The energetics and thermoregulation of water collecting honeybees.

ABSTRACT: Honeybees need water for different purposes, to maintain the osmotic homeostasis in adults as well as to dilute stored honey and prepare liquid food for the brood. Water is also used for cooling of the hive. Foraging in endothermic insects is energy-intensive and the question arises how much energy bees invest in a resource without any metabolically usable energy. We investigated the energy demand of water collecting bees under natural conditions. The thermoregulation and energetic effort was measured simultaneously in a broad range of experimental ambient temperatures (T_a = 12-40 °C). The thorax temperature as well as the energetic turnover showed a great variability. The mean T_thorax was ranging from ~ 35.7 °C at 12 °C to nearly 42.5 °C at 40 °C. The energy turnover

SUBMITTER: Kovac H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6182700 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature