Effect of flower perceptibility on spatial-reward associative learning by bumble bees
Effect of flower perceptibility on spatial-reward associative learning by bumble bees
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花朵感知能力对熊蜂空间奖励联想学习的影响
DOI：
10.1007/s00265-017-2328-y
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发表时间：
2017
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Ishii Hiroshi S.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Tsujimoto Shohei G.;Ishii Hiroshi S.
摘要空间和奖励信息的联想学习通常被认为是觅食动物从可再生资源中获取食物的一种适应性行为。然而，如果根据学习到的信息准确地选择一个高回报的位置会给觅食者带来时间成本（速度-精度权衡），那么学习可能并不总是最大化觅食效率。为了检验速度-准确性权衡对联想学习的影响，我们观察了大黄蜂，Bombus ignitus(Smith)，在两种条件下在高回报和低回报的混合人花花阵列中觅食，即在离开花时不容易发现下一个最近的花的小花阵列和在蜜蜂容易识别下一个最近的花的大花阵列。当花朵很小的时候，蜜蜂通过选择性地结合它们的经验来创造觅食路线。当花很大的时候，蜜蜂在花之间的飞行速度比花很小的时候要快，这就创造了觅食路线，而不需要考虑高回报花的位置。至少在花的访花次数达到3000次之前，估计花大时的觅食效率高于花小时的觅食效率，这表明当个体能够很容易地找到花时，快速觅食可能比精确觅食更好。这些结果表明，根据学习的成本-收益平衡，觅食者可能会选择空间和奖励信息的联想学习。先前的研究主要集中在觅食动物的空间-奖励联想学习上，假设觅食动物学习到更大奖励的位置时，觅食效率会提高。然而，这项研究表明，大黄蜂学习高回报花朵的位置取决于学习的成本效益平衡，而不考虑机会或他们的学习能力。因此，学习可能是觅食者可以根据环境选择的一种选择。
AbstractThe associative learning of spatial and reward information is generally considered an adaptive behavior of foraging animals that collect food from renewable resources. However, learning may not always maximize foraging efficiency if choosing a high-reward location accurately based on learned information imposes a time cost on the forager (speed-accuracy trade-off). To examine the effect of speed-accuracy trade-offs on associative learning, we observed bumble bees,Bombus ignitus(Smith), foraging in mixed arrays of high- and low-rewarding artificial flowers under two conditions, i.e., arrays of small flowers where bees could not easily detect the next nearest flowers on leaving a flower and arrays of large flowers where bees could easily recognize the next nearest flower. When flowers were small, bees created foraging routes by selectively incorporating the locations of high-rewarding flowers with their experience. When flowers were large, bees flew between flowers more quickly than when flowers were small, creating foraging routes without accounting for the locations of high-rewarding flowers. Estimated foraging efficiency was higher when flowers were large than when they were small, at least until flower visitation number reached 3000, suggesting that rapid foraging might be a better choice than accurate foraging when individuals are able to locate flowers easily. These results suggest that associative learning of spatial and reward information might be a choice that foragers can apply according to the cost-benefit balance of learning.Significance statementPrevious studies focusing on spatial-reward associative learning in foraging animals assumed that foraging efficiency increased as the forager learned the locations of greater rewards. However, this study suggests that bumble bees learn the location of high-rewarding flowers depending on the cost–benefit balance of learning, irrespective of the opportunity or their aptitude for learning. Thus, learning might be a choice that foragers can apply according to the circumstances.