Ovary development and colony founding in subarctic and temperate-zone bumblebee queens
Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) are social bees that must complete their colony cycle within a single season. Those in the arctic face a much shorter flowering season than more southerly species. Here we compare behavioral and physiological features between bumblebee queens founding colonies in Denali Nati...
| Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
1994
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z94-206 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z94-206 |
| Summary: | Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) are social bees that must complete their colony cycle within a single season. Those in the arctic face a much shorter flowering season than more southerly species. Here we compare behavioral and physiological features between bumblebee queens founding colonies in Denali National Park, Alaska, and queens of species from New York and Vermont. Several features that allow the more northerly bees to gain a quick start in colony founding were identified. First, the Alaskan bees emerged almost immediately (within 1 or 2 days) after the first willow blossoms began to open (while the ground was still snow covered except for a few bare patches). Within 2 days after emerging from hibernation, the first queens were already nest hunting and (or) carrying pollen, and ovary masses were increasing markedly. In contrast, the temperate-zone queens showed no synchronous emergence in early spring, and although they achieved a ratio of ovary to body mass similar to that of the Alaskan queens, it took them longer to do so, and to initiate colony founding. |
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