Thermoregulation in Bumblebee Colonies. II. Behavioral and Demographic                Variation throughout the Colony Cycle

Vogt, F. Daniel

doi:10.1086/physzool.59.1.30156091

Cited by 33 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…However, unlike these previous studies, the present study measured in‐nest temperature rather than brood temperature strictly speaking, which is less responsive to ambient temperature (e.g. Vogt ). Nonetheless, in‐nest temperature, as the temperature experienced by adult workers in the nest, would still be expected to have a potential influence on these workers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Fourthly, given that we found that the timings of peak colony size and first male eclosion did not differ according to temperature, our results suggest that colonies do not adjust the timing of colony events in the later part of the colony cycle in response to temperature. Vogt () similarly concluded that a change in temperature did not affect the timing of events in the colony cycle. If colonies are dependent on an abundance of food at particular stages of development, adhering to a fixed developmental pattern is likely to prove maladaptive in the face of climate change, since an effect of climate change on the flowering times of plants (Gordo & Sanz ; Memmott et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Colony and individual life‐history responses to temperature in a social insect pollinator

Holland

Bourke

2015

Functional Ecology

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Summary1. Pollinating insects are of major ecological and commercial importance, yet they may be facing ecological disruption from a changing climate. Despite this threat, few studies have investigated the life-history responses of pollinators to experimentally controlled changes in temperature, which should be especially informative for species with complex life histories such as eusocial insects. 2. This study uses the key pollinator Bombus terrestris, a eusocial bumblebee with an annual colony cycle, to determine how temperature affects life-history traits at both individual and colony levels. 3. In two laboratory experiments, we reared B. terrestris colonies at either 20 or 25°C, and measured differences in a set of life-history traits including colony longevity, queen longevity, worker longevity, production of workers, production of sexuals (queen and male production) and growth schedule, as well as effects on thermoregulatory behaviours. 4. Higher rearing temperature had a significant positive effect on colony longevity in one of the two experiments but no significant effects on queen or worker longevity. Higher rearing temperature significantly increased colony size but did not affect the timing of peak colony size. It was also associated with significantly higher queen production but had no effect on the production of workers or males or the timing of male production. Higher temperature colonies exhibited significantly more wing fanning by workers and significantly less wax canopy construction. Hence, an increase in rearing temperature of a few degrees increased colony longevity, colony size and queen production. However, individual longevity was not affected and so may have been buffered by changes in costly thermoregulatory behaviours. 5. We conclude that eusocial insects may show complex phenotypic responses to projected temperature increases under climate change, including effects on productivity and reproduction at the colony level. Such effects should be considered when predicting the impact of climate change on the provision of essential pollination services.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Colony and individual life‐history responses to temperature in a social insect pollinator

Holland

Bourke

2015

Functional Ecology

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“…While bumblebees do possess the ability to thermoregulate their colonies [24] [25], a lack of winter floral resources or an excessive thermoregulatory demand, may mean colonies are unable to consistently maintain a favourable temperature [51]. Bombus terrestris audax typically construct nests underground at a range of depths [52], and although this might buffer them from extreme air temperature fluctuations, there is still a survival risk.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bumblebee colonies are known to regulate their temperature to a set point between 27 and 33°C [24]. However, chronic low temperatures have been found to disrupt colony thermoregulation and have a negative impact on colony fecundity and brood incubation temperature [25]. With a reduced number of workers, smaller colonies are less able to respond to environmental stresses such as temperature fluctuations [26].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Winter-Active Bumblebees Survive the Cold? Assessing the Cold Tolerance of Bombus terrestris audax and the Effects of Pollen Feeding

2013

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There is now considerable evidence that climate change is disrupting the phenology of key pollinator species. The recently reported UK winter activity of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris brings a novel set of thermal challenges to bumblebee workers that would typically only be exposed to summer conditions. Here we assess the ability of workers to survive acute and chronic cold stress (via lower lethal temperatures and lower lethal times at 0°C), the capacity for rapid cold hardening (RCH) and the influence of diet (pollen versus nectar consumption) on supercooling points (SCP). Comparisons are made with chronic cold stress indices and SCPs in queen bumblebees. Results showed worker bees were able to survive acute temperatures likely to be experienced in a mild winter, with queens significantly more tolerant to chronic cold temperature stress. The first evidence of RCH in any Hymenoptera is shown. In addition, dietary manipulation indicated the consumption of pollen significantly increased SCP temperature. These results are discussed in the light of winter active bumblebees and climate change.

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“…Ambient temperatures at the study site for bo,th years decreased an average of 1.7"C from July to August and 4.1°C from August to September. At low ambient temperatures in the field, as Vogt (1986) has suggested, bees would be expected to increase their foraging activity to meet the greater thermoregulatory demands of the colony and would suffer increased mortality. It is therefore likely that a greater percentage of the workers emerging toward the end of the season became foragers, which would lead to the reduction in overall life expectancy for this cohort.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adult longevity of workers of the bumble bees Bombus fervidus (F.) and Bombus pennsylvanicus (De Geer) (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Goldblatt¹,

Fell²

1987

Can. J. Zool.

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We studied worker longevity in two colonies of Bombus fervidus (F.) and two colonies of Bombus pennsylvanicus (De Geer). In 1981, adult life expectation for B. fervidus workers was 21.8 days. In 1982, mean expectation of life at adult emergence was 34.1 days for workers of B. fervidus and 33.0 days for workers of B. pennsylvanicus. The longevities observed in 1982 are the highest yet recorded for temperate bumble bee species, and are intermediate between the previously described extremes of short life-span in north temperate species and high longevity in a tropical species. This study suggests that bumble bee life expectancy tends to decrease as one progresses northward. However, variation in life expectancy within B. fervidus at a single location in two consecutive years was almost as great as previously described differences in longevity between tropical and temperate species. Shortened life-span may therefore be associated with increased intensity of foraging activity during periods of low forage availability as well as with latitude. In both years, survivorship of late-emerging worker cohorts was consistently low, possibly because a larger proportion of late-emerging workers become foragers.

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Thermoregulation in Bumblebee Colonies. II. Behavioral and Demographic Variation throughout the Colony Cycle

Cited by 33 publications

References 4 publications

Colony and individual life‐history responses to temperature in a social insect pollinator

Colony and individual life‐history responses to temperature in a social insect pollinator

Can Winter-Active Bumblebees Survive the Cold? Assessing the Cold Tolerance of Bombus terrestris audax and the Effects of Pollen Feeding

Adult longevity of workers of the bumble bees Bombus fervidus (F.) and Bombus pennsylvanicus (De Geer) (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

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