Elevated developmental temperatures impact the size and allometry of morphological traits of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris.
J Exp Biol
; 226(8)2023 04 15.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36995273
ABSTRACT
The impact of global warming on wild bee decline threatens the pollination services they provide. Exposure to temperatures above optimal during development is known to reduce adult body size but how it affects the development and scaling of body parts remains unclear. In bees, a reduction in body size and/or a reduction in body parts, such as the antennae, tongue and wings, and how they scale with body size (i.e. their allometry) could severely affect their fitness. To date, it remains unclear how temperature affects body size and the scaling of morphological traits in bees. To address this knowledge gap, we exposed both males and workers of Bombus terrestris to elevated temperature during development and assessed the effects on (i) the size of morphological traits and (ii) the allometry between these traits. Colonies were exposed to optimal (25°C) or stressful (33°C) temperatures. We then measured the body size, wing size, antenna and tongue length, as well as the allometry between these traits. We found that workers were smaller and the antennae of both castes were reduced at the higher temperature. However, tongue length and wing size were not affected by developmental temperature. The allometric scaling of the tongue was also affected by developmental temperature. Smaller body size and antennae could impair both individual and colony fitness, by affecting foraging efficiency and, consequently, colony development. Our results encourage further exploration of how the temperature-induced changes in morphology affect functional traits and pollination efficiency.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Abejas
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Exp Biol
Año:
2023
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Suecia