The Ecological Adaptation of Honeybee Eyes: A Review

Abdul Razak

Environmental Science Graduate/Post Graduate School Programme, Department of Biology Universitas Negeri Padang,

Prof. Dr.Hamka Street, Padang,West Sumatera, Indonesia.

Keywords: Ecological adaptation, honeybee eyes.

Abstract: This paper a review about honeybee brain and eyes. In this paper we discuss about brain and vision and

habitat as environmental condition honeybee with special ecology adaptation as multifunction animals in

our ecosystem. Honeybee can learn, decision making, understanding colour of flowers targets as source

nectar. Small insect like honeybee be able to think and food from nectar flowers. Honeybee can visually

distinguish landscape scenes, many types and odors of flowers, many shapes and patterns with such a small

visual brain. This capability are supported by specific work honeybee brain, eyes and environmental

condition.

1 INTRODUCTION

Animals as living things interact ecologically with

the environment. One group of invertebrate animals

that have the ability to interact with the environment

is insects. Insects already have brains and vision

organs as well as animals and tall as birds and

mammals. Brain and eye are inseparable mutually

support is vital as a supporter of existence in our

earth. Brain and eye are very important to support

the life of insects. An excellent insect genus of

development is honeybee (Apis spp). Honeybee is

one type of insect that has a very developed eye and

supports its role in the ecosystem. (Ribbands 1954;

Lindauer and Kerr 1960)

The eyes of the honeybee grows supported by a

reliable nervous system that forms the brain. These

eyes and brains are a form of adaptation and

function of the honeybee. Honeybees are able to

observe, learn, remember the pattern, color,

movement and direction and the target flowers as a

source of nectar which is the food. Honeybees are

also able to smell the flower that is the result of

interaction, communication and honeybee

recruitment patterns in the colonies. This ability is

supported by a very effective brain and nervous

system working simultaneously and precisely

(Ribbands 1954; Lindauer and Kerr 1960;

Johnson1967;

2 BRAIN VISUAL SPATIAL

PROCESS OF HONEYBEE

In the brain of insects is commonly known as the

mushroom bodies. This section is the center of the

brain that plays a role in learning and recall proeses

(Mizunami et al., 1993).The head houses the brain, a

collection of about 950,000 neurons. These neurons

are specialized, and they communicate with specific

neighboring neurons. This division of tasks is part of

why a bee's brain. This is a fraction of the size of the

bee's head can perform complex tasks that might

ordinarily require a bigger brain. A system of nerves

allows the brain to communicate with the rest of the

body. On its head, a bee has two sensory antennae. It

also has five eyes -- three simple eyes, or ocelli, and

two compound eyes. The compound eyes are made

of lots of small, repeating eye parts called

ommatidia. In each compound eye, about 150

ommatidia specialize in seeing patterns and

polarized light

(https://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/bee1.ht

ml, 2018).

The Honeybees represent an attractive model for

research the integration of different visual features

in the insect brain. Visual process cues are detected

by compound eyes made of ommatidiium and

hosting nine cells of photoreceptor . Three types of

photoreceptors were found, S, M, and L (for short-,

mid-, and long-range wavelength, respectively).

Razak, A.

The Ecological Adaptation of Honeybee Eyes: A Review.

DOI: 10.5220/0009896600002480

In Proceedings of the International Conference on Natural Resources and Sustainable Development (ICNRSD 2018), pages 5-9

ISBN: 978-989-758-543-2

The peak of wavelength are the UV, blue, and

green regions of the spectrum, respectively. They

have been identified in the honeybee retina (Peitsch

et al., 1992; Wakakuwa et al., 2005).

The lamina is composed of thousands of optical

cartridges, each receiving an axon bundle that

contains the axons of the nine photoreceptors from

an overlying ommatidium, as well as the dendrites of

different types of monopolar cells. Most L

photoreceptors are terminated in the first neuropil of

the optic lobe. The lamina have some synapse on

lamina monopolar cells (Menzel, 1974). The spatial

arrangement of photoreceptor axons and lamina

monopolar cells within a cartridge remains constant

throughout the lamina, thus providing the basis for a

retinotopic organization. Axons of lamina

monopolar cells and M and S receptors proceed to

the second visual neuropil, the medulla, by way of

the outer chiasm, which reverses retinotopic

organization in an anteroposterior manner. (Mobbs,

1982, Ehmer and Gronenberg, 2002).

Major output neurons from the medulla project

via the inner chiasm to the third visual neuropil, the

lobula. Extrinsic lobula neurons convey information

to different brain regions, including the mushroom

bodies (Mobbs, 1982, Ehmer and Gronenberg,

2002). The optic lobe of the contralateral eye and

different subregions of the ipsilateral lateral

protocerebrum (Hertel and Maronde, 1987).

Figure 1. Anterior Optic Tubercle (AOTu) which

contribute to spatial vision by processing dorsoventrally

segregated information (Mota et al., 2011).

Our analyses showed that the honeybee AOTu is

composed of four compartments. The MU-VL and

the MU-DL (figure 2)that together constitute a major

unit, and two smaller units placed posterior to the

MU, the VLU and the LU. We found retinotopic

small-field input to the MU, with dorsal and ventral

parts of the medulla and lobula differentially

supplying MU-VL and MU-DL. In contrary, the

VLU only receives input from the dorsal medulla.

Input from the mushroom body supplies the MU

exclusively. The LU, conversely, does not seem to

receive input from the optic lobe or mushroom body

but is connected to the contralateral AOTu and to the

LAL. We cannot exclude, however, the possibility

of having missed in our mass fillings some specific

optic lobe input to the LU. Inter-tubercle neurons

innervate all AOTu compartments in both brain

hemispheres.

Each AOTu receives from and provides to the

contralateral AOTu dorsoventral segregated

information. Distinct types of output neurons

connecting the AOTu with the LAL appear to

originate from different AOTu compartments, but

the organization of dorsoventral information in these

neurons remains to be clarified by additional studies.

Our results show that some level of segregation

between dorsal and ventral eye information occurs in

the AOTu and point toward a specialization of

certain AOTu compartments for this segregated

spatial processing. Input– output circuits in the

AOTu Input from the optic lobe runs via the AOT,

which contains two main neural types: (1)

transmedullary neurons and (2) lobula columnar

neurons. Dual supply from the medulla and lobula to

the AOTu was also described in butterflies

(Strausfeld and Blest, 1970), flies (Strausfeld and

Na¨ssel, 1981), and locusts (Homberg et al., 2003).

3 HONEYBEE BRAIN VISUAL

FLOWERS IMAGE

In a new study, researchers report that a regulatory

gene known to be involved in learning and the

detection of novelty in vertebrates also kicks into

high gear in the brains of honey bees. When

honeybees are learning how to find food and bring

it home. Activity of this gene, called Egr, quickly

increases in a region of the brain known as the

mushroom bodies whenever bees try to find their

way around an unfamiliar environment.

The researchers observed this gene is the insect

equivalent of a transcription factor found in

mammals. Transcription factors regulate the activity

of other genes.The researchers found that the

increased Egr activity did not occur as a result of

exercise, the physical demands of learning to fly or

the task of memorizing visual cues; it increased only

in response to the bees' exposure to an unfamiliar

environment. Even seasoned foragers had an uptick

ICNRSD 2018 - International Conference on Natural Resources and Sustainable Development

in Egr activity when they had to learn how to

navigate in a new environment.This discovery gives

us an important lead in figuring out how honey bees

are able to navigate so well, with such a tiny brain.

The Egr, with all that this gene is known to do in

vertebrates, provides another demonstration that

some of the molecular mechanisms underlying

behavioral plasticity are deeply conserved

(https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/204800, 2018)

Honeybees must gather widely dispersed nectar

and pollen and then return to their nests to feed their

brood. For honeybees that exploited hundreds of

flowers spread over several kilometers at each

foraging trip, this involves learning a large number

of places. This foraging lifestyle is cognitively

demanding. Foraging involves learning to recognize

flowers, discriminating the most profitable flower

patches, and learning how to handle flowers of

different species. Because flower meadows are

extremely dynamic environments. Where resources

appear and disappear within hours or days, flower

foraging also requires flexible learning processes for

being able to keep track of environmental

variability. This in a miniature brain of about one

million neurons. To accomplish these feats,

honeybees have been included excellent memory

and navigation skills. In the bee brain, visual and

olfactory stimuli are first processed in specialized

sensory lobes. After that tranfer information to

multisensory integration centers dedicated to

learning, memory, and spatial navigation tasks.

While the results of some human activities, like

habitat loss, directly compromise bee survival,

others. Pesticides, parasites, and malnutrition,

threaten colony survival by compromising bees'

cognitive capacities.

4 HONEYBEE EYES

The eyes of the honeybees are used to see flowers

for nectar as food. The honeybee's eye consists of

many simple eyes (omatidium). Honeybee shape is

hexagonal. The eyes of the honeybees are used to

see flowers for nectar as food. The honeybee's eye

consists of many simple eyes (omatidium).

Honeybee shape is hexagonal. The amazing

honeybee eyes, honeybee eyes see objects using

ultraviolet light. It is also used by fish to see which

planton is the food. Bee eyes are able to see objects

that he saw in more detail. This is what is interesting

to discuss further. Understanding of the eye will

reveal how the behavior and interactions of bees to

the environment ecologically in a broad sense. Eyes

are a highly functional ecological and physiological

interaction tool and support the life of organisms in

many habitats that require light. Honeybee eyes are

also like that, honeybee eyes need light in order to

successfully run life activities as possible.

Figure 2. Compound eyes honeybee

https://www.labnews.co.uk/features/x-ray-vision-09-08-

2016)

In response to the pressures of parasitism,

predation, and competition for limited resources,

several groups of tropical honeybees and wasps

have independently evolved a nocturnal lifestyle.

Like their diurnal relatives, these insects like

honeybee possess apposition compound eyes, a

relatively light-insensitive eye design that is best

suited to vision in bright light (Warrant, 2018).

Figure 3. Five eyes honeybee

(http://www.buzzingacrossamerica.com/2015)

Honey BEES have two large compound eyes on

either side of their head. Three tiny eyes on the top

of their head. The honey bee’s two compound eyes

are special because they allow her to see different

colors and markings on flowers that we cannot see.

The Ecological Adaptation of Honeybee Eyes: A Review

They can also see ultra violet light. A flower that

looks white to us may actually look blue-green to a

bee. The three eyes on top of the bees head are used

to help her see in the dark, because it’s dark inside

the bee hive

(http://www.buzzingacrossamerica.com/2015).

Honeybees have a visual system composed of

three ocelli (simple eyes) LOCATED on the top of

the head, in addition to two large compound eyes.

Although experiments have been conducted to

investigate the role of the ocelli within the visual

system. Their optical characteristics, and function

remain controversial. In this research, we created

three-dimensional (3-D) reconstructions of the

honeybee ocelli, conducted optical measurements

and filled ocellar descending neurons to assist in

determining the role of ocelli in honeybees. In both

the median and lateral ocelli, the ocellar retinas can

be divided into dorsal and ventral parts. Using the 3-

D model we were able to assess the viewing angles

of the retinas. The dorsal retinas view the horizon

while the ventral retinas view the sky, suggesting

quite different roles in attitude control. The lateral

ocelli very important to higher spatial resolution

compared to the median ocellus. In addition, we

established which ocellar retinas provide the input to

five pairs of large ocellar descending neurons.We

found that four of the neuron pairs have their

dendritic fields in the dorsal retinas ofthe lateral

ocelli, while the fifth has fine dendrites in the ventral

retina. One of the neuron pairs also sends very fine

dendrites into the border region between the dorsal

and ventral retinas of the median ocellus (Hung et al,

2014).

5 THE ECOLOGICAL

ADAPTATION OF HONEYBEE

EYES

Flowering plants are associated with a broad

spectrum of animal pollinators. Honeybees

constitute an important but not exclusive subset and

whose sensory and learning capabilities have been

explored (Weiss 2001; Dobson 2006).

The total economic value of pollination

worldwide for the 100 crops used directly for human

food (as listed by the Food and Agriculture

Organization of the United Nations)(Gallai et

al.2009). Hence, the decline of honeybees would not

only cause dramatic changes in habitat diversity but

also could jeopardize the considerable share of

human food supply derived from insect-pollinated

crops.

To see reliably, an eye must capture sufficient

light. For a diurnal activity, animals, adapted for

vision in bright sunlight. This basic need is easily

achieved. However, at night, or at tremendous

depths in the sea, where light levels may be many

orders ofmagnitude lower, reliable vision cannot be

guaranteed. Indeed, many nocturnal and deep-sea

animals have simply ceased to rely on vision as their

primary sense, depending instead on olfaction,

hearing, electroreception and mechanoreception to

interpret their environments (Warrant and Locket,

2004; Warrant, 2008).

This, however, is by no means the rule: many

others have INVESTED heavily in vision, evolving

remarkable adaptations to see well in dim light

(Laughlin, 1990; Meyer-Rochow and Nilsson, 1998;

McIntyre and Caveney, 1998; Warrant, 2004;

Warrant, 2006; Warrant, 2008). This review

showcases one particular group of such animals then

octurnal bees and wasps a group that is starting to

reveal some of the basic principles used by animals

to process visual information in dim light

(Warrant,2008).

Figure 4. Honeybee vision versus human vision

(https://www.google.com/search?q=vision+process+in+ho

neybee+brain&tbm, 2018)

To SEE well in dark, a visual system needs to

extract reliable information from what may be an

unreliable visual signal; that is, to extract

information from a visual signal that is contaminated

by visual ‘noise’. Part of this noise arises from the

stochastic nature of photon arrival and absorption:

each sample of absorbed photons (or signal) has a

certain degree of uncertainty (or noise) associated

with it. The relative magnitude of this uncertainty is

greater at lower rates of photon absorption, and these

quantum fluctuations set anupper limit to the visual

signal-to-noise ratio (Rose, 1942; de Vries,1943;

Land, 1981).

ICNRSD 2018 - International Conference on Natural Resources and Sustainable Development

Figure 5. Flowers is loved by honeybees

(http://klancengsragi.blogspot.com/2018

NOT surprisingly, apposition eyes are typical of

diurnal insects active in bright sunlight. This

condition includes all diurnal bees and wasps.

Strangely, apposition eyes are also get on several

groups of bees and wasps (and also ants) that have

evolved a nocturnal lifestyle. Even stranger, despite

the poor sensitivity afforded by apposition eyes.

Many insects invariably see quite well, with well-

documented abilities learned visual landmarks and

to use them during homing and foraging (Warrant et

al., 2004; Greiner et al., 2007b; Somanathan et al.,

2008).

6 CONCLUSION

Honeybee eyes have characteristics and good

ecological adaptation especially to flowers vision.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special thank you to Director Graduate Programme

and Rector Universitas Negeri Padang. Both give me

as author and presented this paper in ICRNSD

meeting.

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The Ecological Adaptation of Honeybee Eyes: A Review