Bumblebees can teach each other how to score goals with a tiny ball, displaying a learning ability never before seen in insects.

The bees surprised scientists at Queen Mary, University of London, by working out how to use a novel tool to obtain a food reward simply by watching their neighbours.

Credit: Queen Mary, University of London

In the experiment, the bees were placed on a platform and had to roll a yellow ball to a specific location - or "goal" - in order to obtain a sugar solution.

They were given two types of training, either watching a previously trained bee "score", or being shown the ball that appeared to move on its own with help of an unseen magnet.

Credit: Queen Mary, University of London

Insects that observed the success of other bees were better at learning the task than those given the "ghost" demonstration.