Professor Natalie Hempel de Ibarra
Associate Professor of Neuroethology
N.Hempel@exeter.ac.uk
4610
Washington Singer 119
Washington Singer Laboratories, University of Exeter, Perry Road, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK
Overview
Co-Director of Postgraduate Research for Psychology
Research News:
Theme issue: ‘Understanding colour vision: molecular, physiological, neuronal and behavioural studies in arthropods’ in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 377(1862), compiled and edited by Ayse Yilmaz, Natalie Hempel de Ibarra and Almut Kelber (October 2022). Link
Paper: Hempel de Ibarra, N., Holtze, S., Bäucker, C., Sprau, P., & Vorobyev, M. (October 2022). The role of colour patterns for the recognition of flowers by bees. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 377(1862), 20210284. Link
Opinion essay: Nicholls E, Rands SA, Botías C & Hempel de Ibarra, N. (June 2022). Flower sharing and pollinator health: a behavioural perspective. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 377(1853), 20210157. Link
Review for the JEB 100 years of Discovery subject collection: Collett TS &, Hempel de Ibarra N (2023). An ‘instinct for learning’: the learning flights and walks of bees, wasps and ants from the 1850s to now. Journal of Experimental Biology, 226(6). Link
Review: Rands SA, Whitney HM & Hempel de Ibarra N (2023). Multimodal floral recognition by bumblebees. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 59, 101086.Link
ORCID: 0000-0002-0859-8217
Qualifications
PhD in Natural Sciences (Berlin)
Career
2014-18 Lead of the Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB), University of Exeter
2013/14 Visiting Professor, School of Advanced Sciences, The Graduate University for
Advanced Studies (Sokendai), Japan
2007-18 Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, Psychology, University of Exeter
2006-07 Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Associate Lecturer, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
2005-06 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Life Sciences/CCNR, University of Sussex
2000-05 Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Associate Lecturer, Institute of Neurobiology, Freie
Universität Berlin, Germany
Research group links
Research
Research interests
- Animal vision
- Learning and memory
- Active sensing
- Sensory ecology / Neuroecology
Funding: BBSRC, Leverhulme Trust, NERC, UKIERI, Royal Society
Research projects
The Exeter Bee Lab
We study the behaviour, senses and cognition of social insects, with a focus on bees, for understanding how sensory information is processed, memorised and used in the context of foraging activities, spatial orientation and navigation.
Much of our work investigates learning and how bees are guided by sensory information that is available in their natural environment, such as colours, pattern and odours of flower displays as well as less salient cues such as floral humidity or temperature patterns.
We ask how bees locate and choose individual flowers and flower patches or other places that are important to them, such as their nest. For example, tracking the elaborate movements and viewing patterns during learning flights in bumblebees, we can uncover how insects actively acquire sensory information that guides them towards their nest or flowers.
We are also interested how stressors, pathogens and pesticides, affect their cognitive capabilities, foraging and navigation.
Linking the mechanistic understanding of the insect brain, nervous system, senses and cognition to ultimate questions, we aim to provide novel insights about pollinator-driven selection in the evolution of floral signals and plant-pollinator interactions.
Methods range from behavioural experiments and observations in the field and in the lab to physiological studies. We also specialise in recording photometric spectral data to model how insects behave under different illuminations and perceive the colours of flowers and objects.
Our main model species are the European honeybee Apis mellifera and the Buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris. We collaborate with H Somanathan (IISER Thiruvananthapuram, India) contributing to the study of the behaviour and ecology of honeybees and stingless bees in the Asian tropics.
Video abstracts / selected media coverage
The role of colour patterns for the recognition of flowers by bees (Hempel de Ibarra et al. 2022 Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B) - covered amongst others by BBC News, PhysOrg
Large and small bees invest differently when learning about flowers (Frasnelli et al. 2021 Current Biology) Video abstract, covered amongst others by The Telegraph, Treehugger and in special feature "Why These Bees Just Keep Staring at Flowers" SciShow on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqIPe3Ya8y0
"You're a bee. This is what it feels like." www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/02/science/bees-pollen-senses.html - By science journalist JoAnna Klein (NY Times, 2016), a special feature covering Beth Nicholls & Natalie Hempel de Ibarra's review paper Assessment of pollen rewards by foraging bees (2017, Functional Ecology). Our paper was also presented in media articles by Science Daily, Phys.Org, The Sun, Sciences et Avenir, amongst others.
Onset of morning activity in bumblebee foragers under natural low light conditions (Hall et al. 2021, Ecology & Evolution) - covered amongst others by The Independent, MSN News, bienen-nachrichten.de
Bumblebees can detect floral humidity (Harrap et al. 2021, Journal of Experimental Biology) - covered amongst others by JEB, Sciences Avenir, Sci News
Navigation and spatial learning: CBC (Canada) Documentary by B. Mohun (2013) - Birds do it, bees do it and yes, we do it too Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VdwesjObu8
Head movements during learning flights in bumblebees (Riabinina et al. 2014 J Exp Biol) Video abstract
Learning flights in male bumblebees (Robert et al. 2017 J Exp Biol) - covered amongst others by
ITV, Science Daily, Phys Org, Express
Temperature patterns in flowers (Harrap et al. 2017) - covered amongst others by Science Daily, Daily Mail
Magpies do not like shiny objects (Shephard et al. 2015) - covered amongst others by BBC News, Guardian, Telegraph, Süddeutsche Zeitung, The Times, Audubon Magazin, Washington Post, Tagesspiegel, Bild der Wissenschaft, Stern
Publications
Journal articles
Chapters
Conferences
External Engagement and Impact
Editorial responsibilities
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Frontiers in Insect Neurobiology, Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Zoology (Elsevier), Insects (MDPI)
Guest editor 2022/23: Current Opinion in Insect Science
Conferences and invited presentations
Selected contributions:
Chair of the Heiligenberg Travel Award selection committee, International Society for Neuroethology, 2019-2022
Symposium organiser, 15th International Congress on Neuroethology (ICN 2024)
Symposium organiser, XXVI International Congress of Entomology, 2020/22
Selected presentations:
Behaviour2023, Symposium Insect behavioural ecology: insights from the lab and field (organised by Julia Balogh (Frankfurt University) and Carolina Gomez Ramirez (Durham University)), 2023
Somerset Branch, British Beekeepers Association, 2023
5th International Conference on Invertebrate Vision, 2023
22nd Merav Ziv Symposium, Sede Boqer (organised by Yael Lubin (Ben Gurion University)), 2022
Symposium Agriculture and Cognition in Pollinators (organised by Vivek Nityananda (Newcastle University)), 2022
Symposium From flowers to landscapes: the natural processes influencing pollinator health (organised by Phil Stevenson and Hauke Koch (Kew Gardens London)), 2021
2021 International Branch Meeting, Entomological Society of America, Session Plant-Insect interactions (organised by Julien Saguez (CÉROM) and Lieceng Zhu (Fayetteville State University)), 2021
Teaching
Supervision of research projects in insect behaviour, cognition and neuroscienceUG Psychology - Psychology Research Project (PSY3401)
MSc Animal Behaviour - Research Apprehenticeship (PSYM210)
UG Natural Sciences - Interdisciplinary Research Project (NSC3001)
MSci Natural Sciences - Interdisciplinary Research Project (NSCM001)
Undergraduate modules
PSY3431 Comparative Approaches in the Study of Brain and Behaviour (seminar in comparative and behavioural neuroscience)
PSY1202 Introduction to Biological Psychology (lectures and practical on these course topics: foundations of neuroscience, learning and memory, senses and perception, human genetic variation)
Taught postgraduate modules
PSYM205 Advances and Methods in Animal Behaviour (module coordinator, seminar topics cover neuroethology, senses and perception and behavioural genetics)
PSYM208 Behavioural Science Methods (practical in animal learning and memory)
Modules
2023/24
- PSY3431 - Comparative Approaches in the Study of Brain and Behaviour
- PSYM205 - Advances and Methods in Animal Behaviour
Supervision / Group
Postgraduate researchers
- Katy Chapman NERC GW4+ DTP (CASE)
- Nathalie Cozma
- Dunia Gonzales (BBSRC CASE)
- Katie Hall
- Raluca Herascu (iNERC)
- Fraser Woodburn
- Owen Wright (BBSRC)