Floral guidance of learning a preference for symmetry by bumblebees.

This study examines the mechanism underlying one way in which bumblebees are known to develop a preference for symmetric patterns: through prior non-differential reinforcement on simple patterns (black discs and white discs). In three experiments, bees were given a choice among symmetric and asymmetric black-and-white non-rewarding patterns presented at the ends of corridors in a radial maze. Experimental groups had prior rewarded non-discrimination training on white patterns and black patterns, while control groups had no pre-test experience outside the colony.

Visual choice behavior by bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) confirms unsupervised neural network's predictions.

The behavioral experiment herein tests the computational load hypothesis generated by an unsupervised neural network to examine bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) behavior at 2 visual properties: spatial frequency and symmetry. Untrained "flower-naïve" bumblebees were hypothesized to prefer symmetry only when the spatial frequency of artificial flowers is high and therefore places great information-processing demands on the bumblebees' visual system. Bumblebee choice behavior was recorded using high-definition motion-sensitive camcorders.

Radio Frequency Identification and motion-sensitive video efficiently automate recording of unrewarded choice behavior by bumblebees.

We present two methods for observing bumblebee choice behavior in an enclosed testing space. The first method consists of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers built into artificial flowers that display various visual cues, and RFID tags (i.e.

How images may or may not represent flowers: picture-object correspondence in bumblebees (Bombus impatiens)?

Studies of bee cognition frequently use two-dimensional stimuli referred to as floral patterns, and yet how bees perceive pictorial representations is not known. An investigation of bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) picture-object correspondence was undertaken according to the theory of Fagot et al. (Picture perception in animals.

The effect of flower-like and non-flower-like visual properties on choice of unrewarding patterns by bumblebees.

How do distinct visual stimuli help bumblebees discover flowers before they have experienced any reward outside of their nest? Two visual floral properties, type of a pattern (concentric vs radial) and its position on unrewarding artificial flowers (central vs peripheral on corolla), were manipulated in two experiments. Both visual properties showed significant effects on floral choice. When pitted against each other, pattern was more important than position.

Spatial encoding by bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) of a reward within an artificial flower array.

We presented bumblebees a spatial memory task similar to that used with other species (e.g., cats, dogs, and pigeons).