Sexual dimorphism in excess power index of four North American native bees (Hymenoptera, Andrenidae, Apidae, and Halictidae)
Creators
- 1. unaffiliated, Crestwood, United States of America
- 2. Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, United States of America
- 3. USDA-ARS Pest Management Research Unit, Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory, Sidney, United States of America
- 4. High Point University, High Point, United States of America
Description
A multitude of hymenopteran species exhibit sexual dimorphism for simple traits, such as color, size, or antennal segment number. These differences can reflect selection for specialized biological roles, many of which have not been documented for the majority of bee and wasp species. The excess power index (EPI) is an estimate of insect flight performance that is inferred by the combination of several morphological characteristics. We compared the female and male EPIs in four species of native bees: Agapostemon virescens Fabricius, Andrena carlini Cockerell, Melissodes bimaculata Lepeletier and Xylocopa virginica L.. While females of each species had a significantly larger whole body mass, males had a significantly larger EPI. A larger body mass for females is associated with egg laying abilities and foraging behavior. Male fitness may be dependent on EPI; males that have greater flight capacity can travel further or remain in flight for longer time periods in search of mates.
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- Has part
- Figure: 10.3897/jhr.96.98652.figure1 (DOI)