Followers of honey bee waggle dancers change their behaviour when dancers are sleep-restricted or perform imprecise dances. (December 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Klein, Barrett A.; Vogt, Michael; Unrein, Keaton; Reineke, David M.
• Is Part Of: Animal behaviour. Volume 146(2018)
• Page Start: 71
• Page End: 77
• Publication Date: 2018-12
• Subjects: Apis mellifera -- communication -- dance follower -- imprecision -- signalling -- sleep deprivation -- sleep restriction -- waggle dance; Animal behavior -- Periodicals; 591.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.10.010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-3472

Abstract

Abstract : Communication and sleep are important for humans and honey bees alike. Despite this, studies reporting consequences of sleep loss on animal communication – both signalling and receiving – are surprisingly limited. Honey bees ( Apis mellifera ) can famously signal the destination of a food source with a waggle dance, but when sleep-restricted, dancers perform directionally less precise dances. We analysed dance follower behaviour with respect to a dance's directional precision and whether or not the dancer had been sleep-restricted. Followers were more likely to switch dances if following an imprecise dance and more likely to exit the nest if following a precise dance. Followers were also more likely to exit the nest after following a dance composed of more iterations (waggle phases), but only if the dancer was sleep-restricted. Bees appeared to follow fewer waggle phases of a dance that was less precise, but, again, only if the dancer was sleep-restricted. Following fewer waggle phases has been shown to decrease a bee's flight accuracy, so our results suggest that cues associated with sleep loss could affect a follower's foraging success. This study presents a unique case of sender–receiver effects of sleep loss in an invertebrate, and a possible precision-dependent vulnerability in colonies of honey bees. Highlights: Honey bee followers of directionally imprecise waggle dances switch dances. Followers of directionally precise waggle dances exit the nest. Followers of shorter dances, specifically by sleep-restricted dancers, switch dances. Followers of sleep-restricted dancers may follow fewer iterations of imprecise dances. Sleep-restricted dancers perform proportionally fewer precise waggle dances.