Biology subjects

Erdem, B.

Publications and source records attributed to Erdem, B..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

FloBuzz: A Modular Feeder System for Automated Aversive Conditioning in Bees

Understanding how environmental stressors affect pollinator behavior is essential for assessing ecosystem health. Automated flower and robotic feeder systems (AFRFSs) have transformed how pollinator foraging and learning are studied. Still, most systems remain reward-centric, limiting their ability to probe aversive learning and nociception under field conditions. Here, we present FloBuzz, a modular AFRFS that couples automated reward delivery with computer-vision-based visit detection to trigger closed-loop electric-shock stimulation in free-flying honey bees. In our setup, FloBuzz consisted of a 3D-printed feeder with a shock grid, a syringe pump with fluid-level feedback, and an electric shock stimulus trigger module that applied user-defined shock patterns. In a proof-of-concept trial that alternated between shock-free, 6 V, and shock-free, 9 V intervals, bee visitation increased over time during shock-free periods but declined during shock periods, with a steeper decline at 9 V than at 6 V, demonstrating a voltage-dependent avoidance. By enabling programmable, time-resolved aversive stimulation at an artificial flower in outdoor conditions, FloBuzz expanded AFRFS capabilities beyond purely reward-based paradigms. Evidently, FloBuzzs modular design will permit the investigation of diverse behavioral paradigms, including studies of toxin exposure, cognitive plasticity, and reward processing.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2026

Caste-specific proboscis extension responses in honey bees to sucrose and royal jelly stimuli

Understanding the nutritional preferences of honey bees (Apis mellifera) is essential for comprehending their behavioral ecology and the division of labor within a colony. While gustatory sensitivity to sucrose is well-documented in workers, a significant research gap exists regarding the sensory responses of queens and their reactions to caste-specific nutrition such as royal jelly. This study utilized the proboscis extension response (PER) assay to compare the food preferences of three distinct bee categories: foragers, 1-day-old workers, and queens. Subjects were presented repeatedly, in a pseudorandom order, with water, sucrose, royal jelly, and a sucrose-royal jelly mixture as gustatory stimuli. Foragers exhibited a high responsiveness to sucrose and showed uniformly low responsiveness to other stimuli. Although 1-day-old workers showed high responsiveness to sucrose, unlike foragers, they also responded to the sucrose-royal jelly mixture. Queens displayed a unique response profile, with near-ceiling responsiveness to both royal jelly and the mixture, followed by response to sucrose solution without habituation. Additionally, responsiveness to the sucrose was higher in foragers than in 1-day-old workers. These findings suggest that the honey bee gustatory and sensory system is tuned to the specific nutritional requirements of caste and age.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2025

Specific Wavelengths of Light Modulate Honey Bee Locomotor Activity

Light plays a crucial role in honey bee (Apis mellifera) behavior by influencing foraging, navigation, and locomotor activity (LMA). While the effects of light on LMA have been previously documented, the specific roles of different wavelengths remain unknown. In this study, we investigated how exposure to specific infrared (IR, 849 nm), green (528 nm), blue (447 nm), and ultraviolet (UV, 372 nm) wavelengths, as well as their combinations, affects LMA. Specifically, using a custom-built illumination setup and the Api-TRACE video tracking system, we monitored and analyzed bee movement in a homogeneously illuminated environment. Our analysis revealed significant differences in LMA depending on the wavelength to which the bees were exposed. This study demonstrated that the green light promoted LMA. On the other hand, UV light suppressed the LMA of honey bees. The suppression was even greater when the UV light was combined with the blue light. That information can be applied to experimental standardization, the design of flight-room environments, and the management of colonies under artificial illumination.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2024

Api-TRACE: A System for Honey Bee Tracking in a Constrained Environment to Study Bee Learning Process and the Effect of Lithium on Learning

Learning is an adaptive behavior that improves the performance of bees in foraging, dance communication, predator avoidance, and other tasks. Any deficiencies in learning could be detrimental to the long-term survival of the bee colony. Passive avoidance task is a fundamental procedure for investigating learning. We introduce Api-TRACE, a computer vision-aided system to analyze the avoidance assays. Api-TRACE tracks individual bees from the video footage of the assay and detects the moments when they were exposed to a stimulus. The algorithm provides stimulus exposure duration and learning profiles of each individual bee, enabling fast and detailed analysis of the results. Electric shock avoidance assay is one of the most common experimental methods to assess learning. We designed an apparatus for the electric shock avoidance experiments using within-reach hardware and 3D-printed components. We used Api-TRACE and experimental apparatus to investigate the effect of lithium on bee learning success in passive avoidance and reversal learning paradigms through an electric shock avoidance assay. Lithium is a potential chemical for combating Varroa, a bee (Apis) parasite, and a well-known medication for treating bipolar disorder. It has been known that lithium alters learning in humans and other animals. Before the experiment, we treated the bees with a sucrose solution with 0, 5, 25, and 125 mM LiCl ad libitum. Our results indicated that a decrement in learning performance emerged with increasing lithium doses in the reversal phase but not in the acquisition of the electric shock avoidance assay.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2023

Effects of lithium on locomotor activity and circadian rhythm of honey bees

The miticide effect of lithium on the honey bee (Apis mellifera) parasite Varroa has been discovered. Varroa mite is considered the principal threat to bee health and, as a result, to pollination and food security. In this study, we investigated the behavioral effects of lithium on honey bees, specifically locomotor activity (LMA) level and circadian patterns of LMA, such as rhythmicity, and periodicity. Any effects of lithium on activity may be important for bee health since timing and daylight are critical for bee foraging and bees use of the sun compass for navigation and communication. Both acute and chronic lithium treatments affected the LMA of honey bees. The effect varies depending on light and dark conditions. Chronic treatment with lithium disrupted the rhythmicity and altered the period of the circadian rhythm. While the circadian period was not affected by the light condition in the control group, lithium treatment lengthened the period in constant light condition. Lithium decreased total LMA in a constant light condition where typically activity is increased and not under the dark condition, both in acute and chronic treatments. However, mortality in the high-dose lithium treatment group is higher in the dark environment in the acute experiment. Lithium is also the first-line therapy for bipolar disorder. This disorder causes excessively elevated activity called mania and circadian rhythm abnormalities. The effects of lithium on reducing light-induced activity and the circadian rhythm of bees are reminiscent of its stabilizing effect on activity and circadian rhythms in bipolar disorder treatment.

neuroscience↗