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Communication of distance information by honey bees

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Summary

A method is described by which information from odors specific to the vicinity of forager stations can be separated from symbolic dance-language information. Under these conditions, most recruits use the symbolic cues. A series of distance experiments is reported in which mean recruit accuracy was found to be ±11–12%. When Wenner's training technique was used, recruit accuracy fell to ±36%. When von Frisch's techniques were used, recruit accuracy rose slightly to ±9%. The implications of these results for the dance-language controversy are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA

    James L. Gould

  2. Department of Biology, Princeton University, 08540, Princeton, New Jersey, USA

    James L. Gould

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  1. James L. Gould
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Additional information

I thank N. E. Gary for valuable technical advice, M. Rossetto for designing the electronic circuits, R. O'Connell for obtaining the scents, P. Marler, B. Hölldobler, F. Nottebohm, and especially D. R. Griffin for advice and criticism. This work was supported in part by the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, Millbrook, New York.

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Gould, J.L. Communication of distance information by honey bees. J. Comp. Physiol. 104, 161–173 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01379457

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01379457

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