Gadagkar, R (2021) More Fun Than Fun: The South Asian Greater Banded Hornet Waits to be Studied. In:
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357 Gadagkar - 2021 - More Fun Than Fun - The South Asian Greater Banded Hornet Waits to be Studied.pdf - Published Version Download (710kB) | Preview |
Abstract
I was recently excited to read a paper entitled “Visual associative learning and olfactory preferences of the greater banded hornet, Vespa tropica”. It was published by my colleague Hema Somanathan and her students and collaborators at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Thiruvananthapuram. The paper demonstrates that wasps learn to associate colour, shape and smell with a food reward. There are many reasons why this paper especially aroused my interest. First, it is an excellent example of simple, clever and inexpensive experiments that I am so passionate about. Second, the study builds on the work of two of my heroes, Karl von Frisch and Miriam Lehrer. Third, the authors of this study have succeeded where my students and I have failed. Finally, the object of their research is a wasp species that I have tried hard to keep away from my laboratory with a significant expenditure of time and money! Let me try to unscramble the multiple emotions aroused by this paper, and attempt a linear narrative.
| Item Type: | Editorials/Short Communications |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | The copyright of this article belongs to the Authors. |
| Department/Centre: | Division of Biological Sciences > Centre for Ecological Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 27 Jul 2021 10:36 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Jun 2022 07:37 |
| URI: | https://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/68993 |
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