In a honey bee waggle dance, what two types of information are communicated to other bees?

In a honey bee waggle dance, what two types of information are communicated to other bees?

• A. Distance and direction to the destination
• B. Number of flowers visited
• C. Temperature inside the hive
• D. Color pattern of petals

Answer: (A)

The waggle dance communicates two pieces of information: direction and distance to the food source. The angle of the waggle run relative to the vertical on the comb tells followers the direction to fly, using the sun as a reference like a compass. The duration and vigor of the waggle portion—and how many times the dance is repeated—encode how far away the source is, with longer, more sustained dances signaling greater distance. The other details listed—how many flowers were visited, hive temperature, or petal color patterns—aren’t conveyed by this dance.

The waggle dance communicates two pieces of information: direction and distance to the food source. The angle of the waggle run relative to the vertical on the comb tells followers the direction to fly, using the sun as a reference like a compass. The duration and vigor of the waggle portion—and how many times the dance is repeated—encode how far away the source is, with longer, more sustained dances signaling greater distance. The other details listed—how many flowers were visited, hive temperature, or petal color patterns—aren’t conveyed by this dance.