ABSTRACT
The time dependence of memory formation provides a powerful tool in psychological studies on learning. The transition from the initial memory phase, lasting a few minutes, to a stable memory, lasting a lifetime, is seen in a consolidation process, which is represented by an increase of learned performance from about 3 to 15 mins after the single learning trial. Honey bees are little learning machines. On their first flight out of the hive they learn quickly the location of their colony with respect to the surrounding landmarks and relative to the sun compass. The honey bee is able to choose the learned food source with extreme selectivity, because each bee is continuously informed about the food supply in the surroundings by the dances of its hive mates and the food spreading within the colony. The bee offers a number of advantages for this kind of behavioral study, which are related to its life as a social insect.
