title: Size and Sex-Dependent Shrinkage of Dutch Bees during One-and-a-Half Centuries of Land-Use Change.
abstract: Land-use change and global warming are important factors driving bee decline, but it is largely unknown whether these drivers have resulted in changes in the life-history traits of bees. Recent studies have shown a stronger population decline of large- than small-bodied bee species, suggesting there may have been selective pressure on large, but not on small species to become smaller. Here we test this hypothesis by analyzing trends in bee body size of 18 Dutch species over a 147-year period using specimens from entomological collections. Large-bodied female bees shrank significantly faster than small-bodied female bees (6.5% and 0.5% respectively between 1900 and 2010). Changes in temperature during the flight period of bees did not influence the size-dependent shrinkage of female bees. Male bees did not shrink significantly over the same time period. Our results could imply that under conditions of declining habitat quantity and quality it is advantageous for individuals to be smaller. The size and sex-dependent responses of bees point towards an evolutionary response but genetic studies are required to confirm this. The declining body size of the large bee species that currently dominate flower visitation of both wild plants and insect-pollinated crops may have negative consequences for pollination service delivery.
authors: Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, UFPA/MPEG, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil.
authors: Mikail O
authors: MO
authors: Oliveira
authors: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Pici Campus, Fortaleza, CE, 60356-000, Brazil.
authors: Breno M
authors: BM
authors: Freitas
authors: Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.|Animal Ecology Team, Alterra, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors: Jeroen
authors: J
authors: Scheper
authors: Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.|Animal Ecology Team, Alterra, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Kleijn
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000383:Agriculture / Q000639:trends*; D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D049628:Body Size; D057231:Climate Change; D018556:Crops, Agricultural; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D005426:Flight, Animal; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D054817:Pollination; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013045:Species Specificity; D013696:Temperature; D014507:Urbanization / Q000639:trends*