Life Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Reproductive Maturity On Neuroplasticity In Male Bumble Bees (Bombus Impatiens), Karlee Eck

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Within the span of an insect's lifetime, new synaptic connections between neurons are made in response to age and experience. This neuroplasticity leads to anatomical changes within individual brain regions that represent investment in different brain functions. The neuroplasticity of female bumble bees has been well studied, but almost nothing is known about how the male bee brain responds to life experiences. Due to the complex sensory requirements of mate finding and copulation for males, neuroplasticity is likely to be an important component of reproduction. These sensory requirements include olfactory and optic inputs, which are processed in the calyces of …