Pollen and nectar quality drive major and minor floral choices of bumble bees

[en] To investigate whether floral resource quality impacts on bumble bee floral choices, we determined the pollen foraging constancy and floral choices of four bumble bee species commonly occurring in peaty, wetmeadows in South Belgium. We subsequently analyzed the chemical contents of pollen and nectar, as well as the nectar production of the major host plant species. Individuals of B. lapidarius and B. pascuorum collected high-quality pollen (i.e., having high essential amino acid and phytosterol content) on Comarum palustre and Trifolium pratense, whereas individuals of B. terrestris s.l. and B. hypnorum enlarged their diet breadth to less valuable pollen resources (Cirsium palustre and Valeriana repens). Since Persicaria bistorta and Comarum palustre offer abundant and concentrated nectar, these plant species might represent major nectar sources for bumble bee species in peaty, wet meadows. The present study demonstrated the role of pollen composition on differences in foraging strategies among bumble bee species.

Disciplines :

Biochemistry, biophysics & molecular biology
Phytobiology (plant sciences, forestry, mycology...)

Author, co-author :

Somme, L.

Vanderplanck, Maryse ; Université de Mons > Faculté des Sciences > Zoologie

Michez, Denis ; Université de Mons > Faculté des Sciences > Zoologie

Lombaerde, Isabelle

Moerman, Romain ; Université de Mons > Faculté des Sciences > Zoologie

Wathelet, Bernard

Wattiez, Ruddy ; Université de Mons > Faculté des Sciences > Service de Protéomie et Microbiologie

Lognay, Georges

Jacquemart, A.-L.

Language :

English

Title :

Pollen and nectar quality drive major and minor floral choices of bumble bees

Publication date :

23 January 2015

Journal title :

Apidologie

ISSN :

0044-8435

Publisher :

Springer, Germany

Volume :

Pages :

92-106

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Research unit :

S869 - Zoologie

Research institute :

R100 - Institut des Biosciences

Available on ORBi UMONS :

since 23 January 2015

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Scopus citations^®

124

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103

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