Does quantity matter to a stingless bee?

Publikation: Beiträge in ZeitschriftenZeitschriftenaufsätzeForschungbegutachtet

Authors

Quantitative information is omnipresent in the world and a wide range of species has been shown to use quantities to optimize their decisions. While most studies have focused on vertebrates, a growing body of research demonstrates that also insects such as honeybees possess basic quantitative abilities that might aid them in finding profitable flower patches. However, it remains unclear if for insects, quantity is a salient feature relative to other stimulus dimensions, or if it is only used as a “last resort” strategy in case other stimulus dimensions are inconclusive. Here, we tested the stingless bee Trigona fuscipennis, a species representative of a vastly understudied group of tropical pollinators, in a quantity discrimination task. In four experiments, we trained wild, free-flying bees on stimuli that depicted either one or four elements. Subsequently, bees were confronted with a choice between stimuli that matched the training stimulus either in terms of quantity or another stimulus dimension. We found that bees were able to discriminate between the two quantities, but performance differed depending on which quantity was rewarded. Furthermore, quantity was more salient than was shape. However, quantity did not measurably influence the bees' decisions when contrasted with color or surface area. Our results demonstrate that just as honeybees, small-brained stingless bees also possess basic quantitative abilities. Moreover, invertebrate pollinators seem to utilize quantity not only as "last resort" but as a salient stimulus dimension. Our study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on quantitative cognition in invertebrate species and adds to our understanding of the evolution of numerical cognition.

OriginalspracheEnglisch
ZeitschriftAnimal Cognition
Jahrgang25
Ausgabenummer3
Seiten (von - bis)617-629
Anzahl der Seiten13
ISSN1435-9448
DOIs
PublikationsstatusErschienen - 01.06.2022
Extern publiziertJa

Bibliographische Notiz

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).

DOI

Zuletzt angesehen

Publikationen

  1. The Anthropocenic Illusion: Sustainability an the Fascination of Control.
  2. Editorial
  3. On “Nationology”
  4. Valorisation of food waste in biotechnological processes
  5. Wissenschaftsjahr 2012 Zukunftsprojekt ERDE
  6. Nur in meinem Kopf
  7. „Unbegleitete Minderjährige Flüchtlinge“ in Europa
  8. Revisiting diversity management:
  9. The heterogeneous economic consequences of work council relations
  10. Educational placement and achievement motivation of students with special educational needs
  11. Wer arbeitet wann?
  12. Becoming prosumer
  13. Profil
  14. Cello : Remake eines bezaubernden Songs
  15. W. G. Sebald: Campo Santo
  16. Cultural Diversity
  17. Biodiversitätsforschung im Wald
  18. Challenging infrastructures of domestic labor
  19. Effects of an Educational Scenario Exercise on Participants' Competencies of Systemic Thinking
  20. Die Nihilisierung des Nihilismus - Alfred Seidel (1895-1924)
  21. Verwaltungsrecht
  22. Magnesium melt protection
  23. Using social media photos to explore the relation between cultural ecosystem services and landscape features across five European sites
  24. Kinderflohmärkte
  25. Click Here to Shop Now!
  26. O-Ton Oberstufe
  27. Karl Mays "Weihnacht!"
  28. Architektur Campus Leuphana
  29. Zeit-los im Studio?
  30. Do Serious Breaches Give Rise to Any Specific Obligations of the Responsible State?
  31. Markets
  32. Traits of dominant plant species drive normalized difference vegetation index in grasslands globally
  33. Anspruch und Wirklichkeit
  34. Governing new European democracies
  35. Affect is King
  36. Neustrukturierung des Mittleren Freihafens zum Central Terminal Steinwerder (CTS)
  37. Unterstützung des Nachhaltigkeitsmanagements durch Unternehmensarchitekturmanagement
  38. Party, Coalition, Premiership
  39. Diversitätsbezogene Einstellungen von Lehramtsstudierenden
  40. Der Regierungsentwurf für ein Abschlussprüfungsreformgesetz (AReG)
  41. "Lehren" über Nachhaltigkeit und Naturschutz
  42. Die Berufsbetreuung
  43. The effects of training on employee suggestions and promotions in an internal labor market
  44. Die Angst vor Migranten. Gefühle als Modus des politischen Denkens
  45. Weichenstellung Kohlekonsens
  46. Unfreiwillig mit Schmitt
  47. Akteur – Individuum – Subjekt
  48. Wachstumsdeterminanten junger Unternehmen
  49. Recycling of magnesium drive train components