ArticleBiology letters2024
Polarized light detection in bumblebees varies with light intensity and is mediated by both the ocelli and compound eyes.
Article in Biology letters, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- CMOS-Integrated Synaptic Photoreceptor Chip Inspired by Insect Visual Processing.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- From skylight cues to magnetic fields: the toolkit of insect long-distance navigation.Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology · 2026Review
- The visual system of a nocturnal long-distance migrant, the Australian Bogong moth.Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology · 2026Article
- Comparative use of a polarized light compass for twilight and moonlight navigation in diurnal and nocturnal bull ants.Royal Society open science · 2025Article
- Electrophysiological recordings reveal photoreceptor coupling in the dorsal rim areas of honeybee and bumblebee eyes.Biology letters · 2025Article
- Polarized light detection in bumblebees varies with light intensity and is mediated by both the ocelli and compound eyes.Biology letters · 2024Article
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6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Like many insects, bumblebees use polarized light (PL) to orient and navigate. The celestial PL pattern is strongest when the sun is close to the horizon, during the dim light of dawn and dusk. In the dim light, the sensitivity of the compound eyes may not be sufficient for detecting PL or landmarks, and it has previously been hypothesized that bumblebees rely on PL from their more sensitive ocelli to navigate at dawn and dusk. Here, we tested this hypothesis using a combination of electrophysiological and behavioural tests. Specifically, we investigate whether bumblebee ocelli can detect PL and explore how the PL contribution from the ocelli and compound eyes is affected by light intensity. We find that bumblebee ocelli do indeed have PL sensitivity and that PL information can be used to guide behaviour in dim light. In bright light, however, both the compound eyes and ocelli are important for the detection of PL. Our results support the hypothesis that bumblebees use PL information from the ocelli at the low light levels that occur around dawn and dusk, and this may support their ability to forage during these periods.
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