Visual-Spatial Memory in an Invertebrate

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Foraging honey bees learn the locations of dozens of flower patches within a 10-kilometer radius of their nest, and perform a series of body movements referred to as a "dance language" to communicate to nestmates the locations of these sites. Memory of landmarks, and of the relationship between the landscape and the sun's course, plays a prominent role in these behavioral feats. Dr. Dyer's previous studies have clarified what bees learn about the relationships among landmarks seen in different parts of their foraging range, and about the course of the sun relative to the landscape. The present project will further investigate the contents of spatial memory in experienced honey bees, and will also attempt to uncover the processes whereby naive bees acquire information about important spatial relationships in the environment. Honey bees are extremely attractive subjects for such studies because their behavior poses some intriguing problems, given the enormous scale and flexibility of the bees' movements and the small size of their brain. At the same time, the behavior is highly amenable to experimental exploration of the underlying processes. To the extent that many other animals face navigational problems parallel to those faced by honey bees, these studies can contribute to the development of general theories about how nervous systems may be equipped to make use of inevitably limited processing capacity.