本期Scientific Reports上发表的一项研究提出，蜜蜂似乎是用它们的右触须而不是左触须来控制适合当时情境的社会性互动的。
由于它们的脑相对较小，蜜蜂的认知能力之强是令人吃惊的，比如说它们能识别人脸和解决复杂的问题。在较大的脊椎动物脑中，区域专门化被用来完成复杂任务，同时人们还提出，在脊椎动物脑中的社会性和方向偏向与它们的行为之间存在一个联系。
Lesley Rogers和Giorgio Vallortigara与他们的合作者Elisa Rigosi和Elisa Frasnelli对蜜蜂的社会行为是否与其在触须使用上的方向偏向有关进行了研究。他们发现，仅用它们的右触须进行测试的蜜蜂与那些仅用其左触须进行测试的蜜蜂相比，彼此之间能更快地进行联系，并且更有可能进行积极的互动——比如说通过伸出舌头的动作进行互动。而后者则更有可能通过做出攻击性的“C-反应”进行消极的互动——将它们的刺和爪子指向其他蜜蜂，包括那些来自它们自己蜂巢中的蜜蜂。然而，右触须蜜蜂也倾向于比左触须蜜蜂对来自另一蜂巢的蜜蜂更经常地做出攻击性的“C-反应”。
这些发现表明，蜜蜂的右触须可能控制适合当时情境的社会行为，如与来自同一蜂群的其他工蜂交换信息和控制针对来自另一蜂群的蜜蜂的攻击性反应。还需要进一步的研究来确定其他形式的蜜蜂社会行为（如通过摇摆身体进行沟通的方式）是否也受益于触须功能的这种非对称性。（生物谷 Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐的英文摘要
Scientific Reports doi:10.1038/srep02045
A right antenna for social behaviour in honeybees
Lesley J. Rogers, Elisa Rigosi, Elisa Frasnelli & Giorgio Vallortigara
Sophisticated cognitive abilities have been documented in honeybees, possibly an aspect of their complex sociality. In vertebrates brain asymmetry enhances cognition and directional biases of brain function are a putative adaptation to social behaviour. Here we show that honeybees display a strong lateral preference to use their right antenna in social interactions. Dyads of bees tested using only their right antennae (RA) contacted after shorter latency and were significantly more likely to interact positively (proboscis extension) than were dyads of bees using only their left antennae (LA). The latter were more likely to interact negatively (C-responses) even though they were from the same hive. In dyads from different hives C-responses were higher in RA than LA dyads. Hence, RA controls social behaviour appropriate to context. Therefore, in invertebrates, as well as vertebrates, lateral biases in behaviour appear to be associated with requirements of social life.
