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Variation in nectar robbing over time, space, and species
Rebecca E Irwin1,2, Joan E Maloof3,4
1Institute of Ecology, Ecology Building, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA. rirwin@arches.uga.edu.
Oecologia
|May 4, 2017
Summary
Nectar robbing by bumblebees varies significantly across plant species, years, seasons, and locations. This spatial and temporal variation impacts plant population dynamics and floral trait selection.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Plant-animal interactions
- Behavioral ecology
Background:
- Spatiotemporal variation in plant-animal interactions is common, but understanding is limited.
- Nectar robbing's impact on plant fitness is significant, yet its spatial and temporal dynamics are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the spatial and temporal variation in nectar robbing interactions.
- To investigate interactions between a specific nectar-robbing bumblebee and its host plants.
Main Methods:
- Field study conducted in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA over 7 years.
- Measured nectar robbing rates of Bombus occidentalis on four host plants: Delphinium nuttallianum, Ipomopsis aggregata, Corydalis caseana, and Linaria vulgaris.
- Assessed variation across different species, years, seasons, sites, and within sites.
Main Results:
- Significant variation in nectar robbing rates was observed among different host plant species.
- Robbing rates varied annually, seasonally, and across different spatial scales (among and within sites).
Conclusions:
- The observed spatial and temporal variation in nectar robbing has potential consequences for host plant population dynamics.
- This variation may drive selection on floral and flowering traits in host plants.
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