Larger pollen loads increase risk of heat stress in foraging bumblebees.

ABSTRACT: Global declines in bumblebee populations are linked to climate change, but specific mechanisms imposing thermal stress on these species are poorly known. Here we examine the potential for heat stress in workers foraging for pollen, an essential resource for colony development. Laboratory studies have shown that pollen foraging causes increased thoracic temperatures (T_th) in bees, but this effect has not been examined in bumblebees nor in real-world foraging situations. We examine the effects of increasing pollen load size on T_th of Bombus impatiens workers in the field while accounting for body size and microclimate. We found that T_th increased by 0.07°C for every milligram of pollen carried (p = 0.007), resulting in a 2°C

SUBMITTER: Naumchik M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10189305 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature