How a generalist bee achieves high efficiency of pollen collection on diverse floral resources

Avery L. Russell, Stephen L. Buchmann and Daniel R. Papaj

Behavioral Ecology, 2017, vol. 28, issue 4, 991-1003

Abstract: Lay SummaryLearning enables generalists to forage efficiently from diverse floral resources. Bees must collect nectar and pollen, but effective, flexible foraging behavior has been demonstrated only for nectar foragers. We demonstrate that flexible and effective pollen collection by bees is regulated by 2 ubiquitous floral cues. This mechanism of foraging flexibility likely facilitated the evolution of pollen concealment via poricidal floral morphology. We conclude that effective flexibility in pollen collection can occur without necessitating learning.

Keywords: behavioral flexibility; floral sonication; floral evolution; learning; pollen foraging; specialization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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