Behavioral studies on tarsal gustation in honeybees: sucrose responsiveness and sucrose-mediated olfactory conditioning.
Although the forelegs of honeybees are one of their main gustatory appendages, tarsal gustation in bees has never been systematically studied. To provide a more extensive account on honeybee tarsal gustation, we performed a series of behavioral experiments aimed at characterizing (1) tarsal sucrose sensitivity under different experimental conditions and (2) the capacity of tarsal sucrose stimulation to support olfactory conditioning. We quantified the proboscis extension reflex to tarsal sucrose stimulation and to odors paired with tarsal sucrose stimulation, respectively. Our experiments show that tarsal sucrose sensitivity is lower than antennal sucrose sensitivity and can be increased by starvation time. In contrast, antennae amputation decreases tarsal sucrose sensitivity. Furthermore, we show that tarsal sucrose stimulation can support olfactory learning and memory even if the acquisition level reached is relatively low (40%).
de Brito Sanchez
Maria Gabriela
MG
Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse Cedex 9, France. debrito@cict.fr
Chen
Chun
C
Li
Jianjun
J
Liu
Fanglin
F
Gauthier
Monique
M
Giurfa
Martin
M
D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000502:physiology*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D055696:Olfactory Perception / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
D013549:Sweetening Agents; D013395:Sucrose