Temporal and spatial dynamics of carpenter bee sociality revealed by CT imaging

Ostwald, Madeleine M.; Lyman, B. R.; Shaffer, Zachary; Fewell, Jennifer H.

doi:10.1007/s00040-020-00761-w

Cited by 7 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Scans were conducted using a CT machine (General Electric, LightSpeed VCT) at St Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, AZ, USA, with 2.5 mm thick scan image slices provided in sagittal and coronal views relative to the long axis of the log. We manually reconstructed the 3D structure of nests in scans and calculated their volumes using the imaging software Avizo v. 9.0 (Thermo Scientific); [40]. Additionally, we measured brood production rates by counting the number of occupied brood cells per nest on the May scans.…”

Section: (C) Computerized Tomography Scans and Nest Volume Reconstructionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, we measured brood production rates by counting the number of occupied brood cells per nest on the May scans. This population of X. sonorina is primarily univoltine, with most brood emerging between late May and early June [40].…”

Section: (C) Computerized Tomography Scans and Nest Volume Reconstructionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many birds, for example, experience a trade-off between the advantages of nest inheritance and the potential for exposure to parasites in older nests [59,60]. Carpenter bees, likewise, tend to cease reuse of nest tunnels once they have grown past a certain threshold diameter [40]. With each successive season of nest reuse, the reconstruction of brood cell partitions progressively widens tunnels to the point where they may be indefensible to usurpers [40].…”

Section: (B) Interactions Between Nest Properties and Social Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Carpenter bees, likewise, tend to cease reuse of nest tunnels once they have grown past a certain threshold diameter [40]. With each successive season of nest reuse, the reconstruction of brood cell partitions progressively widens tunnels to the point where they may be indefensible to usurpers [40]. As nest tunnels decline in quality, bees may construct additional, new tunnels off of existing nest structures.…”

Section: (B) Interactions Between Nest Properties and Social Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nest inheritors could reap substantial energetic savings if metabolic costs of construction are high. These savings are not guaranteed, however, and benefits could vary considerably across nests when inheritance entails addition or expansion of tunnels to replace over-used structures [40].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Social consequences of energetically costly nest construction in a facultatively social bee

et al. 2021

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Social groups form when the costs of breeding independently exceed fitness costs imposed by group living. The costs of independent breeding can often be energetic, especially for animals performing expensive behaviours, such as nest construction. To test the hypothesis that nesting costs can drive sociality by disincentivizing independent nest founding, we measured the energetics of nest construction and inheritance in a facultatively social carpenter bee ( Xylocopa sonorina Smith), which bores tunnel nests in wood. We measured metabolic rates of bees excavating wood and used computerized tomography images of nesting logs to measure excavation volumes. From these data, we demonstrate costly energetic investments in nest excavation of a minimum 4.3 kJ per offspring provisioned, an expense equivalent to nearly 7 h of flight. This high, potentially prohibitive cost of nest founding may explain why females compete for existing nests rather than constructing new ones, often leading to the formation of social groups. Further, we found that nest inheritors varied considerably in their investment in nest renovation, with costs ranging more than 12-fold (from 7.08 to 89.1 kJ energy), probably reflecting differences in inherited nest quality. On average, renovation costs were lower than estimated new nest construction costs, with some nests providing major savings. These results suggest that females may join social groups to avoid steep energetic costs, but that the benefits of this strategy are not experienced equally.

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Section: (C) Computerized Tomography Scans and Nest Volume Reconstructionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: (C) Computerized Tomography Scans and Nest Volume Reconstructionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: (B) Interactions Between Nest Properties and Social Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: (B) Interactions Between Nest Properties and Social Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Social consequences of energetically costly nest construction in a facultatively social bee

et al. 2021

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Built environments influence carpenter bee sociality and vice versa

Richards

2020

Insect. Soc.

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Group-living carpenter bees conserve heat and body mass better than solitary individuals in winter

et al. 2022

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Temporal and spatial dynamics of carpenter bee sociality revealed by CT imaging

Cited by 7 publications

References 54 publications

Social consequences of energetically costly nest construction in a facultatively social bee

Social consequences of energetically costly nest construction in a facultatively social bee

Built environments influence carpenter bee sociality and vice versa

Group-living carpenter bees conserve heat and body mass better than solitary individuals in winter

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