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Motivational trade-offs in bumblebees

Matilda Gibbons, Elisabetta Versace, Andrew Crump, Bartosz Baran, Lars Chittka
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.04.479111
Matilda Gibbons
1School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; E1 4NS
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Elisabetta Versace
1School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; E1 4NS
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Andrew Crump
2Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK; WC2A 2AE
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Bartosz Baran
3Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection; Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Bankowa 9, Katowice, Poland; 40-007
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Lars Chittka
1School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; E1 4NS
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  • For correspondence: l.chittka@qmul.ac.uk
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Abstract

Mammals can supress their nociceptive responses to prioritise other important responses via endogenous modulation from the brain. It is well established that insects display nociception, but not whether the insect brain can modulate nociceptive processing. To address this question, we investigated whether bumblebees’ (Bombus terrestris) attraction to higher sucrose solution concentrations reduces their avoidance of noxious heat. Bees were given the choice between either unheated or noxiously-heated (55°C) feeders with different sucrose concentrations. The feeders were associated with colour stimuli to act as conditioned cues. Bees fed more from higher sucrose concentration heated feeders than lower sucrose concentration unheated feeders. Further, bees’ “testing out” of feeders (landing but not feeding) reduced as the experiment progressed, demonstrating that conditioned colour cues informed the bees’ behaviour. Therefore, bees trade off competing conditioned motivational stimuli to modulate nocifensive behaviour, suggesting a form of pain perception.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • ↵* Lars Chittka, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK, 44 (0) 207 8823043, Email: l.chittka{at}qmul.ac.uk

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
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Posted February 08, 2022.
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Motivational trade-offs in bumblebees
Matilda Gibbons, Elisabetta Versace, Andrew Crump, Bartosz Baran, Lars Chittka
bioRxiv 2022.02.04.479111; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.04.479111
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Motivational trade-offs in bumblebees
Matilda Gibbons, Elisabetta Versace, Andrew Crump, Bartosz Baran, Lars Chittka
bioRxiv 2022.02.04.479111; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.04.479111

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