Insects rely on path integration (vector-based navigation) and landmark guidance to perform sophisticated navigational feats, rivaling those seen in mammals. Bees in particular exhibit complex navigation behaviors including creating optimal routes and novel shortcuts between locations, an ability historically indicative of the presence of a cognitive map. A mammalian cognitive map has been widely accepted. However, in insects, the existence of a centralized cognitive map is highly contentious.

   Rickesh N. Patel and colleagues from Lund University in Sweden conducted a path selection experiment on bumblebees in the laboratory, and their findings were recently published in PNAS. The study altered the bumblebees' visual direction recognition by adjusting polarized light indoors and shortened their wings to reduce their activity range. Following the classical navigation experiment procedure, bumblebees were released at different points near their nest entrance, feeder, and along their walking path, with their movement trajectories recorded. The results showed that bumblebees could store vector information from multiple path origins in long-term memory and recall these vectors at familiar locations to guide navigation. The homeward path of the bumblebees must rely on previously accumulated and long-term stored vector information, as they are unable to navigate home via unfamiliar routes. This research further supports the theory that insects navigate based on path integration, in line with the concept of decentralized cognitive map navigation.

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2402509121