Honeybee navigation: Nature and calibration of the "odometer"

There are two theories about how honeybees estimate the distance to food so urces. One theory proposes that distance flown is estimated in terms of ene rgy consumption. The other suggests that the cue is visual, and is derived from the extent to which the image of the world has moved on the eye during the trip. Here the two theories are tested by observing dances of bees tha t have flown through a short, narrow tunnel to collect a food reward. The r esults show that the honeybee's "odometer" is visually driven. They also pr ovide a calibration of the dance and the odometer in visual terms.