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First published online February 15, 2006
Journal of Experimental Biology 209, 978-984 (2006)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2006
doi: 10.1242/jeb.02085

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Visual regulation of ground speed and headwind compensation in freely flying honey bees (Apis mellifera L.)

Andrew Barron^* and Mandyam V. Srinivasan

Centre for Visual Science, Research School of Biological Sciences, The Australian National University, PO Box 475, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: barron{at}rsbs.anu.edu.au)

Accepted 10 January 2006

There is now increasing evidence that honey bees regulate their ground speed in flight by holding constant the speed at which the image of the environment moves across the eye (optic flow). We have investigated the extent to which ground speed is affected by headwinds. Honey bees were trained to enter a tunnel to forage at a sucrose feeder placed at its far end. Ground speeds in the tunnel were recorded while systematically varying the visual texture of the tunnel, and the strength of headwinds experienced by the flying bees. We found that in a flight tunnel bees used visual cues to maintain their ground speed, and adjusted their air speed to maintain a constant rate of optic flow, even against headwinds which were, at their strongest, 50% of a bee's maximum recorded forward velocity. Manipulation of the visual texture revealed that headwind is compensated almost fully even when the optic flow cues are very sparse and subtle, demonstrating the robustness of this visual flight control system. We discuss these findings in the context of field observations of flying bees.

Key words: optic flow, wind tunnel, Apis mellifera, honey bee, ground speed

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