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THE ADVANTAGE OF SHORT TONGUES IN BUMBLE BEES (BOMBUS) — ANALYSES OF SPECIES DISTRIBUTIONS ACCORDING TO FLOWER COROLLA DEPTH, AND OF WORKING SPEEDS ON WHITE CLOVER

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

C.M.S. Plowright  and
R.C. Plowright
C.M.S. Plowright
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
R.C. Plowright
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1Al
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Abstract

Four surveys of Bombus workers found on various flower species generated classifications of bumble bees according to tongue length and corolla depth of flower species. The long-tongued bees frequented species with long corollas and short-tongued bees frequented species with short corollas. Within-species analyses revealed several significant positive correlations between tongue length and corolla depth. The advantage of short tongues in bumble bees was investigated in an analysis of working speeds of different species on white clover, which has a short corolla. Bees with short tongues were more efficient than bees with long tongues.

Résumé

Quatre inventaires des ouvrières de Bombus trouvées sur différentes espèces de fleurs ont permis d’obtenir des classifications des bourdons basées sur la longueur du proboscis et la profondeur de la corolle des fleurs. Les espèces à proboscis long fréquentent les fleurs à corolles profondes et les espèces à proboscis court visitent les fleurs à corolles peu profondes. Les analyses ont mis en lumière plusieurs corrélations significatives positives entre la longueur du proboscis et la profondeur de la corolle. Les avantages d’un proboscis court ont été évalués par une analyse de la vitesse de «travail» des différentes espèces dans des champs de trèfle blanc, une plante à corolle courte. Les bourdons à proboscis court sont plus efficaces que les bourdons à proboscis long.

[Traduit par la Rédaction]

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 129 , Issue 1 , February 1997 , pp. 51 - 59
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1997

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