Polylecty

A Bombus terrestris collects nectar
Bombus terrestris, an opportunistic generalist, collecting pollen

The term polylecty or generalist is used in pollination ecology to refer to bees that collect pollen from a range of unrelated plants.[1][2] Honey bees exemplify this behavior, collecting nectar from a wide array of flowers. Other predominantly polylectic genera include Bombus,[3] Ceratina[4][better source needed], Heriades[5][better source needed] and Halictus[6][better source needed]. The opposite term is oligolecty, and refers to bees that exhibit a narrow, specialized preference for pollen sources, typically to a single family or genus of flowering plants.

Roughly two-thirds of bee species in Europe are polylectic, relying on a diverse array of pollen sources.[7] This broad foraging approach allows these generalist bees to thrive in various environments and quickly adjust to shifting conditions. However, despite their adaptability, they are less efficient pollen gatherers than oligolectic bees, whose morphology are often specialized for more effective pollen collection from a narrower range of plants.[8][better source needed]

A species that exhibits polylecty is known as polylectic. This term should not be confused with Polylectic as a grammatical term, which has a similar etymology to the biological definition but instead refers to the adjective of a multi-word term, as opposed to a monolectic which is the adjective for a one-word term.[9]

References

  1. ^ "polylecty". Wiktionary.org. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  2. ^ "polylectic". Wiktionary.org. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  3. ^ Wood, T.J.; Ghisbain, G.; Rasmont, P.; Kleijn, D.; Raemakers, I.; Praz, C.; Killewald, M.; Gibbs, J.; Bobiwash, K.; Boustani, M.; Martinet, B.; Michez, D. (2021). "Global patterns in bumble bee pollen collection show phylogenetic conservation of diet". Journal of Animal Ecology. doi:10.1111/1365-2656.13553.
  4. ^ Udayakumar, A.; Shivalingaswamy, T.M. (2019). "Nest architecture and life cycle of Small Carpenter bee, Ceratina binghami Cockerell (Xylocopinae: Apidae: Hymenoptera)". Sociobiology. 66 (1). doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v66i1.3558.
  5. ^ "Heriades Bees". Lucidcentral.org. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  6. ^ "Halictidae Bees". cashew.icar.gov.in. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  7. ^ "Pollen specialists are more endangered than non-specialised bees even though they collect pollen on flowers of non-endangered plants". ResearchGate.net. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  8. ^ "Thieves or friends? Are specialist bees more efficient at removing pollen than generalists?". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  9. ^ "Polylectic". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 11 November 2024.

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