Consistent pollen nutritional intake drives bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) colony growth and reproduction across different habitats.

ABSTRACT: Foraging behavior is a critical adaptation by insects to obtain appropriate nutrients from the environment for development and fitness. Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) form annual colonies which must rapidly increase their worker populations to support rearing reproductive individuals before the end of the season. Therefore, colony growth and reproduction should be dependent on the quality and quantity of pollen resources in the surrounding landscape. Our previous research found that B. impatiens foraging preferences to different plant species were shaped by pollen protein:lipid nutritional ratios (P:L), with foragers preferring pollen species with a ~5:1 P:L ratio. In this study, we placed B. impatiens colonies in three different habitats (forest, forest edge, and valley) t

SUBMITTER: Vaudo AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6010792 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature