Open AccessSubstantial variability in morphological scaling among bumblebee colonies
Author(s) -
Craig D. Perl,
Zanna B. Johansen,
Vun Wen Jie,
Zahra Moradinour,
Marie Guiraud,
Carlos E. Restrepo,
Arttu Miettinen,
Emily Baird
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
royal society open science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 51
ISSN - 2054-5703
DOI - 10.1098/rsos.211436
Subject(s) - bumblebee , bombus terrestris , intraspecific competition , biology , wing , scaling , zoology , ecology , variation (astronomy) , pollinator , pollination , mathematics , pollen , physics , geometry , astrophysics , engineering , aerospace engineering
Differences in organ scaling among individuals may play an important role in determining behavioural variation. In social insects, there are well-documented intraspecific differences in colony behaviour, but the extent that organ scaling differs within and between colonies remains unclear. Using 12 different colonies of the bumblebeeBombus terrestris , we aim to address this knowledge gap by measuring the scaling relationships between three different organs (compound eyes, wings and antennae) and body size in workers. Though colonies were exposed to different rearing temperatures, this environmental variability did not explain the differences of the scaling relationships. Two colonies had differences in wing versus antenna slopes, three colonies showed differences in wing versus eye slopes and a single colony has differences between eye versus antenna slopes. There are also differences in antennae scaling slopes between three different colonies, and we present evidence for putative trade-offs in morphological investment. We discuss the utility of having variable scaling among colonies and the implication for understanding variability in colony fitness and behaviour.