NDLI: Colour-independent shape recognition of cryptic predators by bumblebees

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Ings, T. C. Wang, M. Y. Chittka, L.
Copyright Year	2011
Abstract	Predators hunting for cryptic prey use search images, but how do prey search for cryptic predators? We address this question using the interaction between bumblebees and the colour-changing crab spider Misumena vatia which can camouflage itself on some flowers. In laboratory experiments, we exposed bumblebees to an array of flowers concealing robotic predators (a trapping mechanism combined with a 3D life-sized model of a crab spider or a circle). Groups of bees were trained to avoid either cryptic yellow spiders or yellow circles (equal area to the spiders) or remained predator naive. The bees were then exposed to a new patch of white flowers containing some cryptic predators (either white spiders, white circles or a mixture of both). We monitored individual foraging choices and used a 3D video tracking system to quantify the bees’ flight behaviour. The bees trained to avoid cryptic spiders, chose 40% fewer spider-harbouring flowers than expected by chance, but were indifferent to cryptic circles. They also aborted a higher proportion of landings on flowers harbouring spiders, ultimately feeding from half as many ‘dangerous’ flowers as naive bees. Previous encounters with cryptic spiders also influenced the flight behaviour of bees in the new flower patch. Experienced bees spent more time inspecting the flowers they chose to reject (both with and without concealed spiders) and scanned from side to side more in front of the flowers to facilitate predator detection. We conclude that bees disentangle shape from colour cues and thus can form a generalised search image for spider shapes, independent of colour.
Starting Page	487
Ending Page	496
Page Count	10
File Format	PDF
ISSN	03405443
Journal	Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
Volume Number	66
Issue Number	3
e-ISSN	14320762
Language	English
Publisher	Springer-Verlag
Publisher Date	2011-12-06
Publisher Place	Berlin, Heidelberg
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Bombus terrestris Camouflage Pattern recognition Predator avoidance Evolutionary Biology Behavioural Sciences Zoology
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
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4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
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