Scientists have finally discovered how bees can sense and interpret the electric signals sent by flowers: through their tiny, vibrating hairs. The findings are outlined in a new study by researchers from the University of Bristol and shed light on the unique co-evolution between bees and flowers.
Previous research suggested that flowers communicate with pollinators through the transmission of electric signals, but until now, scientists had been unsure of exactly how bees detect these electric fields.
Using a laser, the team measured the vibrations in the bees' antennae and hairs, revealing that they deflect in response to electric fields. However, the hairs in particular move more rapidly and with greater overall displacements.
The next step was examining the bees' nervous system, which suggested that despite the deflection in both their antennae and hairs, the nervous system was only alerted to the signal of the hairs.
Electroreception in bees likely stems from the stiff, lightweight nature of bee hairs, which allows them to move in a lever-like motion much like spider hairs and mosquito antennae - two other acoustically sensitive insect parts.
Furthermore, the new findings suggest that electroreception might be a widespread phenomenon in insects.
"We were excited to discover that bees' tiny hairs dance in response to electric fields, like when humans hold a balloon to their hair," said Gregory Sutton of the University of Bristol, who headed the research. "A lot of insects have similar body hairs, which leads to the possibility that many members of the insect world may be equally sensitive to small electric fields."
The ability of bees to interpret electric fields is important and of particular interest to scientists due to their crucial role as pollinators of our crops. The findings shed light on the unique relationship between bees and flowers that has kept our planet green through the perception and interpretation of electrical fields.
In addition to its use in insects, electroreception is common in aquatic mammals such as sharks, which possess jelly-filled receptors that detect changes in electric fields in seawater, aiding them in their journey to find prey.
The findings will be published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
