Cognition tests for insects in Fukushima

Bees possess numerous cognitive abilities that enable them to navigate, forage, communicate, and live in highly organized societies. But human-induced pollution, such as pesticides or microplastics, can seriously impair these abilities and threaten pollination services.
Mathieu Lihoreau (CRCA-CBI), who is interested in the intelligence of bees and what can disrupt it, and Olivier Armant (Radionuclide ecology and ecotoxicology laboratory; ASNR), who specialise in the ecological effects of ionising radiation on the flora and fauna of Chernobyl and Fukushima, looked at the impact of radioactivity on the cognitive abilities of honeybees and giant hornets in the contaminated area of Fukushima, Japan.
The cognitive performance of these social insects was assessed using an automated system developed in Mathieu Lihoreau’s lab.