UPSC Prelims 2023 Q15: Geography – World Political Geography & Borders
- (a) Butterflies
- (b) Dragonflies
- (c) Honeybees
- (d) Wasps
Answer: (c) Honeybees
Explanation
Waggle Dance — Animal Communication
Honeybees (*Apis mellifera* and related species) perform the waggle dance — one of the most complex non-human communication systems known.
Waggle Dance Mechanism:
| Element | Encoding | Information |
|---|---|---|
| Direction of waggle run | Angle relative to vertical (inside hive) | Direction of food source relative to sun |
| Duration of waggle run | Length of time | Distance to food source |
| Vibration frequency | Waggles per run | Intensity of food quality |
Karl von Frisch decoded the waggle dance in the 1940s–60s, winning the Nobel Prize in Physiology (1973).
Other options:
- Butterflies: use visual signals (wing patterns) for mating, not food direction
- Dragonflies: territorial aerial displays, no dance communication
- Wasps: some social communication but NO waggle dance system
Answer: (c) Honeybees.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Butterflies communicate through wing colour patterns and pheromones for mating — they do not perform waggle dances to indicate food sources.
- (b) Incorrect. Dragonflies engage in aerial territorial displays — they do not use dance to communicate food location.
- (c) CORRECT. Honeybees perform the waggle dance to indicate the direction and distance of food sources to other members of the hive — a Nobel Prize-winning discovery.
- (d) Incorrect. Wasps are social insects but do not have the sophisticated waggle dance communication system that honeybees possess.
Key point
Honeybees perform the waggle dance to communicate direction and distance of food. Direction = angle relative to sun. Distance = duration of waggle run. Discovered by Karl von Frisch (Nobel Prize 1973).
Remember
Honeybees perform the waggle dance to communicate the direction and distance of food sources to other bees in the hive — the angle indicates direction relative to the sun, and duration indicates distance.
Common mistakes
- Confusing wasps with honeybees — both are social insects but only honeybees have the waggle dance system.
- Not knowing the Nobel Prize connection — Karl von Frisch's discovery of bee communication won the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
- Missing that the dance encodes TWO pieces of information simultaneously: direction AND distance.
Exam tip
Waggle Dance = Honeybees only. Direction = angle to sun. Duration = distance. Nobel Prize 1973 (von Frisch). This appears repeatedly in UPSC because it tests knowledge of animal communication systems.
Sources
- NCERT Biology Class 12 — Chapter 13: Organisms and Populations (Animal Behaviour)
- Nobel Prize 1973 — Karl von Frisch (Animal Behaviour / Waggle Dance)