The mechanisms of electroreception in bees

花和蜜蜂之间的生态伙伴关系是深刻的;花进化出壮观的颜色和芳香挥发物来吸引传粉者，特别是蜜蜂，以确保花粉转移和受精。许多花含有营养丰富的花蜜作为特别的奖赏。蜜蜂和花朵都从这一合作的显著例子中受益。蜜蜂可以看到和闻到花朵，但仅此而已吗？我们的研究改变了它的路径，当我们惊讶于一朵花的花粉能够跳向一只接近的蜜蜂并粘在它身上的事实时，在静电力的驱动下，花粉从一朵花转移到另一朵花。但这是电促进授粉的唯一方法吗？在这些观察之后，我们想到了一个简单的问题：蜜蜂知道静电场的存在吗？最近，我们报道了熊蜂（熊蜂terrestris）可以检测和学习花电场。这些领域实际上是花卉的线索，补充颜色，气味，温度，湿度和形状。花田受到蜜蜂访问的影响，蜜蜂也带电。与视觉线索一样，花电场也表现出模式和结构的变化，这可以被熊蜂区分开来。我们还表明，电场信息可以提高传粉者的记忆花的奖励。由于花卉电场可以在几秒钟内改变，它们的检测可能有助于花卉和传粉者之间的快速沟通。然而，蜜蜂如何检测花卉电场仍然是未知的。这项研究的目的是确定蜜蜂探测电场的感觉机制。蜜蜂是否有专门的电感觉器官，就像许多动物有专门的耳朵来探测声音一样？我们假设蜜蜂利用它们身上的细毛来感知花朵静电场的存在。这与我们在旧电视机前手臂上的汗毛竖起的感觉相似。我们将测量蜜蜂毛的偏转，并记录其基部感觉神经元的活动。我们还将训练蜜蜂识别不同的电场，并在削弱这些毛发的弯曲后，评估它们的识别能力。利用数学建模和激光振动技术，我们还将建立蜜蜂实际上对电场敏感的类型。它们只对花田敏感吗？这项工作将描述一个全新的意义。这种电感觉在蜜蜂的生活中所起的作用，包括它们与花朵的互利共生，仍然知之甚少。其他重要的传粉者，如苍蝇、甲虫和飞蛾，也能感受到花的电场吗？我们的工作还将改变我们理解环境及其复杂性的方式，增加一个电子组件。目前，我们对这种电生态学视而不见;然而，这个研究项目的目的是提供可视化自然世界中迄今为止难以捉摸的部分的方法。潜在的，新的电测量技术，也许生物启发，将出现从我们的调查检测弱和局部电场。因此，技术人员的兴趣也可能对我们的研究及其影响的长期持续和多样化至关重要。 此外，我们的研究将使进一步的问题被问及可能的负面或正面，但目前未知的，人工电场对传粉者和其他生物，包括植物和环境的影响。由于蜜蜂为人类消费的许多作物提供重要和有价值的授粉服务，因此更好地了解蜜蜂的生物学，并确保它们在快速变化和不确定的环境中保持安全和健康，可能是非常及时的。

The ecological partnership between flowers and bees is profound; flowers evolved spectacular displays of colours and fragrant volatiles to attract pollinators, in particular bees, to secure pollen transfer and fertilisation. Many flowers include nutritious nectar as a special reward. Both bee and flower benefit from this remarkable example of cooperation. Thus, bees can see and smell flowers, but is that all? Our research changed its path when we marveled at the fact that a flower's pollen is capable of jumping towards an approaching bee and sticking to it. Driven by electrostatic forces, the pollen is transported from flower to flower. But is this the only way electricity can enhance pollination? Following these observations, a simple question came to our minds: does the bee know anything about the presence of this electrostatic field? Recently, we reported that bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) can detect and learn about floral electric fields. These fields are in fact floral cues, complementing colour, scent, temperature, humidity and shape. Floral fields are affected by the visit of bees, which are also electrically charged. Like visual cues, floral electric fields exhibit variations in pattern and structure, which can be discriminated by bumblebees. We also showed that electric field information can improve a pollinator's memory of floral rewards. Because floral electric fields can change within seconds, their detection may facilitate rapid communication between flowers and their pollinators. Yet, how bees detect floral electric fields remains unknown. The goal of the proposed research is to identify the sensory mechanisms by which a bee detects electric fields. Do bees have a dedicated electric sensory organ, like many animals have dedicated ears to detect sounds? We hypothesise that bees use the fine hairs on their bodies to sense the presence of floral electrostatic fields. This is similar to the sensation we experience from the hairs on our arm rising in front of an old television set. We will measure the deflection of bee hair and record the activity of sensory neurones at their base. We will also train bees to recognise different electric fields and, after impairing the bending of these hairs, evaluate their recognition ability. Using mathematical modelling and laser vibration technology, we will also establish the kind of electric fields that bees are in effect sensitive to. Are they only sensitive to floral fields? This work will describe an entirely novel sense. The role this electrical sense plays in the life of bees including their mutualism with flowers, is still poorly understood. Do other important pollinators, such as flies, beetles and moths also sense floral electric fields? Our work will also change the way we understand our environment and its complexity, adding an electric component. Currently we are blind to this electrical ecology; yet this research project aims at providing ways to visualise this thus far elusive part of the natural world. Potentially, novel electrical measurement techniques, perhaps bio-inspired, will emerge from our investigations on detection of weak and local electric fields. As such, the interest of technologists may also be important to the long term continuation and diversification of our research and its impacts. Also, our research will enable further questions to be asked about the possible negative or positive, but currently unknown, impacts of man-made electric fields on pollinators, and other organisms, including plants, and the environment. As bees provide important and valuable pollination services for many crops consumed by humans, it may be very timely to better understand the biology of bees, and ensure they can remain safe and healthy in a rapidly changing and uncertain environment.