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A 3D Printed Pollen Trap for Bumble Bee (Bombus) Hive Entrances
Published on: July 9, 2020
Variability in bumblebee pollination buzzes affects the quantity of pollen released from flowers
Paul A De Luca1, Luc F Bussière, Daniel Souto-Vilaros
1School of Chemistry, Environmental and Life Sciences, The College of The Bahamas, Oakes Field Campus, Nassau, Bahamas. pdeluca@cob.edu.bs
Oecologia
|November 29, 2012
Summary
Bumblebees adjust their buzzing vibrations to collect more pollen. Heavier bees produce louder buzzes, leading to greater pollen yields for the colony.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Plant-pollinator interactions
- Bioacoustics
Background:
- Buzz-pollination is a key plant reproductive strategy involving sonication of anthers by bees.
- Over 20,000 angiosperm species utilize buzz-pollination, yet the link between buzz properties and pollen extraction efficiency is poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) buzz vibration characteristics and pollen removal from Solanum rostratum flowers.
- To determine how variation in buzz properties (amplitude, frequency, duration) affects pollen yield.
Main Methods:
- Characterized natural buzzing vibrations of Bombus terrestris workers foraging on Solanum rostratum.
- Created artificial "pollination buzzes" with controlled amplitude, frequency, and duration.
- Quantified pollen removal from S. rostratum flowers stimulated by synthetic buzzes.
Main Results:
- Buzz amplitude and duration significantly increased pollen removal; frequency had minimal effect.
- Heavier bumblebees produced buzzes with greater amplitude, correlating with higher pollen yields.
- Variation in buzzing properties exists within and among individual bees from the same colony.
Conclusions:
- Bumblebees may enhance pollen collection by modulating buzz amplitude and duration.
- Larger bees may be more effective pollinators of buzz-pollinated plants, potentially influencing colony foraging success.
- Understanding buzz-pollination mechanics is crucial for plant reproduction and pollinator efficiency.
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01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
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