Uncovering the Mysteries of Bumblebee Vision and Movement
Today, a study published in Nature Communications has revealed an exciting discovery about the vision of bumblebees. Scientists have discovered that bumblebees are able to perceive the movement of objects in their environment, even when the visual details are blurred by movement. This is the first time that such a phenomenon has been observed in an insect.
The research team made this discovery by training bumblebees to associate a particular pattern with a reward. They then used a robotic arm to move the pattern at different speeds and directions. The bumblebees were able to distinguish the pattern, even when it was moving at speeds of up to 20 body lengths per second.
This study has implications for how bumblebees interact with their environment. It suggests that bumblebees are able to detect and respond to objects in their environment, even when the details of the object are blurred by motion. This ability could be useful for navigating complex environments, such as a flower in a windy field.
source: Phys.org