Lars Chittka

Coming soon: Response-specific behavioral plasticity in habituation triggered by repeated visual looming stimuli in foraging bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), by Dissegna, Andrea Chittka, Lars and Chiandetti, Cinzia psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...

At our launching event "Mind, Tech, and Wellbeing" for our new Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour at QMUL! Follow us on here @queenmarycbb.bsky.social to hear more about our research
@qmul.bsky.social @larschittka.bsky.social

Insect spatial memory is thought to be based on panoramic snapshots that are modelled as retinotopic images. This idea won't allow a distinction of landmarks from the scene. Unexpectedly, our data suggest that 🐝 learn 3D-objects as individual landmarks. #neuroethology
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

The cover of ‘The mind of a bee’ by Lars Chittka. One of the best books!

Nature book challenge. A book per day in no particular order, until you've shared ALL of the best nature books in your personal library. No explanations, no reviews.
#Books #Nature #Naturewriting #naturebooks #conservation #naturebookchallenge #booksky
#bees #bumblebees
#NatureBookChallenge

When bees carry individual marks, you realise that they are not "attracted to flowers" like some silly reflex machines - in fact they know where they're going and the same individuals often return to the same flowers whose locations, appearance and rewards they have learned. Go Orange 24!

Rapid Divergence of Visual Systems and Signaling Traits to Contrasting Light Regimes During Early Speciation of African Crater Lake Cichlid Fish Abstract. Sensory adaptation is widely hypothesized to drive ecological speciation, yet empirical evidence from natural populations undergoing early stage

Very proud of this extremely collaborative piece: academic.oup.com/mbe/article/...
Here, we show that divergence in visual systems - in response to differences in the light environment - leads to rapid divergence in sexually selected colour traits. Work brilliantly led by Madeleine Carruthers. 🐟👀🎨

Come and work with us! Three new academic posts (including Animal Behaviour) and superb facilities in the new Life & Mind Building

Bienenforscher Lars Chittka - Denkende Bienen und spielende Hummeln Bienen und Hummeln sind ganz schön schlau. So hat Bienenforscher Lars Chittka herausgefunden, dass diese Insekten zählen und spielen können.

🆕 Lars Chittka in der Sendung „Im Gespräch“, Deutschlandfunk Kultur:
www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/bienenforsch...

Male bumblebees adapt foraging to environmental conditions to sustain mate-seeking efforts Male bees navigate complex trade-offs between energy acquisition and reproductive signalling, yet their movement strategies remain understudied. Unlike workers that optimise foraging to support the co...

New paper on male bumblebee spatial movement strategies: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Honeybees adapt to a range of comb cell sizes by merging, tilting, and layering their construction Honeybees often need to build their comb under conditions that prevent a regular hexagonal lattice. This study uses 3D printed panels and X-ray microscopy to explore their adaptive process when differ...

It was a pleasure handing this exciting study as editor for PLOS Biology: journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

Thank you! ☺️

Bienenforscher Lars Chittka - Denkende Bienen und spielende Hummeln Bienen und Hummeln sind ganz schön schlau. So hat Bienenforscher Lars Chittka herausgefunden, dass diese Insekten zählen und spielen können.

Ein Interview letzte Woche im Deutschlandfunk www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/bienenforsch...

Thank you!!! 🙏

Black square with the writing 'Queen Mary University of London Shortlisted for University of the Year' written on it in white, along with the Time Higher Education Awards 2025 logo in gold and white

Queen Mary is delighted to be a ‘University of the Year’ finalist in the #THEAwards!

And we're so proud Professors @larschittka.bsky.social and @alastairhackney.bsky.social have been shortlisted for Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year. @timeshighered.bsky.social

tinyurl.com/ebe8yx23

Bienenforscher Lars Chittka - Denkende Bienen und spielende Hummeln Bienen und Hummeln sind ganz schön schlau. So hat Bienenforscher Lars Chittka herausgefunden, dass diese Insekten zählen und spielen können.

Schönes, informatives Gespräch mit @larschittka.bsky.social im DLF über die Klugheit von Bienen etc.

Es bestärkt, dass ich Wespen seit Jahren m lokalem Biohonig od Obst füttere. Sie sind wirkl handzahm, man kann sie streicheln ohne gestochen zu werden.

www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/bienenforsch...

Super happy to be on the shortlist for Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year by the Times Higher Education's "Oscars of higher education": the-awards.co.uk/2025/en/page...

Morgen in der Eifel! www.lit-eifel.de/programm-202...

Thank you! 🙏

¡Muchísimas gracias! ☺️

Thank you 🙏

I was super excited to receive this award! Thank you so much!

The French version of The Mind of a Bee is now available- 13 translations already! 😊

How do flies keep crystal-clear vision while zipping through the air? 🪰
This study reveals synaptic high-frequency jumping, a mechanism where photoreceptor synapses recode vision into high-frequency signals, enabling synchronised, coherent perception even at lightning speed. #vision #neuroscience

New manuscript out on BioRxiv: Synaptic high-frequency jumping synchronises vision to high-speed behaviour: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

We are looking for a Postdoc (up to 5 years) who wants to study neural mechanisms of spatial memory in honeybees.

This includes tetrode recordings in behaving honeybees.

Application Deadline is 1st of October 2025.

More details:
www.biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/services/...

📚 Have a read of my latest book review about two amazing and inspiring books: Stephen Buchmann's What a Bee Knows? and Lars Chittka’s The Mind of a Bee. 🐝
🔗 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
@larschittka.bsky.social @islandpress.bsky.social @princetonupress.bsky.social

Thinking like a bee - Community Ecology Community Ecology -

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much!

I was moved beyond words to receive the Exemplar Award from the President of the Animal Behavior Society @animbehsociety.bsky.social, Prof Emily DuVal. Thank you!!! 🥹