Learning-based recognition and discrimination of floral odors

A foraging moth or bee visits up to a few dozen to more than a hundred flowers on a foraging trip,¹ and it can make many such trips in a single day.² During these visits it associates floral stimuli-color,^3-6 shape,^7,8 texture,^9,10 odor^11,12-with nectar and pollen rewards produced by flowers to attract pollinators.¹³ Based on these experiences, the honeybee’s memory is continuously updated with current information about the nature and distribution of reward associated with a species of flower.¹⁴ This memory influences ongoing decisions about staying or leaving a resource patch¹⁵ and whether to specialize on a particular species of flower.^1,16.