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The Journal of Experimental Biology 206, 2393-2397 (2003)
doi: 10.1242/jeb.00436

The spectral input to honeybee visual odometry

Lars Chittka^* and Jürgen Tautz

Biozentrum, Zoologie II, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany

^* Author for correspondence at present address: Biological Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK (e-mail: l.chittka{at}qmul.ac.uk)

Accepted 4 April 2003

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.

Key words: colour vision, dance language, motion vision, optical flow, waggle dance, odometry, honeybee, Apis mellifera

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