Journal article
Impact of body size on critical thermal maxima in female solitary desert bees
Ecological entomology
04 Sep 2023
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Solitary, size-variable bees are adapted to a wide range of thermal environments (e.g., through critical thermal maxima, or CTmax) and are important, understudied subjects for research on species' vulnerability to climate change.Centris pallida are solitary, ground-nesting desert bees with females varying two-fold in body mass. We hypothesized that body size would affect CTmax in female C. pallida, predicting that an increase in body size would result in increased thermal tolerance.We tested the effects of female body mass on CTmax using a ramping CTmax assay while controlling for age. We used flow-through respirometry to confirm that the behavioural indicator of CTmax correlated with the metabolic indicator of lethality.Body mass correlated positively with CTmax; every 100 mg increase in body mass resulted in a 1.5 & DEG;C increase in CTmax.Female age (as assessed by an index score based on wing, thorax hair and mandibular wear) did not affect CTmax.Flow-through respirometry confirmed that loss of muscle control correlated with the metabolic 'mortal fall', or a decline in CO2 production.As insect body sizes typically decline with higher temperatures, our data suggest rising temperatures could magnify thermal stresses on desert bee populations.
Female Centris pallida bee thermal tolerance (CTmax) correlated positively with body mass.Age and acclimation time did not impact female CTmax.Flow-through respirometry confirmed that the loss of muscle control, used as a behavioural indicator of CTmax, correlated with the metabolic indicator of lethality (reduced CO2 production).image
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Details
- Title
- Impact of body size on critical thermal maxima in female solitary desert bees
- Creators
- M. Barrett - Drexel UniversityN. Tigreros - University of ArizonaG. Davidowitz - University of ArizonaS. O'Donnell - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Ecological entomology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Number of pages
- 5
- Grant note
- This work would not have been possible without the support of Kathryn Busby, Logan Schoolcraft and Stephen Buchmann (who obtained research permits for MB to work at Tumamoc Hill in 2019). Mike Oamp;apos;Connor gave valuable insights to the study design th
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001057743400001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85169706242
- Other Identifier
- 991021211640004721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Entomology