The effect of photobleaching on bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) setae color and its implications for studying aging and behavior
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17161/jom.v0i38.4737Keywords:
Bombus, Melecta, Osmia, photobleaching, integumentAbstract
Historically, bee age has been estimated using measurements of wing wear and integument color change. These measurements have been useful in studies of foraging ecology and plant-pollinator interactions. Wing wear is speculated to be affected by the behaviors associated with foraging, nesting, and mating activities. Setal color change may be an additional parameter used to measure bee age if it is affected by sun exposure during these same activities. The objectives of this study were to experimentally assess the effect of direct sun exposure on setal color, unicellular hair-like processes of the integument, and determine whether wing wear and integument photobleaching are correlated. To quantify photobleaching of setae, we measured changes in hue of lab-reared Bombus huntii Greene (Apidae) exposed to natural sunlight. We found that sun exposure was a significant variable in determining setal bleaching. To assess the relationship between wing wear and setal photobleaching, we scored wing wear and measured setal hue of B. huntii, Melecta pacifica fulvida Cresson (Apidae), and Osmia integra Cresson (Megachilidae) from museum specimens. Wing wear and setal hue values were positively correlated for all three species; however, the strength of the relationship varies across bee species as indicated by correlation coefficient estimates. Our results suggest that setal color change is affected by sun exposure, and is likely an accurate estimate of bee age. We suggest that future investigations of bee aging consider a suite of morphometric characteristics due to differences in natural history and sociobiology that may be confounded by the use of a single characteristic.
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