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-----Original Message-----
From: Zachary Huang [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sun 2008.06.22 21:31

On Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:07:52 -0400, Bill Truesdell
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Is the dance language a learned trait? 
 
I am pretty sure that it is not learned. I have (and many many others have
too) set up "single cohort colonies" where one queen and 2000 ONE DAY OLD
BEES were used to start a colony.  Unless the queen was teaching workers to
dance (which is unlikely given that she never forages and has never been
observed to dance), workers in this colony, who has no exposure to old bees,
would still dance fine when some bees start foraging precociously (around
age 4-7 days old).  Workers under these conditions will dance, make wax,
seal honey, take care of brood, all without exposure to old bees. so none of
their behaviors are learned. 

Zachary Huang
www.beetography.com

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