ENVS 2210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Nectar, Flower Constancy, Propolis
9 Nov 2016
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Lays eggs fertilized by sperm cells from all the males she mated with; mates with up to 40 in one week. A family of bees is composed of several subfamilies depending on the # of drones she mated with. Female progeny from each drone constitute a subfamily or a patriline. Bees of different patrilines vary in their probability of performing specific tasks. Stimulus intensity will vary with the # of larvae. Some bees are more sensitive and predisposed to respond to weak stimuli then others. Predisposed bees would feed larvae faster and in higher numbers. Only about 100 males are in a colony. Field bees forage for nectar, pollen, water and propolis. Foraging is a risky job: external dangers and aging. Plants have evolved flowers with particular forms, colors and scents; visual cues for long distance and scent for short distance. Many flowers have nectar guides (ultra-violet colored lines) that lead to flower nectaries.
