A eficiência na polinização em uma espécie de leguminosa com flores de pólen depende do ajuste morfológico com abelhas mamangavas?
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Date
2022-01-26
Authors
Barbosa, Bruna Campos [UNIFESP]
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Nogueira, Anselmo [UNIFESP]
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Trabalho de conclusão de curso de graduação
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Abstract
As abelhas de espécies de Bombus variam em até 10 vezes seu tamanho corporal, diferenciando-as na divisão de trabalho e na eficiência da polinização. Apesar de ser um aspecto menos explorado, a variação intraespecífica do tamanho dessas abelhas, somado ao seu comportamento, podem ser cruciais para a polinização das espécies vegetais. Este trabalho investigou a interação entre abelhas mamangavas da espécie Bombus morio e as flores de pólen da espécie Chamaecrista latistipula (Fabaceae), explorando o papel da variação intraespecífica do tamanho corporal e do comportamento dessas abelhas nas flores durante a polinização por vibração. Nós esperamos que abelhas maiores permaneçam por menos tempo nas flores, realizem vibrações com maiores picos de amplitude e desloquem-se menos dentro da flor comparadas com abelhas menores. Adicionalmente, nós esperamos que as abelhas maiores sejam mais eficientes na retirada dos grãos de pólen das anteras e na deposição no estigma, gerando frutos com mais sementes viáveis ao comparar-se com as abelhas menores. Para avaliar essas predições, nós realizamos observações focais das visitas das abelhas em flores virgens. Neste caso, a cada visita, nós quantificamos o tamanho corporal e o comportamento detalhado das abelhas na flor, incluindo o seu deslocamento e as características da vibração realizando filmagens e gravações sonoras. Como resultado, abelhas maiores despenderam menos tempo nas visitas, aplicando menos pulsos de vibrações, e se deslocando menos, ao comparar-se com as abelhas menores. Além disso, essas abelhas maiores aplicaram vibrações com amplitudes de pico relativa maiores. Entretanto, todas as visitantes, independente de seu tamanho e comportamento, foram muito eficientes na retirada dos grãos de pólen das anteras e na deposição no estigma das flores. Nesse sistema planta-polinizador, o comportamento das abelhas menores dentro da flor compensa o seu tamanho corporal reduzido, aumentando a eficiência da polinização pela maior movimentação e tempo despendido a cada visita floral.
Bumblebees vary by up to 10 times their body size, differentiating them in the division of labor in the colony with consequences for their foraging pattern. Despite being a less explored aspect, the intraspecific variation of body size of these bees, added to their behavior, can be crucial for plant pollination. This work investigated the interaction between bumblebees of the species Bombus morio and the pollen flowers of the species Chamaecrista latistipula (Fabaceae), exploring the role of intraspecific variation in bee body size and behavior during buzz pollination in those flowers. We expect larger bees to spend less time on flowers, vibrate with higher peak amplitudes and move less within the flower than smaller bees. Additionally, we expect that larger bees are more efficient in removing pollen grains from poricidal anthers and stigma deposition, generating fruits with more viable seeds when compared to smaller bees. We performed focal observations of bee visits to virgin flowers to evaluate these predictions. In this case, at each visit, we quantified the body size and the complex behavior of these bumblebees on the flower, including their displacement and vibrational features, performing filming and sound recordings. As a result, larger bees spent less time on visits, applied fewer pulses of vibration, and displaced less than smaller bees. In addition, these larger bees applied vibrations with larger relative peak amplitudes. However, regardless of their size and behavior, all bees were very efficient in removing pollen grains from anthers and depositing them on the stigma. In this plantpollinator system, the more intense behavior of smaller bees inside the flower conditioned by their reduced body size increases pollination efficiency, generating a similar pattern of a positive outcome for plants, independent of the bumblebee size and behavior.
Bumblebees vary by up to 10 times their body size, differentiating them in the division of labor in the colony with consequences for their foraging pattern. Despite being a less explored aspect, the intraspecific variation of body size of these bees, added to their behavior, can be crucial for plant pollination. This work investigated the interaction between bumblebees of the species Bombus morio and the pollen flowers of the species Chamaecrista latistipula (Fabaceae), exploring the role of intraspecific variation in bee body size and behavior during buzz pollination in those flowers. We expect larger bees to spend less time on flowers, vibrate with higher peak amplitudes and move less within the flower than smaller bees. Additionally, we expect that larger bees are more efficient in removing pollen grains from poricidal anthers and stigma deposition, generating fruits with more viable seeds when compared to smaller bees. We performed focal observations of bee visits to virgin flowers to evaluate these predictions. In this case, at each visit, we quantified the body size and the complex behavior of these bumblebees on the flower, including their displacement and vibrational features, performing filming and sound recordings. As a result, larger bees spent less time on visits, applied fewer pulses of vibration, and displaced less than smaller bees. In addition, these larger bees applied vibrations with larger relative peak amplitudes. However, regardless of their size and behavior, all bees were very efficient in removing pollen grains from anthers and depositing them on the stigma. In this plantpollinator system, the more intense behavior of smaller bees inside the flower conditioned by their reduced body size increases pollination efficiency, generating a similar pattern of a positive outcome for plants, independent of the bumblebee size and behavior.