A novel method to measure hairiness in bees and other insect pollinators
Abstract Hairiness is a salient trait of insect pollinators that has been linked to thermoregulation, pollen uptake and transportation, and pollination success. Despite its potential importance in pollination ecology, hairiness is rarely included in pollinator trait analyses. This is likely due to t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2020-03-01
|
| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6112 |
| _version_ | 1818827899315159040 |
|---|---|
| author | Laura Roquer‐Beni Anselm Rodrigo Xavier Arnan Alexandra‐Maria Klein Felix Fornoff Virginie Boreux Jordi Bosch |
| author_facet | Laura Roquer‐Beni Anselm Rodrigo Xavier Arnan Alexandra‐Maria Klein Felix Fornoff Virginie Boreux Jordi Bosch |
| author_sort | Laura Roquer‐Beni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Hairiness is a salient trait of insect pollinators that has been linked to thermoregulation, pollen uptake and transportation, and pollination success. Despite its potential importance in pollination ecology, hairiness is rarely included in pollinator trait analyses. This is likely due to the lack of standardized and efficient methods to measure hairiness. We describe a novel methodology that uses a stereomicroscope equipped with a live measurement module software to quantitatively measure two components of hairiness: hair density and hair length. We took measures of the two hairiness components in 109 insect pollinator species (including 52 bee species). We analyzed the relationship between hair density and length and between these two components and body size. We combined hair density and length measures to calculate a hairiness index and tested whether hairiness differed between major pollinator groups and bee genera. Body size was strongly and positively correlated to hair length and weakly and negatively correlated to hair density. The correlation between the two hairiness components was weak and negative. According to our hairiness index, butterflies and moths were the hairiest pollinator group, followed by bees, hoverflies, beetles, and other flies. Among bees, bumblebees (Bombus) and mason bees (Osmia) were the hairiest taxa, followed by digger bees (Anthophorinae), sand bees (Andrena), and sweat bees (Halictini). Our methodology provides an effective and standardized measure of the two components of hairiness (hair density and length), thus allowing for a meaningful interpretation of hairiness. We provide a detailed protocol of our methodology, which we hope will contribute to improve our understanding of pollination effectiveness, thermal biology, and responses to climate change in insects. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T00:50:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6837a30d7b884215ad0ca0c7435892fe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T00:50:53Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-6837a30d7b884215ad0ca0c7435892fe2022-12-21T20:44:05ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582020-03-011062979299010.1002/ece3.6112A novel method to measure hairiness in bees and other insect pollinatorsLaura Roquer‐Beni0Anselm Rodrigo1Xavier Arnan2Alexandra‐Maria Klein3Felix Fornoff4Virginie Boreux5Jordi Bosch6CREAF Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Cerdanyola del Vallès Catalunya SpainCREAF Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Cerdanyola del Vallès Catalunya SpainCREAF Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Cerdanyola del Vallès Catalunya SpainNature Conservation and Landscape Ecology University of Freiburg Freiburg GermanyNature Conservation and Landscape Ecology University of Freiburg Freiburg GermanyNature Conservation and Landscape Ecology University of Freiburg Freiburg GermanyCREAF Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Cerdanyola del Vallès Catalunya SpainAbstract Hairiness is a salient trait of insect pollinators that has been linked to thermoregulation, pollen uptake and transportation, and pollination success. Despite its potential importance in pollination ecology, hairiness is rarely included in pollinator trait analyses. This is likely due to the lack of standardized and efficient methods to measure hairiness. We describe a novel methodology that uses a stereomicroscope equipped with a live measurement module software to quantitatively measure two components of hairiness: hair density and hair length. We took measures of the two hairiness components in 109 insect pollinator species (including 52 bee species). We analyzed the relationship between hair density and length and between these two components and body size. We combined hair density and length measures to calculate a hairiness index and tested whether hairiness differed between major pollinator groups and bee genera. Body size was strongly and positively correlated to hair length and weakly and negatively correlated to hair density. The correlation between the two hairiness components was weak and negative. According to our hairiness index, butterflies and moths were the hairiest pollinator group, followed by bees, hoverflies, beetles, and other flies. Among bees, bumblebees (Bombus) and mason bees (Osmia) were the hairiest taxa, followed by digger bees (Anthophorinae), sand bees (Andrena), and sweat bees (Halictini). Our methodology provides an effective and standardized measure of the two components of hairiness (hair density and length), thus allowing for a meaningful interpretation of hairiness. We provide a detailed protocol of our methodology, which we hope will contribute to improve our understanding of pollination effectiveness, thermal biology, and responses to climate change in insects.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6112functional diversityfunctional traitpilositypollinating efficiencyprotocolthermoregulation |
| spellingShingle | Laura Roquer‐Beni Anselm Rodrigo Xavier Arnan Alexandra‐Maria Klein Felix Fornoff Virginie Boreux Jordi Bosch A novel method to measure hairiness in bees and other insect pollinators Ecology and Evolution functional diversity functional trait pilosity pollinating efficiency protocol thermoregulation |
| title | A novel method to measure hairiness in bees and other insect pollinators |
| title_full | A novel method to measure hairiness in bees and other insect pollinators |
| title_fullStr | A novel method to measure hairiness in bees and other insect pollinators |
| title_full_unstemmed | A novel method to measure hairiness in bees and other insect pollinators |
| title_short | A novel method to measure hairiness in bees and other insect pollinators |
| title_sort | novel method to measure hairiness in bees and other insect pollinators |
| topic | functional diversity functional trait pilosity pollinating efficiency protocol thermoregulation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6112 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lauraroquerbeni anovelmethodtomeasurehairinessinbeesandotherinsectpollinators AT anselmrodrigo anovelmethodtomeasurehairinessinbeesandotherinsectpollinators AT xavierarnan anovelmethodtomeasurehairinessinbeesandotherinsectpollinators AT alexandramariaklein anovelmethodtomeasurehairinessinbeesandotherinsectpollinators AT felixfornoff anovelmethodtomeasurehairinessinbeesandotherinsectpollinators AT virginieboreux anovelmethodtomeasurehairinessinbeesandotherinsectpollinators AT jordibosch anovelmethodtomeasurehairinessinbeesandotherinsectpollinators AT lauraroquerbeni novelmethodtomeasurehairinessinbeesandotherinsectpollinators AT anselmrodrigo novelmethodtomeasurehairinessinbeesandotherinsectpollinators AT xavierarnan novelmethodtomeasurehairinessinbeesandotherinsectpollinators AT alexandramariaklein novelmethodtomeasurehairinessinbeesandotherinsectpollinators AT felixfornoff novelmethodtomeasurehairinessinbeesandotherinsectpollinators AT virginieboreux novelmethodtomeasurehairinessinbeesandotherinsectpollinators AT jordibosch novelmethodtomeasurehairinessinbeesandotherinsectpollinators |