Pollen load composition and size in the leafcutting bee Megachile rotundata (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

Ruth O'Neill , Kevin O'Neill

We examined how the species composition and volumes of pollen loads of Megachile rotundata varied seasonally and among females of different body sizes. Alfalfa and mustards (Brassicaceae) made up, on average, 88-95% of the pollen load volumes in each of three seasonal samples; in total, the 300 females sampled carried ten different pollen types. Because of variation in pollen grain size among plant species, estimates of the contribution of different species to pollen loads, based on pollen counts only, differed from those adjusted for pollen grain size. The overall size of pollen loads, as well as the contribution of alfalfa declined seasonally, while that for mustards (with smaller individual grain sizes) increased. The type of pollen carried by females did not vary with body size, but we found a significant relationship between female size and the size of the largest loads. Surprisingly, females of intermediate size carried the largest pollen loads, whether measured by counts or volume.

Mots clés: Megachile rotundata; alfalfa; pollen load composition; seasonal variation; body size

Domaines: Zoologie des invertébrés; Biodiversité; Ecologie, Environnement; Science des productions animales

Ruth O'Neill, Kevin O'Neill. Pollen load composition and size in the leafcutting bee Megachile rotundata (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Apidologie, 2011, 42 (2), pp.223-233. ⟨10.1051/apido/2010057⟩. ⟨hal-01003592⟩