Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Role of flower and pollen aromas in host-plant recognition by solitary bees

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Oecologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The means by which newly emerged pollen-specific (oligolectic) solitary bees locate their appropriate pollen host plant is not clearly understood. To evaluate the role of flower and pollen odors in this recognition process, preference tests were performed on foraging-inexperienced and, for comparison, field-experienced individuals of the solitary bee Colletes fulgidus longiplumosus. The bees were presented with a choice of four plant species, offered in the form of aromas from flowers, whole pollen, pollenkitt, and internal pollen lipids. Observed feeding-attempt response patterns suggest: 1) that bees can distinguish between plant species on the basis of odors from flowers, whole pollen, and pollenkitt, 2) inexperienced bees show a preference for the pollen on which they were reared as larvae, and 3) chemicals eliciting feeding responses to pollen appear to be contained in the pollenkitt. Feeding responses by experienced bees differ from those of inexperienced bees in ways which indicate that the insects' odor-based search image of the host plant becomes modified by foraging experience.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aufsess A von (1960) Geruchliche Nahorientierung der Biene bei entomophilen und ornithophilen Blüten. Z Vergl Physiol 43:469–498

    Google Scholar 

  • Bitterman ME, Menzel R, Fietz A, Schafer S (1983) Classical conditioning of proboscis extension in honeybees (Apis mellifera). J Comp Psychol 97:107–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Boch R (1982) Relative attractiveness of different pollens to honeybees when foraging in a flight room and when fed in the hive. J Apic Res 21:104–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Boelter AM, Wilson WT (1984) Attempts to condition the pollen preference of honey bees. Amer Bee J 124:609–610

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolwig N (1954) The role of scent as a nectar guide for honeybees on flowers and an observation on the effect of colour on recruits. Br J Anim Behav 2:81–83

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron SA (1981) Chemical signals in bumble bee foraging. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 9:257–260

    Google Scholar 

  • cane JH (1983) Olfactory evaluation of Andrena host nest suitability by kleptoparasitic Nomada bees. Anim Behav 31:138–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Cazier MA, Linsley EG (1974) Foraging behavior of some bees and wasps at Kallstroemia grandiflora flowers in Southern Arizona and New Mexico. Amer Mus Nov No 2546

  • Corbet SA (1985) Insect chemosensory responses: a chemical legacy hypothesis. Ecol Entomol 10:143–153

    Google Scholar 

  • Cruden RW (1972) Pollination biology of Nemophila menziesii (Hydrophyllaceae) with comments on the evolution of oligolectic bees. Evolution 26:373–389

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobson HEM (1980) Interactions of bees and shrubs in the California chaparral community. MS Thesis, Univ Calif Davis, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobson HEM (1985) Pollen and pollen-coat lipids: chemical survey and role in pollen selection by solitary bees. PhD Dissertation, Univ Calif Berkeley, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobson HEM (in press) Survey of pollen and pollenkitt lipids: chemical cues to flower visitors? Amer J Bot

  • Dobson HEM (in press) Possible roles of pollenkitt in flower selection by bees: an overview. In: Buchmann SL (ed) Experimental Studies on Pollination and Pollinator Foraging Efficiency. Univ Arizona Press, Tucson

  • Dobson HEM, Bergström J, Bergström G, Groth I (in press) Comparison of pollen and flower volatiles in two Rosa species. Phytochemistry

  • Doull KM (1966) The relative attractiveness to pollen-collecting honeybees of some different pollens. J Apic Res 5:9–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Doull KM, Standifer LN (1970) Feeding responses of honeybees in the hive. J Apic Res 9:129–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Faegri K, van der Pijl L (1979) The principles of pollination ecology, 3rd ed. Pergamon Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Frankie GW, Vinson SB (1977) Scent marking of passion flowers in Texas by females of Xylocepa virginica texana (Anthophoridae). J Kansas Entomol Soc 50:613–625

    Google Scholar 

  • Free JB (1963) The flower constancy of honeybees. J Anim Ecol 32:119–131

    Google Scholar 

  • Free JB (1970a) The flower constancy of bumblebees. J Anim Ecol 39:395–402

    Google Scholar 

  • Free JB (1970b) Insect pollination of crops. Academic Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Free JB, Williams IH (1983) Scent-marking of flowers by honeybees. J Apic Res 22:86–90

    Google Scholar 

  • Frisch K von (1923) Über die “Sprache” der Bienen. Zool Jahrb Abt Allg Zool Physiol 40:1–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta M, Kapil RP (1984) Olfactory response of workers of Apis florea F: to some repellents in semi-field conditions. In: Tasei JN (ed) Proc 5th Int Symp Pollination 1983, INRA, Paris, pp 65–78

  • Hohmann H (1970) Über die Wirkung von Pollenextrakten und Duftstoffen auf das Sammel- und Werbeverhalten Höselnder Bienen (Apis mellifica L.). Apidologie 1:157–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins CY, Jevans AW, Boch R (1969) Occurrence of octadecatrans-2, cis-9, cis-12-trienoic acid in pollen attractive to the honey bee. Can J Biochem 47:433–436

    Google Scholar 

  • Hügel M-F (1962) Étude de quelques constituents du pollen. Ann Abeille 5:97–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurd PD, Linsley EG (1963) Pollination of the unicorn plant (Martyniaceae) by an oligolectic, corolla-cutting bee. J Kansas Entomol Soc 36:248–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurd PD, LaBerge WE, Linsley EG (1980) Principal sunflower bees of North America with emphasis on the Southwestern United States. Smithson Contr Zool No 310

  • Klungness LM, Peng Y (1984) a histochemical study of pollen digestion in the alimentary canal of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.). J Insect Physiol 30:511–521

    Google Scholar 

  • Knoll F (1930) Über Pollenkitt und Bestaubungsart. Z Bot 23:609–675

    Google Scholar 

  • Koltermann R (1973) Rassen- bzw. artspezifische Duftbewertung bei der Honigbiene und ökologische Adaptation. J Comp Physiol 85:327–360

    Google Scholar 

  • Kriston I (1973) Die Bewertung von Duft- und Farbsignalen als Orientierungshilfen an der Futterquelle durch Apis mellifera L. J Comp Physiol 84:77–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Kugler H (1932) Blutenökologische Untersuchungen mit Hummeln. IV. Der Duft als chemischer Nahfaktor bei duftenden und “duftlosen” Blüten. Planta 16:534–553

    Google Scholar 

  • Lepage M, Boch R (1968) Pollen lipids attractive to honeybees. Lipids 3:530–534

    Google Scholar 

  • Levin MD, Bohart GE (1955) Selection of pollens by honey bees. Amer Bee J 95:392–393, 402

    Google Scholar 

  • Lex T (1954) Duftmale an Blüten. Z Vergl Physiol 36:212–234

    Google Scholar 

  • Linsley EG (1958) The ecology of solitary bees. Hilgardia 27:543–599

    Google Scholar 

  • Linsley EG (1961) The role of flower specificity in the evolution of solitary bees. Proc 11th Int Congr Entomol 1960, Vienna, vol 1 pp 593–596

    Google Scholar 

  • Linsley EG (1978) Temporal patterns of flower visitation by solitary bees, with particular reference to the southwestern United States. J Kansas Entomol Soc 51:531–546

    Google Scholar 

  • Linsley EG, MacSwain JW, Raven PH (1963) Comparative behavior of bees and Onagraceae I. Oenothera bees of the Colorado Desert. Univ California Publ Entomol 33:1–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Loper GM (1972) Factors affecting the quantity of alfalfa flower aroma and a subsequent influence on honey bee selection. Agron Abstr, pp 15

  • Loper GM, Berdel RL (1978) Seasonal emanation of ocimene from alfalfa flowers with three irrigation treatments. Crop Sci 18:447–452

    Google Scholar 

  • Louvenaux J (1959) Recherches sur la récolte du pollen par les abeilles (Apis mellifica L.). Ann Abeille 2:13–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Manning A (1957) Some evolutionary aspects of the flower constancy of bees. Proc R Phys Soc Edinb 25:67–71

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Neal RJ, Waller GD (1984) On the pollen harvest by the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) near Tucson, Arizona (1976–1981). Desert Plants 6:81–94, 99–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Pijl L van der (1960) Ecological aspects of flower evolution I Phyletic evolution. Evolution 14:403–416

    Google Scholar 

  • Ribbands CR (1955) The scent perception of the honeybee. Proc R Soc Lond 143:367–379

    Google Scholar 

  • Robacker DC, Flottum PK, Sammataro D, Erickson EH (1983) Effects of climatic and edaphic factors on soybean flowers and on the subsequent attractiveness of the plants to honey bees. Field Crops Res 6:267–278

    Google Scholar 

  • Schemske DW (1983) Limits to specialization and coevolution in plant-animal mutualisms. In: Nitecki MH (ed) Coevolution. Univ Chicago Press, Chicago, pp 67–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt JO (1982) Pollen foraging preferences of honey bees. Southwestern Entomol 7:255–259

    Google Scholar 

  • Stanley RG, Linskens HF (1974) Pollen. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephen WP, Bohart GE, Torchio PF (1969) The biology and external morphology of bees. Agric Expt Sta Oregon State Univ, Corvallis

    Google Scholar 

  • Taber S (1963) Why bees collect pollen. Rep-Abstr 19th Int Beekeeping Congr, Prague 1963, pp 114

  • Thorp RW (1969) Systematics and ecology of bees of the subgenus Diandrena (Andrenidae). Univ California Publ Entomol 52:1–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Waller GD, Loper GM, Martin JH (1984) The use of honey bees in production of hybrid cotton seed. In: Tasei JN (ed) Proc 5th Int Symp Pollination, 1983, INRA, Paris, pp 129–133

  • Williams NH (1983) Floral fragrances as cues in animal behavior. In: Jones EC, Little RJ (eds) Handbook of Experimental Pollination Biology. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, pp 50–72

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, University of California, 94720, Berkeley, CA, USA

    H. E. M. Dobson

Authors
  1. H. E. M. Dobson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dobson, H.E.M. Role of flower and pollen aromas in host-plant recognition by solitary bees. Oecologia 72, 618–623 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378991

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378991

Key words

Search

Navigation