Aggression between floral specialist bees enhances pollination ofHibiscus(sectionTrionum:Malvaceae)

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blair Joseph Sampson
Keyword(s):  
Specialist Bees

scholarly journals Aggression between floral specialist bees enhances pollination of HIbiscus (section Trionum; Malvaceae)

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 7-12
Author(s):  
Blair Joseph Sampson ◽  
Cecil T. Pounders ◽  
Christopher T. Werle ◽  
Trevor R. Mallette
Keyword(s):  
Specialist Bees

Impact of past climatic changes and resource availability on the population demography of three food-specialist bees

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 1074-1090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Dellicour ◽  
Denis Michez ◽  
Jean-Yves Rasplus ◽  
Patrick Mardulyn
Keyword(s):  
Resource Availability ◽  
Climatic Changes ◽  
Population Demography ◽  
Specialist Bees

scholarly journals Interaction between visiting bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) and flowers of Ludwigia elegans (Camb.) hara (Onagraceae) during the year in two different areas in São Paulo, Brazil

2003 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 617-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Gimenes
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
The State ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Annual Activity ◽  
Specialist Bees ◽  
Species Being ◽  
Circannual Variation ◽  
Different Altitudes

This study was designed to characterize the interactions between Ludwigia elegans flowers and visiting bees during two years in two areas 200 km apart, at the same latitude (approximately 22º48'S) but at different altitudes (Alumínio, 600 m, and Campos do Jordão, 1500 m), in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. As these flowers open simultaneously in the morning and lose their petals by sunset, interaction with bees occurs only during the photophase. Flowers of L. elegans were mainly visited by bees, the most frequent species being: Tetraglossula anthracina (Michener, 1989) (Colletidae), Rhophitulus sp. (Andrenidae), and Pseudagapostemon spp. (Halictidae), all considered specialized bees for collecting pollen and nectar from these flowers, as well as the generalist bee Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 (Apidae). The specialist bees were temporally adjusted to the opening schedule of the flower, which occurs primarily in the morning, but shows a circannual variation. T. anthracina appears in both study areas, but only between December and April. The annual activity patterns of these specialist bees are synchronized to the phenology of L. elegans. Photoperiod and temperature cycles are suggested as the main synchronizers of both bees and plants.

scholarly journals Specialist Bee Species Are Larger and Less Phylogenetically Distinct Than Generalists in Tropical Plant–Bee Interaction Networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Lobo Raiol ◽  
Markus Gastauer ◽  
Alistair John Campbell ◽  
Rafael Cabral Borges ◽  
Marcelo Awade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Interaction Networks ◽  
Set Covering ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Tropical Plant ◽  
Ecological Features ◽  
Evolutionary Distinctiveness ◽  
Specialist Bees

Bee pollinators are key components of terrestrial ecosystems. Evidence is mounting that bees are globally in decline, and species with a higher degree of specialization are the most vulnerable to local extinction. However, ecological features that could explain bee specialization remain poorly tested, especially in tropical species. Here, we aim to determine the most specialized bee species and their associated ecological traits in tropical plant–bee interaction networks, answering three questions: (1) Which bees in the interaction networks are specialists? (2) Is body size related to their role as specialists in interaction networks? (3) Are there phylogenetic relationships between the bee species identified as specialists? We used fifteen quantitative plant–bee interaction networks from different Brazilian biomes covering 1,702 interactions (386 bee and 717 plant species). We used the normalized degree (standardized number of partners) as a metric to determine trophic specialization of bee species. Body size was estimated by measuring intertegular distance (ITD), i.e., the distance between the bases of the wings on the thorax. Evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) was used to quantify species uniqueness, i.e., the singularity of species in the phylogenetic tree. Relationships between dietary specialism, ITD and ED were assessed using generalized linear models. We detected 34 specialist bee species (9% of total species), distributed in 13 genera, and four families. ITD and ED were important variables explaining the specialization of tropical bee species. Specialists were larger and less phylogenetically distinct than expected by chance. Based on a large data set covering some of the main tropical biomes, our results suggest that loss of specialist bees from Brazilian plant–bee networks could have deleterious consequences for native plant species preferentially pollinated by large-bodied bees. Moreover, by affecting more evolutionarily distinct species, i.e., those with fewer extant relatives, the loss of specialist bees will likely affect few clades but can result on considerable loss of evolutionary history and phylogenetic diversity in the Brazilian bee communities. The results are important for decision-making concerning conservation measures for these species and may also encourage the development of sustainable management techniques for bees.

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