Electrostatic sensitivity of hairs in the buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris
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1
University of Bristol, Biology, United Kingdom
Electric fields are ubiquitous in the world, not only being generated by electrical devices, but also being generated and modified by weather activity and electrical activity within animals and plants. For example, during a calm day with clear skies, there is a background electric field of approximately 100 V/m in areas without human activity and can be as high as 500 V/m in industrial areas (Anisimov and Mareev, 2008). Weather conditions and wind can alter this field, causing fluctuations in the magnitude of the field (Anisimov and Mareev, 2008). We wished to determine if the hairs on the bumblebee, bombus terrestris could detect electric fields of these magnitudes. Because the sensitivity of a mechanosensory structure to an electric field is a function of the initial charge of the structure (Albert et al., 2007), a faraday pail was used to quantify the electric charge of freely flying bees. Free flying bees had a charge of 32.1 +/- 3.2 pC (N = 131, mean +/- SEM). This charge was simulated in COMSOL modelling software to approximate the voltage that would have to be applied to a stationary bee to duplicate the amount of charge on a free flying bee (approximately 30 V). Lastly, bees were shaven until one hair was clearly visible, the bees were mounted on a platform that charged them to 30V and then an AC voltage was applied to a needle 5 mm away. Because mechanosensory systems are often capable of detecting motions at the level of thermal noise (Robert and Göpfert 2002), a laser vibrometer was used to measure the minimum threshold of voltage required to cause motion larger than thermal noise. The measured threshold was 0.36 V +/- .05 (N = 7). This threshold of electrostatic sensitivity, could allow the bee detect variations in electric field strength for a variety of purposes from determining altitude (a 0.36 V variation in the passive electric field would occur over 3.6 mm in a 100 V/m electric field), to determining fluctuations in electric field caused by changing weather conditions.
Keywords:
Hairs,
sensory systems
Conference:
Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology, College Park. Maryland USA, United States, 5 Aug - 10 Aug, 2012.
Presentation Type:
Poster (but consider for Participant Symposium)
Topic:
Sensorimotor Integration
Citation:
Sutton
GP,
Clarke
DJ and
Robert
D
(2012). Electrostatic sensitivity of hairs in the buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris.
Conference Abstract:
Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnbeh.2012.27.00271
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Received:
30 Apr 2012;
Published Online:
07 Jul 2012.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Gregory P Sutton, University of Bristol, Biology, Bristol, BS8 1UG, United Kingdom, RScealai@gmail.com