SUPR
Adaptation along a landscape and climate gradient, Bombus terrestris
Dnr:

NAISS 2025/22-87

Type:

NAISS Small Compute

Principal Investigator:

Cecilia Hjort

Affiliation:

Lunds universitet

Start Date:

2025-01-31

End Date:

2025-08-01

Primary Classification:

10615: Evolutionary Biology

Webpage:

Allocation

Abstract

This project aims to investigate how morphological traits in bumblebees, such as tongue length, wing size, and eye size, are influenced by human-induced landscape and temperature changes. Bumblebee tongue length is related to the flower types they forage on and the depth of nectar, with more specialized bumblebees having longer tongues adapted to flowers with deep nectar. It is expected that, in intensively farmed landscapes, flowers with deep nectar become less common, leading to shorter tongues in bumblebees. Moreover, climate-induced changes in floral diversity may have caused a reduction in tongue length over time. If bumblebees are unable to match their tongue length to changes in flower depth, this could reduce their pollination efficiency. Additionally, wing size and shape in bumblebees have changed in response to common urban stressors and changes in food availability. Since wing size affects flight ability, modifications in wing morphology could negatively impact pollination efficiency. Bumblebee eye size is related to body size, with larger bees having larger eyes and better vision, which may be beneficial in complex landscapes. Previous studies have shown that bumblebees in forest environments have better low-light vision than those in agricultural landscapes, but no studies have yet examined whether eye size differs across habitats such as forests, flower-rich meadows, and agricultural fields. This project will explore whether eye size and light sensitivity are adapted to specific habitats and whether changes in landscapes lead to misalignments in these traits. Such misalignments could affect bee survival and pollination efficiency, ultimately impacting the vital ecosystem services they provide.