PESSIMISTIC BEES. WHO KNEW?

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeHoneybees under stress apparently become pessimistic, just like anxious mammals (including humans).
First, researchers trained honeybees to recognize two odors. One signaled the presence of tasty sucrose; the other was linked to the presence of either a diluted sucrose solution or bitter quinine—50-50 odds. Half the bees were then shaken, for one minute, to simulate an attack by a predator.
In the presence of the treat-implying scent, both groups extended their proboscises to sample it 70% of the time. As for the ambiguous odor, the unshaken bees attempted to sample it 40% of the time, but the shaken bees did so less than 10% of the time, apparently fearing a mouthful of bitter. Their levels of several neurotransmitters also dropped.
Rats and dogs showing such behavior after stress are called anxious or depressed. Bees may have a similar state of mind, despite their tiny brains, the researchers said.
"Agitated Honeybees Exhibit Pessimistic Cognitive Biases," Current Biology, Melissa Bateson, Suzanne Desire, Sarah E. Gartside and Geraldine A. Wright, Current Biology (June 21)