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Bechler JP, Steiner K, Tschapka M. Feeding efficiency of two coexisting nectarivorous bat species (Phyllostomidae: Glossophaginae) at flowers of two key-resource plants. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303227. [PMID: 38924018 PMCID: PMC11207168 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals should maximize their energy uptake while reducing the costs for foraging. For flower-visitors these costs and benefits are rather straight forward as the energy uptake equals the caloric content of the consumed nectar while the costs equal the handling time at the flower. Due to their energetically demanding lifestyle, flower-visiting bats face particularly harsh energetic conditions and thus need to optimize their foraging behavior at the flowers of the different plant species they encounter within their habitat. In flight cage experiments we examined the nectar-drinking behavior (i.e. hovering duration, nectar uptake, and the resulting feeding efficiency) of the specialized nectar-feeding bat Hylonycteris underwoodi and the more generalistic Glossophaga commissarisi at flowers of two plant species that constitute important nectar resources in the Caribbean lowland rainforests of Costa Rica and compared nectar-drinking behavior between both bat species and at both plant species. We hypothesized that the 1) specialized bat should outperform the more generalistic species and that 2) bats should generally perform better at flowers of the nectar-rich flowers of the bromeliad Werauhia gladioliflora than at the relatively nectar-poor flowers of the Solanaceae Merinthopodium neuranthum that has an extremely long flowering phase and therefore is an extremely reliable nectar resource, particularly for the specialized Hylonycteris. While we did not find substantial differences in the feeding efficiency of the generalist G. commissarisi, we observed an increased feeding efficiency of the specialized H. underwoodi at flowers of the nectar-poor M. neuranthum. This suggests that familiarity and ecological importance are more important determinants of the interaction than just morphological traits. Our results demonstrate that in addition to morphology, behavioral adaptations are also important drivers that determine the fitness of nectar-feeding bats. Both familiarity with and the ecological importance of a resource seem to contribute to shaping the interactions between pollinating bats and their plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Philipp Bechler
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Kira Steiner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancón, Panama City, Panama
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2
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Malishev M, Kramer-Schadt S. Movement, models, and metabolism: Individual-based energy budget models as next-generation extensions for predicting animal movement outcomes across scales. Ecol Modell 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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3
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Abstract
Although nectar is consumed, primarily as a supplemental food, by a broad range of insects spanning at least five orders, it is processed and stored by only a small number of species, most of which are bees and wasps in the superfamily Apoidea. Within this group, Apis mellifera has evolved remarkable adaptations facilitating nectar processing and storage; in doing so, this species utilizes the end product, honey, for diverse functions with few if any equivalents in other phytophagous insects. Honey and its phytochemical constituents, some of which likely derive from propolis, have functional significance in protecting honey bees against microbial pathogens, toxins, and cold stress, as well as in regulating development and adult longevity. The distinctive properties of A. mellifera honey appear to have arisen in multiple ways, including genome modification; partnerships with microbial symbionts; and evolution of specialized behaviors, including foraging for substances other than nectar. That honey making by A. mellifera involves incorporation of exogenous material other than nectar, as well as endogenous products such as antimicrobial peptides and royal jelly, suggests that regarding honey as little more than a source of carbohydrates for bees is a concept in need of revision.
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Affiliation(s)
- May R Berenbaum
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA;
| | - Bernarda Calla
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA;
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4
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Melin A, Altwegg R, Manning JC, Colville JF. Allometric relationships shape foreleg evolution of long-legged oil bees (Melittidae: Rediviva). Evolution 2020; 75:437-449. [PMID: 33314060 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Exaggerated traits of pollinators have fascinated biologists for centuries. To understand their evolution, and their role in coevolutionary relationships, an essential first step is to understand how traits scale allometrically with body size, which may reveal underlying developmental constraints. Few pollination studies have examined how traits can adaptively diverge despite allometric constraints. Here, we present a comparative study of narrow-sense static and evolutionary allometry on foreleg length and body size of oil-collecting bees. Concurrently, we assess the relationship between scaling parameters and spur lengths of oil-secreting host flowers. Across species and populations, we found low variation in static slopes (nearly all <1), possibly related to stabilizing selection, but the static intercept varied substantially generating an evolutionary allometry steeper than static allometry. Variation in static intercepts was explained by changes in body size (∼28% species; ∼68% populations) and spur length (remaining variance: ∼36% species; ∼94% populations). The intercept-spur length relationship on the arithmetic scale was positive but forelegs did not track spur length perfectly in a one-to-one relationship. Overall, our study provides new insights on how phenotypic evolution in the forelegs of oil-collecting bees is related to the variability of the allometric intercept and adaptation to host plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalie Melin
- Compton Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Claremont, South Africa.,African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Res Altwegg
- Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - John C Manning
- Compton Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Claremont, South Africa.,Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
| | - Jonathan F Colville
- Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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5
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Pattrick JG, Symington HA, Federle W, Glover BJ. The mechanics of nectar offloading in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris and implications for optimal concentrations during nectar foraging. J R Soc Interface 2020; 17:20190632. [PMID: 31964267 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2019.0632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Nectar is a common reward provided by plants for pollinators. More concentrated nectar is more rewarding, but also more viscous, and hence more time-consuming to drink. Consequently, theory predicts an optimum concentration for maximizing energy uptake rate, dependent on the mechanics of feeding. For social pollinators such as bumblebees, another important but little-studied aspect of foraging is nectar offloading upon return to the nest. Studying the bumblebee Bombus terrestris, we found that the relationship between viscosity (µ) and volumetric transfer rates (Q) of sucrose solutions differed between drinking and offloading. For drinking, Q ∝ µ-0.180, in good agreement with previous work. Although offloading was quicker than drinking, offloading rate decreased faster with viscosity, with Q ∝ µ-0.502, consistent with constraints imposed by fluid flow through a tube. The difference in mechanics between drinking and offloading nectar leads to a conflict in the optimum concentration for maximizing energy transfer rates. Building a model of foraging energetics, we show that including offloading lowers the maximum rate of energy return to the nest and reduces the concentration which maximizes this rate by around 3%. Using our model, we show that published values of preferred nectar sugar concentrations suggest that bumblebees maximize the overall energy return rather than the instantaneous energy uptake during drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan G Pattrick
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK.,Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Hamish A Symington
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Walter Federle
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Beverley J Glover
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
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6
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Melin A, Krenn HW, Bowie RCK, Beale CM, Manning JC, Colville JF. The allometry of proboscis length in Melittidae (Hymenoptera: Apoidae) and an estimate of their foraging distance using museum collections. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217839. [PMID: 31173614 PMCID: PMC6555519 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
An appreciation of body size allometry is central for understanding insect pollination ecology. A recent model utilises allometric coefficients for five of the seven extant bee families (Apoidea: Anthophila) to include crucial but difficult-to-measure traits, such as proboscis length, in ecological and evolutionary studies. Melittidae were not included although they are important pollinators in South Africa where they comprise an especially rich and morphologically diverse fauna. We measured intertegular distance (correlated with body size) and proboscis length of 179 specimens of 11 species from three genera of Melittidae. With the inclusion of Melittidae, we tested the between family differences in the allometric scaling coefficients. AIC model selection was used to establish which factors provide the best estimate of proboscis length. We explored a hypothesis that has been proposed in the literature, but which has not been tested, whereby body and range sizes of bees are correlated with rainfall regions. We tested this by using body size measurements of 2109 museum specimens from 56 species of Melittidae and applied the model coefficients to estimate proboscis length and foraging distance. Our results from testing differences across bee families show that with the addition of Melittidae, we retained the overall pattern of significant differences in the scaling coefficient among Apoidea, with our model explaining 98% of the variance in species-level means for proboscis length. When testing the relationship between body size and rainfall region we found no relationship for South African Melittidae. Overall, this study has added allometric scaling coefficients for an important bee family and shown the applicability of using these coefficients when linked with museum specimens to test ecological hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalie Melin
- Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Compton Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Claremont, South Africa
| | - Harald W. Krenn
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Science, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rauri C. K. Bowie
- Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California—Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Colin M. Beale
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - John C. Manning
- Compton Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Claremont, South Africa
- Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, Scottsville, South Africa
| | - Jonathan F. Colville
- Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Claremont, Cape Town, South Africa
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7
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Bauder JAS, Karolyi F. Superlong Proboscises as Co-adaptations to Flowers. INSECT MOUTHPARTS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-29654-4_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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8
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Phillips BB, Shaw RF, Holland MJ, Fry EL, Bardgett RD, Bullock JM, Osborne JL. Drought reduces floral resources for pollinators. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:3226-3235. [PMID: 29652102 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2017] [Revised: 11/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is predicted to result in increased occurrence and intensity of drought in many regions worldwide. By increasing plant physiological stress, drought is likely to affect the floral resources (flowers, nectar and pollen) that are available to pollinators. However, little is known about impacts of drought at the community level, nor whether plant community functional composition influences these impacts. To address these knowledge gaps, we investigated the impacts of drought on floral resources in calcareous grassland. Drought was simulated using rain shelters and the impacts were explored at multiple scales and on four different experimental plant communities varying in functional trait composition. First, we investigated the effects of drought on nectar production of three common wildflower species (Lathyrus pratensis, Onobrychis viciifolia and Prunella vulgaris). In the drought treatment, L. pratensis and P. vulgaris had a lower proportion of flowers containing nectar and O. viciifolia had fewer flowers per raceme. Second, we measured the effects of drought on the diversity and abundance of floral resources across plant communities. Drought reduced the abundance of floral units for all plant communities, irrespective of functional composition, and reduced floral species richness for two of the communities. Functional diversity did not confer greater resistance to drought in terms of maintaining floral resources, probably because the effects of drought were ubiquitous across component plant communities. The findings indicate that drought has a substantial impact on the availability of floral resources in calcareous grassland, which will have consequences for pollinator behaviour and populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin B Phillips
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Rosalind F Shaw
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Matthew J Holland
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Ellen L Fry
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Richard D Bardgett
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - James M Bullock
- NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Juliet L Osborne
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
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9
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Controlling the impact of the managed honeybee on wild bees in protected areas. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9308. [PMID: 29915290 PMCID: PMC6006304 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27591-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, conservation biologists have raised awareness about the risk of ecological interference between massively introduced managed honeybees and the native wild bee fauna in protected natural areas. In this study, we surveyed wild bees and quantified their nectar and pollen foraging success in a rosemary Mediterranean scrubland in southern France, under different conditions of apiary size and proximity. We found that high-density beekeeping triggers foraging competition which depresses not only the occurrence (−55%) and nectar foraging success (−50%) of local wild bees but also nectar (−44%) and pollen (−36%) harvesting by the honeybees themselves. Overall, those competition effects spanned distances of 600–1.100 m around apiaries, i.e. covering 1.1–3.8km2 areas. Regardless the considered competition criterion, setting distance thresholds among apiaries appeared more tractable than setting colony density thresholds for beekeeping regulation. Moreover, the intraspecific competition among the honeybees has practical implications for beekeepers. It shows that the local carrying capacity has been exceeded and raises concerns for honey yields and colony sustainability. It also offers an effective ecological criterion for pragmatic decision-making whenever conservation practitioners envision progressively reducing beekeeping in protected areas. Although specific to the studied area, the recommendations provided here may help raise consciousness about the threat high-density beekeeping may pose to local nature conservation initiatives, especially in areas with sensitive or endangered plant or bee species such as small oceanic islands with high levels of endemism.
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10
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Cariveau DP, Nayak GK, Bartomeus I, Zientek J, Ascher JS, Gibbs J, Winfree R. The Allometry of Bee Proboscis Length and Its Uses in Ecology. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151482. [PMID: 26986000 PMCID: PMC4795761 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Allometric relationships among morphological traits underlie important patterns in ecology. These relationships are often phylogenetically shared; thus quantifying allometric relationships may allow for estimating difficult-to-measure traits across species. One such trait, proboscis length in bees, is assumed to be important in structuring bee communities and plant-pollinator networks. However, it is difficult to measure and thus rarely included in ecological analyses. We measured intertegular distance (as a measure of body size) and proboscis length (glossa and prementum, both individually and combined) of 786 individual bees of 100 species across 5 of the 7 extant bee families (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila). Using linear models and model selection, we determined which parameters provided the best estimate of proboscis length. We then used coefficients to estimate the relationship between intertegular distance and proboscis length, while also considering family. Using allometric equations with an estimation for a scaling coefficient between intertegular distance and proboscis length and coefficients for each family, we explain 91% of the variance in species-level means for bee proboscis length among bee species. However, within species, individual-level intertegular distance was a poor predictor of individual proboscis length. To make our findings easy to use, we created an R package that allows estimation of proboscis length for individual bee species by inputting only family and intertegular distance. The R package also calculates foraging distance and body mass based on previously published equations. Thus by considering both taxonomy and intertegular distance we enable accurate estimation of an ecologically and evolutionarily important trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P. Cariveau
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Geetha K. Nayak
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Ignasi Bartomeus
- Departamento Ecología Integrativa, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EDB-CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Joseph Zientek
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - John S. Ascher
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Jason Gibbs
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Rachael Winfree
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
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11
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12
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Bauder JAS, Morawetz L, Warren AD, Krenn HW. Functional constraints on the evolution of long butterfly proboscides: lessons from Neotropical skippers (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). J Evol Biol 2015; 28:678-87. [PMID: 25682841 PMCID: PMC4402018 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Revised: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Extremely long proboscides are rare among butterflies outside of the Hesperiidae, yet representatives of several genera of skipper butterflies possess proboscides longer than 50 mm. Although extremely elongated mouthparts can be regarded as advantageous adaptations to gain access to nectar in deep-tubed flowers, the scarcity of long-proboscid butterflies is a phenomenon that has not been adequately accounted for. So far, the scarceness was explained by functional costs arising from increased flower handling times caused by decelerated nectar intake rates. However, insects can compensate for the negative influence of a long proboscis through changes in the morphological configuration of the feeding apparatus. Here, we measured nectar intake rates in 34 species representing 21 Hesperiidae genera from a Costa Rican lowland rainforest area to explore the impact of proboscis length, cross-sectional area of the food canal and body size on intake rate. Long-proboscid skippers did not suffer from reduced intake rates due to their large body size and enlarged food canals. In addition, video analyses of the flower-visiting behaviour revealed that suction times increased with proboscis length, suggesting that long-proboscid skippers drink a larger amount of nectar from deep-tubed flowers. Despite these advantages, we showed that functional costs of exaggerated mouthparts exist in terms of longer manipulation times per flower. Finally, we discuss the significance of scaling relationships on the foraging efficiency of butterflies and why some skipper taxa, in particular, have evolved extremely long proboscides.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A S Bauder
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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13
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Pokorny T, Lunau K, Eltz T. Raising the sugar content--orchid bees overcome the constraints of suction feeding through manipulation of nectar and pollen provisions. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113823. [PMID: 25422945 PMCID: PMC4244122 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike most other bees, the long-tongued orchid bees ingest nectar using suction feeding. Although long tongues allow exploitation of flowers with deep spurs, the energy intake rate is optimal at 10-20% lower nectar sugar concentrations compared to that of lapping bees. This constraint might be compensated by a higher digestive throughput. Additionally, orchid bees might evaporate water from regurgitated droplets of crop contents. We found male Euglossa championi (n = 10) and Euglossa dodsoni (n = 12) to regularly regurgitate droplets of crop content to the base of their proboscis, generating a fluid film between the proximal parts of the galeae, glossa and labial palps. Rhythmic movements of the proboscis may help to increase convection. There was a significant change in sugar concentration between the initially imbibed solution and the resulting crop content (P<0.05) and the time individual bees had engaged in this liquid exposure behavior was positively correlated with the resulting crop sugar concentration. Female Euglossa townsendi and Euglossa viridissima showed the same behavior. Additionally, they manipulated their nectar-enriched pollen provisions for extensive periods of time before deposition in brood cells. The deposited pollen loads (n = 14) showed a significantly higher sugar concentration than the sugar-water available to the bees (P<0.001). Thus, both male and female euglossines show behaviors that promote evaporative water loss from nectar. We suggest that the behaviors have evolved in concert with suction feeding on dilute nectar from deep floral tubes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Pokorny
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Institute of Sensory Ecology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Klaus Lunau
- Institute of Sensory Ecology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Thomas Eltz
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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14
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Nardone E, Dey T, Kevan PG. The effect of sugar solution type, sugar concentration and viscosity on the imbibition and energy intake rate of bumblebees. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 59:919-933. [PMID: 23831183 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2012] [Revised: 06/20/2013] [Accepted: 06/21/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Nectar is an essential resource for bumblebees and many other flower-visiting insects. The main constituents of nectar are sugars, which vary in both composition and concentration between plant species. We assessed the influence of sugar concentration, sugar solution viscosity and sugar solution composition on the imbibition and energy intake rate of bumblebees, Bombus impatiens Cresson (Hymenoptera: Apidae). To do this, we measured their rate of solution intake for 49 different sugar solution treatments, which varied in both sugar composition and concentration. In general, the imbibition rates of bumblebees were found to increase with increasing sugar concentration, probably due to their preference for high sugar concentrations, up to a concentration of 27% (w/w), at which point solutions reached a threshold viscosity of approximately 1.5-1.6 mPa.s. Above this threshold, the increasing viscosity of the solutions physically inhibited the imbibition rates of bees, and imbibition rate began to decrease as the concentration increased. Nevertheless, bumblebee energy intake rate increased with increasing concentration up to about 42-56%. Although we found that sugar solution composition had an impact on both imbibition and energy intake rate, its effect was not as straightforward as that of sugar concentration and viscosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Nardone
- Canadian Pollination Initiative (CANPOLIN), School of Environmental Sciences, Bovey Complex, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
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15
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Parra-H A, Nates-Parra G. The ecological basis for biogeographic classification: an example in orchid bees (Apidae: Euglossini). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2012; 41:442-449. [PMID: 23949668 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-012-0069-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2012] [Accepted: 06/26/2012] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Biogeography has been difficult to apply as a methodological approach because organismic biology is incomplete at levels where the process of formulating comparisons and analogies is complex. The study of insect biogeography became necessary because insects possess numerous evolutionary traits and play an important role as pollinators. Among insects, the euglossine bees, or orchid bees, attract interest because the study of their biology allows us to explain important steps in the evolution of social behavior and many other adaptive tradeoffs. We analyzed the distribution of morphological characteristics in Colombian orchid bees from an ecological perspective. The aim of this study was to observe the distribution of these attributes on a regional basis. Data corresponding to Colombian euglossine species were ordered with a correspondence analysis and with subsequent hierarchical clustering. Later, and based on community proprieties, we compared the resulting hierarchical model with the collection localities to seek to identify a biogeographic classification pattern. From this analysis, we derived a model that classifies the territory of Colombia into 11 biogeographic units or natural clusters. Ecological assumptions in concordance with the derived classification levels suggest that species characteristics associated with flight performance, nectar uptake, and social behavior are the factors that served to produce the current geographical structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Parra-H
- Depto de Biologia, Fac de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Univ de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.
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16
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Nuismer SL, Jordano P, Bascompte J. COEVOLUTION AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF MUTUALISTIC NETWORKS. Evolution 2012; 67:338-54. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2012.01801.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Hansen TF, Bartoszek K. Interpreting the Evolutionary Regression: The Interplay Between Observational and Biological Errors in Phylogenetic Comparative Studies. Syst Biol 2012; 61:413-25. [DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syr122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas F. Hansen
- Department of Biology, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, PB 1066, Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Krzysztof Bartoszek
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
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Schweiger O, Biesmeijer JC, Bommarco R, Hickler T, Hulme PE, Klotz S, Kühn I, Moora M, Nielsen A, Ohlemüller R, Petanidou T, Potts SG, Pyšek P, Stout JC, Sykes MT, Tscheulin T, Vilà M, Walther GR, Westphal C, Winter M, Zobel M, Settele J. Multiple stressors on biotic interactions: how climate change and alien species interact to affect pollination. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2011; 85:777-95. [PMID: 20184567 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2010.00125.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Global change may substantially affect biodiversity and ecosystem functioning but little is known about its effects on essential biotic interactions. Since different environmental drivers rarely act in isolation it is important to consider interactive effects. Here, we focus on how two key drivers of anthropogenic environmental change, climate change and the introduction of alien species, affect plant-pollinator interactions. Based on a literature survey we identify climatically sensitive aspects of species interactions, assess potential effects of climate change on these mechanisms, and derive hypotheses that may form the basis of future research. We find that both climate change and alien species will ultimately lead to the creation of novel communities. In these communities certain interactions may no longer occur while there will also be potential for the emergence of new relationships. Alien species can both partly compensate for the often negative effects of climate change but also amplify them in some cases. Since potential positive effects are often restricted to generalist interactions among species, climate change and alien species in combination can result in significant threats to more specialist interactions involving native species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Schweiger
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06120 Halle, Germany.
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Aizen MA, Lozada M, Morales CL. Comparative nectar-foraging behaviors and efficiencies of an alien and a native bumble bee. Biol Invasions 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-011-9972-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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20
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Gilbert JDJ, Manica A. Parental care trade-offs and life-history relationships in insects. Am Nat 2010; 176:212-26. [PMID: 20528469 DOI: 10.1086/653661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Insect parental care is extensive and varied, but its life-history implications have never been comparatively tested. Using original and literature data, we tested predictions about egg size, egg number (lifetime fecundity), and body size under different parental care modes across a phylogeny of 287 insect species. Life-history theory and both comparative and intraspecific evidence from ectotherms suggest parental care should select for bigger, fewer eggs, but that allometric scaling of egg size and lifetime fecundity may depend on whether care consists of provisioning (density-dependent offspring survival) or merely guarding (density-independent offspring survival). Against expectation, egg size was indistinguishable among parental care modes, covarying only with body size. This refutes most theory of egg size evolution under parental care. Lifetime fecundity scaled differently depending on parental investment-positively under no care and guarding, as in most ectotherms, but negatively under provisioning. Reproductive allocation in provisioning insects resembled that in mammals and birds, also groups with obligate provisioning. We propose that the metabolic demands of multiple offspring must scale with species body size more steeply than the parent's provisioning capacity, resulting in larger females laying fewer eggs. These patterns lay the groundwork for a more general understanding of parental care and life history.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D J Gilbert
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom.
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21
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Köhler A, Leseigneur CDC, Verburgt L, Nicolson SW. Dilute bird nectars: viscosity constrains food intake by licking in a sunbird. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2010; 299:R1068-74. [PMID: 20686174 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00208.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Floral nectars of bird-pollinated plants are relatively dilute. One hypothesis proposed to explain this concerns the difficulty for birds of drinking nectar of high viscosity. We examined the effects of viscosity, separately from those of sugar concentration, on feeding by captive whitebellied sunbirds (Cinnyris talatala). Viscosities of artificial nectar (sucrose solutions ranging in concentration from 0.25 to 1.5 mol/l) were altered with Tylose, an inert polysaccharide. Food consumption was measured over 3 h, and lick frequency and duration were recorded using photodetection devices on feeding apertures too small for the bill but large enough for the extended tongue. Volumetric intake rates (ml/s) were inversely proportional to nectar viscosity, and were similar over the range of sucrose concentrations when viscosity was held constant. Sucrose intake rates (mg/s) remained the same on pure sucrose solutions, but they decreased with increasing viscosity at a constant sucrose concentration. Lick frequencies and tongue loads were reduced at high viscosities, and lick duration increased, which confirms that sunbirds take longer to ingest viscous solutions. Licking behavior was remarkably similar in birds feeding on different sucrose concentrations if viscosity was held constant. Nectar ingestion rate is determined by viscosity; however, total food intake is mainly modulated by sugar concentration. Similar effects of food viscosity have been observed in insects that suck nectar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Köhler
- Dept. of Zoology and Entomology, Univ. of Pretoria, South Africa
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22
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Terblanche JS, Anderson B. Variation of foraging rate and wing loading, but not resting metabolic rate scaling, of insect pollinators. Naturwissenschaften 2010; 97:775-80. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-010-0693-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2010] [Revised: 06/17/2010] [Accepted: 06/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Anderson B, Terblanche JS, Ellis AG. Predictable patterns of trait mismatches between interacting plants and insects. BMC Evol Biol 2010; 10:204. [PMID: 20604973 PMCID: PMC2927919 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-10-204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2010] [Accepted: 07/07/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There are few predictions about the directionality or extent of morphological trait (mis)matches between interacting organisms. We review and analyse studies on morphological trait complementarity (e.g. floral tube length versus insect mouthpart length) at the population and species level. Results Plants have consistently more exaggerated morphological traits than insects at high trait magnitudes and in some cases less exaggerated traits than insects at smaller trait magnitudes. This result held at the population level, as well as for phylogenetically adjusted analyses at the species-level and for both pollination and host-parasite interactions, perhaps suggesting a general pattern. Across communities, the degree of trait mismatch between one specialist plant and its more generalized pollinator was related to the level of pollinator specialization at each site; the observed pattern supports the "life-dinner principle" of selection acting more strongly on species with more at stake in the interaction. Similarly, plant mating system also affected the degree of trait correspondence because selfing reduces the reliance on pollinators and is analogous to pollination generalization. Conclusions Our analyses suggest that there are predictable "winners" and "losers" of evolutionary arms races and the results of this study highlight the fact that breeding system and the degree of specialization can influence the outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Anderson
- Plant Animal Interactions, Botany and Zoology Department, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa.
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Wikelski M, Moxley J, Eaton-Mordas A, López-Uribe MM, Holland R, Moskowitz D, Roubik DW, Kays R. Large-range movements of neotropical orchid bees observed via radio telemetry. PLoS One 2010; 5:e10738. [PMID: 20520813 PMCID: PMC2877081 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0010738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2009] [Accepted: 02/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neotropical orchid bees (Euglossini) are often cited as classic examples of trapline-foragers with potentially extensive foraging ranges. If long-distance movements are habitual, rare plants in widely scattered locations may benefit from euglossine pollination services. Here we report the first successful use of micro radio telemetry to track the movement of an insect pollinator in a complex and forested environment. Our results indicate that individual male orchid bees (Exaerete frontalis) habitually use large rainforest areas (at least 42-115 ha) on a daily basis. Aerial telemetry located individuals up to 5 km away from their core areas, and bees were often stationary, for variable periods, between flights to successive localities. These data suggest a higher degree of site fidelity than what may be expected in a free living male bee, and has implications for our understanding of biological activity patterns and the evolution of forest pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
| | - Jerry Moxley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Alexander Eaton-Mordas
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | | | - Richard Holland
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - David Moskowitz
- EcolSciences, Inc., Rockaway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - David W. Roubik
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
| | - Roland Kays
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
- New York State Museum, Albany, New York, United States of America
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Burkle L, Irwin R. The importance of interannual variation and bottomâup nitrogen enrichment for plantâpollinator networks. OIKOS 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.17740.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Smith RJ. Use and misuse of the reduced major axis for line-fitting. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2009; 140:476-86. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 506] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Temeles EJ, Koulouris CR, Sander SE, Kress WJ. Effect of flower shape and size on foraging performance and trade-offs in a tropical hummingbird. Ecology 2009; 90:1147-61. [PMID: 19537537 DOI: 10.1890/08-0695.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Matches between the bills of hummingbirds and the flowers they visit have been interpreted as examples of coadaptation and feeding specialization. Observations of birds feeding at flowers longer or shorter than their bills combined with a lack of experimental evidence for foraging trade-offs, however, fail to support these interpretations. We addressed these inconsistencies by considering a seldom-studied dimension of hummingbird-flower relationships, the shape of bills and flowers, through experiments on the Purple-throated Carib, Eulampis jugularis, and its major food plant, Heliconia, in the eastern Caribbean. Bills of male E. jugularis are considerably shorter and straighter than bills of females. We examined foraging performances and trade-offs during visits to natural heliconias and 34 artificial flowers of differing length and curvature. Supporting predictions based on matches between bill and flower morphology, handling times of females were significantly shorter than those of males at the long, curved flowers of a green morph of H. bihai. Contrary to predictions, handling times of males were not significantly shorter than handling times of females at the short flowers of H. caribaea. At artificial flowers, maximum extraction depths of females were significantly longer than maximum extraction depths of males at all curved flowers, but not at straight flowers. Handling times of females were significantly shorter than handling times of males at the longest artificial flowers for all curvatures, whereas handling times of males were significantly shorter at short, straight, artificial flowers, but only while hover-feeding without a perch. Within each sex, handling times were inversely related to bill length at long flowers for all shapes. Taken together, these performance trade-offs suggest that the long, curved bills of females are adapted for feeding from long, curved flowers, whereas the short bills of males are adapted for hover-feeding from short, straighter flowers. In addition, the finding that differences in feeding performance occur at the extremes of floral phenotypes suggests that the evolution of bill morphology may be driven by a small subset of the flowers visited by a hummingbird species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan J Temeles
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002-5000, USA.
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Falibene A, Gontijo ADF, Josens R. Sucking pump activity in feeding behaviour regulation in carpenter ants. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2009; 55:518-524. [PMID: 19217950 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2009.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2008] [Revised: 01/16/2009] [Accepted: 01/26/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Modulation of liquid feeding-rate would allow insects to ingest more food in the same time when this was required. Ants can vary nectar intake rate by increasing sucking pump frequency according to colony requirements. We analysed electrical signals generated by sucking pump activity of ants during drinking solutions of different sucrose concentrations and under different carbohydrate-deprivation levels. Our aim was to define parameters that characterize the recordings and analyse their relationship with feeding behaviour. Signals showed that the initial and final frequencies of sucking pump activity, as well as the difference between them were higher in sugar-deprived ants. However, these parameters were not influenced by sucrose solution concentration, which affected the number of pump contractions and the volume per contraction. Unexpectedly, we found two different responses in feeding behaviour of starved and non-starved ants depending on concentration. Starved ants drank dilute solutions for the same length of time as non-starved ants but ingested higher volumes. While drinking the concentrated solutions, starved ants drank the same volume, but did so in a shorter time than the non-starved ones. Despite these differences, for each analysed concentration the total number of pump contractions remained constant independently of sugar-deprivation level. These results are discussed in the frame of feeding regulation and decision making in ant foraging behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Falibene
- Grupo de Estudio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria (C1428EHA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Nectar intake rate is modulated by changes in sucking pump activity according to colony starvation in carpenter ants. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2008; 194:491-500. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-008-0323-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2007] [Revised: 02/20/2008] [Accepted: 02/21/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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30
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