Bees associate warmth with floral colour

Dyer, Adrian G.; Whitney, Heather M.; Arnold, Sarah E. J.; Glover, Beverley J.; Chittka, Lars

doi:10.1038/442525a

Cited by 185 publications

(181 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…This possibility has also been proposed for glossy buttercups (van der Kooi et al ., 2017), which have previously been shown to be warmer at the centre of the flower (Cooley, 1995). Synergy between the attraction of pollinators and the warming of the flower might also be possible, as previous studies have shown that bumblebees prefer warmer flowers (Dyer et al ., 2006). However, our measurements indicate that the centre of the E. californica flower is not warmer than the tips of the petals, and may even be cooler, ruling out a role in intrafloral warming for this particular petal epidermal geometry.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrastructure and optics of the prism‐like petal epidermal cells of Eschscholzia californica (California poppy)

et al. 2018

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Summary The petals of Eschscholzia californica (California poppy) are robust, pliable and typically coloured intensely orange or yellow owing to the presence of carotenoid pigments; they are also highly reflective at certain angles, producing a silky effect.To understand the mechanisms behind colour enhancement and reflectivity in California poppy, which represents a model species among early‐divergent eudicots, we explored the development, ultrastructure, pigment composition and optical properties of the petals using light microscopy and electron microscopy combined with both spectrophotometry and goniometry.The elongated petal epidermal cells each possess a densely thickened prism‐like ridge that is composed primarily of cell wall. The surface ridges strongly focus incident light onto the pigments, which are located in plastids at the cell base.Our results indicate that this highly unusual, deeply ridged surface structure not only enhances the deep colour response in this desert species, but also results in strongly angle‐dependent ‘silky’ reflectivity that is anisotropic and mostly directional.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrastructure and optics of the prism‐like petal epidermal cells of Eschscholzia californica (California poppy)

et al. 2018

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“…Bombus terrestris is known to discriminate between flowers differing in temperature, scent composition, and nectar sugar concentration and composition (Dyer et al 2006, Whitney et al 2008, Suchet et al 2011. Captive and wild bumble bees in our study thus could have relied for yeast detection on some cue correlated with presence of yeasts in nectar, such as increased temperature, volatile emissions, yeast metabolites (e.g., ethanol), taste alterations, or sugar and amino acids profiles , Canto et al 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Yeasts in nectar of an early‐blooming herb: sought by bumble bees, detrimental to plant fecundity

Herrera

Pozo

Medrano

2013

Ecology

155

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Through their effects on physicochemical features of floral nectar, nectar‐dwelling yeasts can alter pollinator behavior, but the effect of such changes on pollination success and plant reproduction is unknown. We present results of experiments testing the effects of nectar yeasts on foraging patterns of captive and free‐ranging bumble bees, and also on pollination success and fecundity of the early‐blooming, bumble bee‐pollinated Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae). Under controlled experimental conditions, inexperienced Bombus terrestris workers responded positively to the presence of yeasts in artificial sugar solutions mimicking floral nectar by visiting proportionally more yeast‐containing artificial flowers. Free‐ranging bumble bees also preferred yeast‐containing nectar in the field. Experiments conducted in two different years consistently showed that natural and artificial nectars containing yeasts were more thoroughly removed than nectars without yeasts. Experimental yeast inoculation of the nectar of H. foetidus flowers was significantly associated with reductions in number of pollen tubes in the style, fruit set, seed set, and mass of individual seeds produced. These results provide the first direct evidence to date that nectar yeasts can modify pollinator foraging patterns, pollination success, and the quantity and quality of seeds produced by insect‐pollinated plants.

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“…Dyer et al [11] demonstrated that bumblebees prefer to forage in warmer flowers, which could indicate that food temperature might serve as an additional reward along with the nutrition obtained from nectar. If heat is perceived as a reward, crop loads may increase accordingly; and an increase in crop load of honeybees associated with an increase in air (and presumably nectar) temperature has been demonstrated by Afik & Shafir [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Honeybees prefer warmer nectar and less viscous nectar, regardless of sugar concentration

et al. 2013

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The internal temperature of flowers may be higher than air temperature, and warmer nectar could offer energetic advantages for honeybee thermoregulation, as well as being easier to drink owing to its lower viscosity. We investigated the responses of Apis mellifera scutellata (10 colonies) to warmed 10% w/w sucrose solutions, maintained at 20-358C, independent of low air temperatures, and to 20% w/w sucrose solutions with the viscosity increased by the addition of the inert polysaccharide Tylose (up to the equivalent of 34.5% sucrose). Honeybee crop loads increased with nectar temperature, as did the total consumption of sucrose solutions over 2 h by all bees visiting the feeders. In addition, the preference of marked honeybees shifted towards higher nectar temperatures with successive feeder visits. Crop loads were inversely proportional to the viscosity of the artificial nectar, as was the total consumption of sucrose solutions over 2 h. Marked honeybees avoided higher nectar viscosities with successive feeder visits. Bees thus showed strong preferences for both warmer and less viscous nectar, independent of changes in its sugar concentration. Bees may benefit from foraging on nectars that are warmer than air temperature for two reasons that are not mutually exclusive: reduced thermoregulatory costs and faster ingestion times due to the lower viscosity.

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Bees associate warmth with floral colour

Cited by 185 publications

References 8 publications

Ultrastructure and optics of the prism‐like petal epidermal cells of Eschscholzia californica (California poppy)

Ultrastructure and optics of the prism‐like petal epidermal cells of Eschscholzia californica (California poppy)

Yeasts in nectar of an early‐blooming herb: sought by bumble bees, detrimental to plant fecundity

Honeybees prefer warmer nectar and less viscous nectar, regardless of sugar concentration

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