant / physiology
Food Preferences / physiology
Odors
Olfactory Perception / physiology*
Reward
Smell / physiology*

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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