[Pollinator] Bees and Climate

Peter Bernhardt bernhap2 at slu.edu
Tue Mar 19 07:04:15 PDT 2013


Would someone recommend a review, or experimental studies, comparing the
foraging behavior of large bees (Apis, Anthophora, Bombus, Xylocopa) under
different temperature regimes?  I do recall that these studies were popular
in the 1950's - 1960's comparing the relative efficiency of different bees
as pollinators of certain crops or pasture legumes (clovers or alfalfa).
 Apis usually functioned better (tripped more flowers) at certain
temperatures compared to Bombus.  What I'd like to know, in particular, is
the role seasonal temperatures may play on both density and diversity of
natural populations of large bees foraging on the same flower.  If the
summer is hot and dry (or cold and wet) who are the "major players" in
terms of the frequency of visits to flowers of the same species or cultivar?

Peter
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