Color choices by bumble bees (Bombus terrestris): Innate preferences and generalization after learning

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

Volumn 48, Issue 1, 2000, Pages 36-43

  Gumbert, Andreas ^a,b  

^a FREIE UNIVERSITÄT BERLIN   (Germany)

^b HEINRICH HEINE UNIVERSITY   (Germany)

Author keywords

Bumble bee; Color learning; Color vision; Generalization; Innate preferences

Indexed keywords

BEE; COLOR; FLORAL TRAIT; INNATE BEHAVIOR; LEARNING; PREFERENCE BEHAVIOR;

APIDAE; BOMBUS TERRESTRIS; HYMENOPTERA;

EID: 0034097957     PISSN: 03405443     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s002650000213     Document Type: Article

References (30)

1. Backhaus W (1991) Color opponent coding in the visual system of the honeybee. Vision Res 31:1381-1397
2. Brandt R, Vorobyev M (1997) Metric analysis of threshold spectral sensitivity in the honeybee. Vision Res 37:425-439
3. Chittka L, Thomson JD, Waser NM (1999) Flower constancy, insect psychology, and plant evolution. Naturwissenschaften 86: 361-377
4. Dafni A (1984) Mimicry and deception in pollination Annu Rev Ecol Syst 15:259-278
5. Fægri K, Van der Pijl L (1980) The principles of pollination ecology, 3rd edn. Pergamon, Oxford
6. Frisch K von (1914) Der Farbensinn und Formensinn der Biene. Zool Jb Physiol 37:1-238
7. Giurfa M (1991) Colour generalization and choice behaviour of the honeybee Apis mellifera ligustica. J Insect Physiol 37: 41-44
8. Giurfa M, Núñez J, Chittka L, Menzel R (1995) Colour preferences of flower-naive honeybees. J Comp Physiol A 177:247-259
9. Giurfa M, Vorobyev M, Kevan P, Menzel R (1996) Detection of coloured stimuli by honeybees: minimum visual angles and receptor specific contrasts. J Comp Physiol A 178:699-709
10. Giurfa M, Vorobyev M, Brandt R, Posner B, Menzel R (1997) Discrimination of colored stimuli by honeybees: alternative use of achromatic and chromatic signals. J Comp Physiol A 180:235-243
11. Greggers U, Mauelshagen J (1997) Matching behavior of honeybees in a multiple-choice situation: the differential effect of environmental stimuli on the choice process. Anim Learn Behav 25:45 8-472
12. Gumbert A, Kunze K, Chittka L (1999) Floral colour diversity in plant communities, bee colour space and a null model. Proc R Soc Lond B 266:1711-1716
13. Heinrich B (1975) Energetics of pollination. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 6:139-170
14. Heinrich B (1976) The foraging specializations of individual bumblebees. Ecol Monogr 46:105-128
15. Heinrich B, Mudge PR, Deringis PG (1977) Laboratory analysis of flower constancy in foraging bumblebees: Bombus ternarius and B. terricola. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2:247-265
16. Honig WK, Urcuioli P (1978) Reizgeneralisierung und Reizkontrolle. In: Anonymous (ed) Die Psychologie des 20. Jahrhunderts. Kindler, Zürich, pp 250-305
17. Land MF (1989) Variations in the structure and design of compound eyes. In: Stavenga DG, Hardie RC (eds) Facets of vision. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 90-111
18. Lunau K (1990) Colour saturation triggers innate reactions to flower signals: flower dummy experiments with bumblebees. J Comp Physiol A 166:827-834
19. Lunau K, Maier EJ ( 1995) Innate colour preferences of flower visitors. J Comp Physiol A 177:1-19
20. Lunau K, Wacht S, Chittka L (1996) Colour choices of naive bumble bees and their implications for colour perception. J Comp Physiol A 178:477-489
21. Menzel R (1967) Untersuchungen zum Erlernen von Spektralfarben durch die Honigbiene (Apis mellifica). Z Vergl Physiol 56:22-62
22. Menzel R (1985) Learning in honeybees in an ecological and behavioral context. In: Hölldobler B, Lindauer M (eds) Experimental behavioral ecology. Fischer, Stuttgart, pp 55-74
23. Menzel R, Backhaus W (1991) Colour vision in insects. In: Gouras P (ed) Vision and visual dysfunktion. The perception of colour. Macmillan, London, pp 262-288
24. Menzel R, Shmida A (1993) The ecology of flower colours and the natural colour vision of insect pollinators: the israeli flora as a study case. Biol Rev 68:81-120
25. Müller H ( 1881) Alpenblumen. Engelmann, Leipzig
26. Pankiew P (1967) Study of honeybee preference and behaviour on normal and standardless alfaalfa flowers. J Apicult Res 6: 105-112
27. Pearce JM (1997) Animal learning and cognition. Psychology Press, Hove
28. Peitsch D, Fietz A, Hertel H, Souza J de, Ventura DF, Menzel R (1992) The spectral input systems of hymenopteran insects and their receptor-based colour vision. J Comp Physiol A 170:23-40
29. Waser NM (1986) Flower constancy: definition, cause, and measurement. Am Nat 127:593-603
30. Wyszecki G, Stiles WS (1982) Color science: concepts and methods, quantitative data and formulae. Wiley, New York