Structure and function of learning flights in bees and wasps
Author
Summary, in English
Bees and wasps perform systematic flight manoevres
when they leave their nest or a foodplace, during which
they acquire or update their visual memory of the goal
location. In a typical learning flight, the insect backs away
from the goal in a series of arcs that are roughly centred
on the goal. The mean rate of turning is rather constant
and tends to balance the angular speed at which the arc is
described. As a result, the insect views the goal at relatively
fixed retinal positions in its left and right visual field,
depending on flight direction. The general direction in
which the insect backs away from the goal and the
transition from one arc segment to the next are influenced
by the local scene and by compass cues. Insects returning
to the goal repeat some of the flight manoeuvres of their
preceding learning flights. Their orientation in space and
the retinal positions at which they view nearby landmarks
are similar. One important function of learning flights
appears to be the acquisition of visual depth information.
We review the consequences of the structure of learning
flights for visual information processing and discuss how
they may relate to the acquisition of a visual representation
and the task of pinpointing the goal.
when they leave their nest or a foodplace, during which
they acquire or update their visual memory of the goal
location. In a typical learning flight, the insect backs away
from the goal in a series of arcs that are roughly centred
on the goal. The mean rate of turning is rather constant
and tends to balance the angular speed at which the arc is
described. As a result, the insect views the goal at relatively
fixed retinal positions in its left and right visual field,
depending on flight direction. The general direction in
which the insect backs away from the goal and the
transition from one arc segment to the next are influenced
by the local scene and by compass cues. Insects returning
to the goal repeat some of the flight manoeuvres of their
preceding learning flights. Their orientation in space and
the retinal positions at which they view nearby landmarks
are similar. One important function of learning flights
appears to be the acquisition of visual depth information.
We review the consequences of the structure of learning
flights for visual information processing and discuss how
they may relate to the acquisition of a visual representation
and the task of pinpointing the goal.
Department/s
Publishing year
1996
Language
English
Pages
245-252
Publication/Series
Journal of Experimental Biology
Volume
199
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
The Company of Biologists Ltd
Topic
- Zoology
Status
Published
Research group
- Lund Vision Group
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1477-9145