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Dispersal ability of male orchid bees and direct evidence for long-range flights

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Abstract

Male Neotropical orchid bees collect volatile chemicals from various sources in the environment in order to compose their characteristic perfume bouquets. Amongst other plants, over 600 species of orchids are exclusively pollinated by the bees during their quest for volatiles. Since the plants usually have a scattered distribution, it is assumed that orchid bees can transport the pollinaria across several kilometres due to their flight capabilities and a high dispersal potential. Until now, very long-range flight distances (up to 45 km) of male orchid bees have only been indirectly inferred from habitat requirements of orchids whose pollinaria were carried by captured males, whereas the distances established by direct measures (mark and recapture, radio telemetry) only span distances of up to around 6 km. The discrepancy between inferred and proven distances led us to readdress the question of dispersal ability of male orchid bees. In this study, we used tag, scratch and chemical marking of large numbers of bees to clarify two aspects: (1) the effect of moderate natural obstacles on dispersal and (2) the possibility of very long-range movements across a terrain lacking such obstacles. Our results suggest that a moderate natural obstacle (a valley separating opposite ridges) does not restrain orchid bee movements. Individual bees achieved extraordinary flight distances of more than 50 km across even terrain, extending the directly proven flight distances of male bees by more than an order of magnitude.

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Acknowledgments

M. Hannibal, N. Blumreiter, I. Vogler, L. Roßmannek, H. Hausmann, J. Henske, C. Castillo, A. Durán Yáñez and R. Guillermo helped with bee capture and marking. Funding was provided by the German Science Foundation (EL249/6) and the PROALMEX program (120989) of the German Academic Exchange Service and the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (103341) to T.E. and J.Q.E. We want to thank two anonymous reviewers for contributing to improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany

    Tamara Pokorny & Thomas Eltz

  2. Department of Organic Chemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany

    Dirk Loose & Gerald Dyker

  3. Departamento de Apicultura, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, 97100, Mexico

    J. Javier G. Quezada-Euán

Authors
  1. Tamara Pokorny
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  2. Dirk Loose
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  3. Gerald Dyker
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  4. J. Javier G. Quezada-Euán
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  5. Thomas Eltz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tamara Pokorny.

Additional information

Manuscript editor: James Nieh

Capacité de dispersion des mâles d’abeilles à orchidée et preuve directe de vols de longue distance

Euglossine / pollinisation / orchidée / flux génique / génétique des populations / déplacement longue distance

Ausbreitungspotential männlicher Prachtbienen und direkte Belege für Flüge über große Entfernungen

Euglossini / Orchideenbestäubung / weite Ausbreitungsdistanz / Genfluss / Populationsgenetik

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Pokorny, T., Loose, D., Dyker, G. et al. Dispersal ability of male orchid bees and direct evidence for long-range flights. Apidologie 46, 224–237 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-014-0317-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-014-0317-y

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