2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Neural and behavioral function of associative learning in honeybee by using visual stimuli
| Project/Area Number |
15500200
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Bioinformatics/Life informatics
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| Research Institution | University of Hyogo (2004-2006)
Himeji Institute of Technology (2003) |
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Principal Investigator |
IKENO Hidetoshi University of Hyogo, School of Human Science and Environment, Professor, 環境人間学部, 教授 (80176114)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2006
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| Keywords | honeybee / conditioning / optomotor response / learning memory / tethered experiments / flight control / selective attention / vision |
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| Research Abstract |
Honeybees, apis mellifera, show skillful performances for behavioral control with identification and memory of food sources during their efficient foraging flight. Analysis of their mechanisms is responsible for understanding the principal of sensory information processing and behavioral control in the brain. In this research, it was proposed a new method for conditioning by the visual stimulus paired with reward (food) or punishment (heat shock). Behavioral change by the conditioning was detected as phase variation of torque signal and selective browsing in optomotor responses during the tethered flight. Following results were obtained by the behavioral experiments and mathematical analysis.
●Conditioning effect by using avoidance stimuli (heat shock) as an unconditioned stimulus dissolves sooner than reward conditioning.
●When a target figure on CRT is moved up or down, it is recognized as a different figure on original position.
●Sound stimulus, such as waggle dance sound, causes orientation to the sound source, but it is depend on the frequency characteristics.
●Honeybees, which are learned visual target as mark of food source under the free flight condition, tend to be shown orientation to the same figure under tethered flight. However, it could not be seen significant difference from naive group statistically.
●Abstract model of visual orientation flight control was presented based on flight trajectory in the Y-maze.
●Several neural responses were measured in optic lobe and descending area. However, it has not been implemented into the mathematical model, because there are not enough number of records.
Based on these results, we are starting various behavioral and physiological experiments as the next funding research. These results will be consolidated on the mathematical model for honeybee flight control.
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