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ViewAttendees 4

Member Symposium

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Thermal Ecology of Pollinators

Honeybees prevent overheating through kinematic changes and evaporative cooling

Sunday, November 5, 2023
9:55 AM – 10:10 AM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Chesapeake 4-5
In-Person
Heatwaves are becoming increasingly common due to climate change, making it crucial to identify and understand the capacities for insect pollinators, such as honey bees, to avoid overheating. While critical thermal maxima are commonly used to assess ectotherm upper thermal limits, these likely overestimate the temperatures that limit flight performance. We examined the effect of hot, dry air temperatures on the physiological and behavioral mechanisms honey bees use to fly with nectar loads to assess limitations of overheating or desiccation on foraging. Metabolic rates and flight muscle temperatures increased linearly with load mass at air temperatures of 20 or 30°C, but, remarkably, there was no change in flight muscle temperature or metabolic rate with increasing nectar loads at air temperatures of 40°C. At this temperature, bees were able to carry heavy loads with no additional metabolic cost by lowering their wingbeat frequency and increasing stroke amplitude. In addition, at 40°C, bees displayed an approximately equal decrease in metabolic heat production and increase in evaporative cooling, which allowed them to maintain flight muscle temperatures at about 45°C. By changing wing kinematics that reduce metabolic heat production and increasing evaporative cooling, honey bees can avoid overheating while still carrying heavy nectar loads.