Impact of odorants on perception of sweetness by honey bees

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 18; no. 12; p. e0290129
• Main Authors: Pel, Allyson V., Van Nest, Byron N., Hathaway, Stephanie R., Fahrbach, Susan E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 27.12.2023
• Subjects: Allelochemicals; Apis mellifera; Aroma compounds; Assaying; Bees; Biology and Life Sciences; Blueberries; Flowering; Flowering plants; Flowers; Flowers & plants; Food; Foraging behavior; Honey; Honeybee; Human subjects; Hypotheses; Laboratory animals; Laboratory tests; Limonene; Linalool; Low concentrations; Nectar; Odorants; Perception; Perceptions; Physical Sciences; Plant nectar; Plants (botany); Pollinators; Proboscis; Properties; Social Sciences; Strawberries; Sucrose; Sugar; Sweetness; Volatiles; United States; North Carolina; St Louis Missouri; United States > US

Organic volatiles produced by fruits can result in overestimation of sweetness by humans, but it is unknown if a comparable phenomenon occurs in other species. Honey bees collect nectar of varying sweetness at different flowering plants. Bees discriminate sugar concentration and generally prefer hig...