QUANTIFICATION OF MANDIBULAR WEAR OF FEMALE ALFALFA LEAFCUTTER BEES, MEGACHILE ROTUNDATA (F.) (HYMENOPTERA: MEGACHILIDAE), BY IMAGE ANALYSIS
AbstractIn southern Alberta, alfalfa seed yields are related to the amount of pollination that occurs before mid-August by the major pollinator, the alfalfa leafcutter bee, Megachile rotundata (F.). Cutting the leaves causes wear to the bee’s mandibular teeth and could reduce the bee’s pollination efficiency and, ultimately, seed production. A method is described for employing digital image analysis to measure mandibular tooth areas for alfalfa leafcutter bees. The method is relatively quick and has high precision and repeatability. This method was used to measure the area of the mandibular teeth for leafcutter bees, before and after foraging in alfalfa seed fields, to evaluate differences in mandibular wear. Analysis of mandibles showed that foraging leafcutter bees collected in late July had significantly smaller tooth areas than pre-foraging bees collected prior to release in June.