In a message dated 25/02/2007 18:30:38 GMT Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: the scientific consensus seems to be that the dance is one way to communicate about general directions, and that odour and sight play a part in the final localisation too. I attended recently a lecture given by Prof Jamie Ellis of the Uni of Fla on the Small Hive Beetle and was impressed at the clubbed antennae which contrast in shape with those of the honeybee. As an antisocial insect that relies presumably on scent alone to locate targets it will need more extravagent antennae. Some moths that locate mates by scent at phenomenal distances have similarly extravagent antennae. It would seem reasonable to expect that if bees relied almost wholly on scent to find what they are looking for their antennae would be bigger then they are. Chris Search the archives often at http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/cgi-bin/wa?S1=bee-l