RUI: The Sensory Basis of the Dance Communcation of Honey Bees

声音交流在动物中很常见， 最近在蜜蜂中发现，蜜蜂是最好的- 了解所有昆虫。 著名的“舞蹈”的蜜蜂在 蜂巢提供了一个方向和距离的信息， 其他蜜蜂的食物来源。 近期初步研究 现在表明，声音交流几乎肯定起着主要作用， 在这种舞蹈中的作用。 这个项目将使用行为实验来阐明 从蜜蜂的舞蹈中发出的声音， 蜜蜂对声音的反应能力。 蜜蜂会 接受训练，对人工产生的声音作出反应， 分析其听觉的频率敏感性; 消融研究将用于识别听觉感受器 机关 此外，合作的生物工程师已经 制造了一个小型的机械跳舞蜜蜂，由 实验者，这个设备将被用于存在 真实的蜜蜂来确定哪些信号是必要的和充分的 在摇摆舞中成功沟通的机会 两 声学和非声学提示将由机械 模型，以及观察到的蜜蜂觅食行为 将对外出觅食的动物进行检测， 重要的是沟通现场方向和距离。 这项新的研究将对一个已经丰富的故事产生很大的影响 一种复杂的感官引导行为。 此外还有 是本科生参与这一活动的重要组成部分， 工作，而且工作很可能在 蜜蜂作为一种重要的农业资源。

Acoustic communication is common among animals, and it has recently been discovered in bees, which are among the most well- understood of all insects. The well-known "dance" of the bee in the hive gives information on the direction and distance of a food source to other foraging bees. Preliminary recent studies now show that sound communication almost certainly plays a major role in this dance behavior. This project will use behavioral experiments to clarify the role of airborne sounds from the dancing bees, and further characterize the ability of bees to respond to sound. Bees will be trained to respond to artificially generated sounds, to analyze the frequency sensitivity of their acoustic sense; ablation studies will be used to identify the acoustic receptor organs. In addition, collaborating bioengineers have manufactured a small mechanical dancing bee, controlled by the experimenters, and this device will be used in the presence of real bees to determine which signals are necessary and sufficient for successful communication during the waggle dance. Both acoustic and non-acoustic cues will be given by the mechanical model, and the observed food-seeking field behavior of the bees that go out to forage will be assayed to see what parameters were important to communicate site direction and distance. This novel study will have high impact on an already rich story of a sophisticated sensory-guided behavior. In addition, there is a strong component of undergraduate participation in this work, and the work is very likely to have importance in the continuing use of bees as an important agricultural resource.