SMALL-SCALE NAVIGATION IN THE HONEYBEE - ACTIVE ACQUISITION OF VISUALINFORMATION ABOUT THE GOAL

In a series of behavioural studies we found that bees use depth inform ation extracted from self-induced image motion in several visual tasks involving pin-pointing the goal. Some of the results are reviewed her e in an attempt to emphasise the active nature of this performance. Th ey show that bees acquire depth information during free flight by empl oying two different strategies. One is to adapt flight behaviour, upon arrival at the food source, to the requirements of the task, a perfor mance that is based on a learning process. The other is based on a ste reotyped, innate flight pattern performed upon departure from the food source. The latter has probably evolved specifically for the acquisit ion of depth information.