Differential sensitivity of bees to urbanization-driven changes in body temperature and water content.

ABSTRACT: Predicting how species will respond to climate change and land use modification is essential for conserving organisms and maintaining ecosystem services. Thermal tolerances have been shown to have strong predictive power, but the potential importance of desiccation tolerances have been less explored in some species. Here, we report measurements of thermal and desiccation tolerances and safety margins across a gradient of urbanization, for three bee species: silky striped sweat bees (Agapostemon sericeus), western honeybees (Apis mellifera), and common eastern bumblebees (Bombus impatiens). We found significant differences in thermal tolerances, measured as critical thermal maximum (CT_max), amongst species. Bumblebees were the least sensitive to warming, with a higher CT_max<

SUBMITTER: Burdine JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6367438 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature