The perception of small objects by the drone honeybee

Vallet, A.M. and Coles, J.A. (1993) The perception of small objects by the drone honeybee. Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology, 172(2), pp. 183-188.

Abstract

Drones (Apis mellifera ♂) were attracted to a lure scented with queen pheromone suspended at a height of 11–18m. An unscented test object, usually a black sphere, was lowered on a vertical string at a horizontal distance of 50 cm or 103 cm from the scented lure. Drones often made a rapid, direct, displacement from the scented lure to the test object. Drones responded to objects that subtended an angle as small as 0.41° which is less than the acceptance angle of a single ommatidium. We calculate that a drone can respond to a stimulus corresponding to a reduction in the light incident on one ommatidium at a time of 8%; the brevity of the stimulus on each ommatidium would seem to be a factor in the design of the eye.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Coles, Dr Jonathan
• Authors: Vallet, A.M., and Coles, J.A.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity
• Journal Name: Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology
• Publisher: Springer
• ISSN: 0340-7594
• ISSN (Online): 1432-1351