Bumblebee football:
Learning to score for sugar,
self-improvement – Goal!
Tool use is an indication of cognitive complexity and has been demonstrated in a number of species, including among primates, marine mammals and birds. Bumblebees trained to manipulate a ball to gain a reward were able to improve on their performance by taking shorter routes and moving the closest ball when presented with multiple balls. The bees were also able to learn socially by watching other bees solving the task. Together this shows a degree of cognitive flexibility that has not previously been recognised in an insect. Loukola et al, 2017.