Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

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How well bees tolerate temperature extremes could determine their ability to persist in a changing climate. But heat tolerance varies between and within populations, so entomologists examined bee physical traits to understand how these traits interact with environmental conditions, pathogens and other factors.

How well bees tolerate temperature extremes could determine their ability to persist in a changing climate. But heat tolerance varies between and within populations, so a research team led by Penn State entomologists examined bee physical traits -- such as sex differences in body mass -- to understand how these traits interact with environmental conditions, pathogens and other factors.

A pollinator of cucurbit crops such as squash and pumpkin, the hoary squash bee is a solitary species that exhibits sex differences in physiology and behavior, according to the researchers. Females are larger than males and collect pollen for offspring in the morning through midday. The females nest underground, which buffers them from variations in air temperature, although soil texture may affect the degree of thermal buffering as sandy soils have a lower heat capacity.

The team found that body size, environmental temperature and parasite infection have context- and sex-dependent effects on heat tolerance in squash bees. Of the three parasites measured, only trypanosomes influenced heat tolerance -- and only among female squash bees.

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