We investigate olfactory memory consolidation in honeybees. Three experimen
ts are reported that include 1024 animals in 28 experimental groups. After
one pairing of odorant and sucrose reward, retention is typically nonmonoto
nic with a minimum 3 min after conditioning. This corresponds to the "Kamin
effect" in vertebrates; the postminimum rise in retention is usually inter
preted as reflecting memory consolidation. First, we test for the generalit
y of this effect across four different odorants. The postminimum rise in re
tention was reproducibly observed for 1-hexanol but not for l-octanol, limo
nene, or geraniol. Second, we investigate whether previous learning about t
he training context modulates subsequent memory consolidation. On the day b
efore training, a reward was applied either upon placement into the future
training context for 1 min, halfway during exposure or just before removal
from the context. Ln the latter group, the 3-min minimum in retention was e
liminated; thus, in that group, forward pairings of context and reward (i.e
., context exposure begins before reward is applied) lead to an associative
context memory that can modulate subsequent olfactory memory consolidation
. Third, we found no evidence for a modulation of olfactory memory consolid
ation by pre-exposure to the odorant.