RESUMEN
Colours are quickly learnt by free-moving bees in operant conditioning settings. In the present study, we report a method using the classical conditioning of the proboscis extension response (PER) in restrained honeybees (Apis mellifera), which allows bees to learn colours after just a few training trials. We further analysed how visual learning and discrimination is influenced by the quality of a stimulus by systematically varying the chromatic and achromatic properties of the stimuli. Using differential conditioning, we found that faster colour discrimination learning was correlated with reduced colour similarity between stimuli. In experiments with both absolute and differential conditioning, restrained bees showed poor colour discrimination and broad generalisation. This result is in strong contrast to the well-demonstrated ability of bees to finely discriminate colours under free-flight conditions and raises further questions about the temporal and perceptual processes underlying the ability of bees to discriminate and learn colours in different behavioural contexts.
Asunto(s)
Abejas/fisiología , Percepción de Color , Discriminación en Psicología , Aprendizaje/fisiología , Animales , Conducta Animal , Visión de Colores , Condicionamiento Clásico , Aprendizaje Discriminativo , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
The distance over which an object is detected by bees depends on the subtended visual angle and on spectral cues. At large angular subtenses detection is mediated only by chromatic cues. Achromatic targets, however, are also detectable. We investigated how chromatic and achromatic cues interact in detecting large-size targets. Coloured targets were used, with varied chromatic contrast that either did or did not present L-receptor contrast. Better detection correlated with higher chromatic contrast. Adding L-receptor contrast did not affect detection. It did allow the detection of achromatic targets, but at a lower level than most coloured ones, which indicates that the input from the achromatic system is negligible due to low sensitivity.