Bumblebees have learnt to read simple Morse code after boffins probed the critters

A new study is the first to show that an insect can decide where to forage for food based on different durations of visual cues View 2 Images Boffins have praised the insects (Image: Getty)

Bumblebees have learnt to read simple Morse code. A new study is the first to show that an insect can decide where to forage for food based on different durations of visual cues. ‌

In Morse code, a short duration flash or “dot” denotes a letter “E” and a long duration flash - or “dash” - means letter “T”. Until now, the ability to discriminate between “dot” and “dash” has been seen only in humans and other vertebrates including macaques or pigeons. ‌

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London built a special maze to train individual bees to find a sugar reward at one of two flashing