The bee, the flower and the electric field
Insects use several different senses to forage on flowers, and detect floral cues such as color, shape, pattern, humidity and chemical volatiles. This presentation will present our discovery of a previously unappreciated sensory capacity in bumblebees (Bombus terrestris): the detection of floral ele...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
EDP Sciences
2016-01-01
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| Series: | BIO Web of Conferences |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/20160603002 |
| _version_ | 1818609961332113408 |
|---|---|
| author | Robert Daniel Clarke Dom Sutton Greg Morley Erica |
| author_facet | Robert Daniel Clarke Dom Sutton Greg Morley Erica |
| author_sort | Robert Daniel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Insects use several different senses to forage on flowers, and detect floral cues such as color, shape, pattern, humidity and chemical volatiles. This presentation will present our discovery of a previously unappreciated sensory capacity in bumblebees (Bombus terrestris): the detection of floral electric fields. We show that these floral fields act as informational cues, and that they can be affected by the visit of naturally electrically charged bees. Like visual cues, floral electric fields exhibit variations in pattern and structure, which can be discriminated by bumblebees. We also show that such electric field information contributes to the complex array of floral cues that together improve a pollinator’s memory of floral rewards. Floral electric fields arise from complex interactions with the surrounding atmosphere, an interaction between plants and their environment that not well understood. Because floral electric fields can change within seconds, this new sensory modality - electrostatic field detection- may facilitate rapid and dynamic communication between flowers and their pollinators. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T15:06:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-53b9b35e5d8a41c687b293f066a25608 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2117-4458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T15:06:51Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | EDP Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BIO Web of Conferences |
| spelling | doaj.art-53b9b35e5d8a41c687b293f066a256082022-12-21T22:27:06ZengEDP SciencesBIO Web of Conferences2117-44582016-01-0160300210.1051/bioconf/20160603002bioconf_eabs2016_03002The bee, the flower and the electric fieldRobert DanielClarke DomSutton GregMorley EricaInsects use several different senses to forage on flowers, and detect floral cues such as color, shape, pattern, humidity and chemical volatiles. This presentation will present our discovery of a previously unappreciated sensory capacity in bumblebees (Bombus terrestris): the detection of floral electric fields. We show that these floral fields act as informational cues, and that they can be affected by the visit of naturally electrically charged bees. Like visual cues, floral electric fields exhibit variations in pattern and structure, which can be discriminated by bumblebees. We also show that such electric field information contributes to the complex array of floral cues that together improve a pollinator’s memory of floral rewards. Floral electric fields arise from complex interactions with the surrounding atmosphere, an interaction between plants and their environment that not well understood. Because floral electric fields can change within seconds, this new sensory modality - electrostatic field detection- may facilitate rapid and dynamic communication between flowers and their pollinators.http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/20160603002 |
| spellingShingle | Robert Daniel Clarke Dom Sutton Greg Morley Erica The bee, the flower and the electric field BIO Web of Conferences |
| title | The bee, the flower and the electric field |
| title_full | The bee, the flower and the electric field |
| title_fullStr | The bee, the flower and the electric field |
| title_full_unstemmed | The bee, the flower and the electric field |
| title_short | The bee, the flower and the electric field |
| title_sort | bee the flower and the electric field |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/20160603002 |
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