10.5061/DRYAD.G1JWSTQTF
Harrison, Jon
0000-0001-5223-216X
Arizona State University
Duell, Meghan
Arizona State University
Roubik, David
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Klok, C. Jaco
Arizona State University
Body and wing morphology, flight metabolic rates, and wingbeat frequencies
for 13 stingless bee species
Dryad
dataset
2022
FOS: Biological sciences
stingless bee
Melipona triplaridis
Melipona panamica
Scaptotrigona panamensis
Scaptotrigona luteipinnis
Trigona fulviventris
Trigona muzoensis
Tetragonisca angustula
Frieseomelitta nigra
Lestrimelitta danuncia
Plebeia franki
Plebeia frontalis
Trigonisca atomaria
Trigonisca buoyssoni
flight metabolic rate
Body temperature
wing morphology
wing beat frequency
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
1122157
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
1558052
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
2022-07-29T00:00:00Z
2022-07-29T00:00:00Z
en
75311 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Understanding the effect of body size on flight costs is critical for
development of models of aerodynamics and animal energetics. Prior scaling
studies that have shown that flight costs scale hypometrically have
focused primarily on larger (> 100 mg) insects and birds, but most
flying species are smaller. We studied the flight physiology of thirteen
stingless bee species over a large range of body sizes (1-115 mg).
Metabolic rate during hovering scaled hypermetrically (scaling slope =
2.11). Larger bees had warm thoraxes while small bees were nearly
ecothermic; however, even controlling for body temperature variation,
flight metabolic rate scaled hypermetrically across this clade. Despite
having a lower mass-specific metabolic rate during flight, smaller bees
could carry the same proportional load. Wingbeat frequency did not vary
with body size, in contrast to most studies that find wingbeat frequency
increases as body size decreases. Smaller stingless bees have greater
relative wing surface area which may help them reduce the energy
requirements needed to fly. Further, we hypothesize that the relatively
larger heads of smaller species may change their body pitch in flight.
Synthesizing across all flying insects, we demonstrate that the scaling of
flight metabolic rate changes from hypermetric to hypometric at
approximately 58 mg body mass with hypermetic scaling below (slope=1.2)
and hypometric scaling (slope=0.67) above 58 mg in body mass. The reduced
cost of flight likely provides selective advantages for the evolution of
small body size in insects. The biphasic scaling of flight metabolic rates
and wingbeat frequencies in insects supports the hypothesis that the
scaling of metabolic rate is closely related to the power requirements of
locomotion and cycle frequencies.
Flight metaboic rates were measured with flow-through respirometry. Full
methods are available in the associated manuscript.