Abstract
In the dance of honeybees the indication of direction to a food source can be influenced by magnetic and photic stimuli. We have tested the behaviour of dancing honeybees illuminated with white light under varying magnetic conditions. The bees respond to the light stimulus with a maximum deviation from the correct dancing direction when they dance parallel to the inclination of the earth's magnetic field (EMF). The response to light drops to zero with increasing deviation from this ‘zero-point’ direction (see also Martin and Lindauer 1977). The time of total indifference to light varies with the magnetic conditions. In the natural EMF the reaction to light becomes zero 20.3° (i.e. 1 h) after the bees have passed the zeropoint. In the compensated EMF this effect is delayed by 10°. The bees show nearly no reaction to light when the EMF is amplified to 2 Gauss.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
