Effects of temperature on metabolic rate during metamorphosis in the alfalfa leafcutting bee.

ABSTRACT: Spring conditions, especially in temperate regions, may fluctuate abruptly and drastically. Environmental variability can expose organisms to temperatures outside of their optimal thermal ranges. For ectotherms, sudden changes in temperature may cause short- and long-term physiological effects, including changes in respiration, morphology, and reproduction. Exposure to variable temperatures during active development, which is likely to occur for insects developing in spring, can cause detrimental effects. Using the alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata, we aimed to determine if oxygen consumption could be measured using a new system and to test the hypothesis that female and male M. rotundata have a thermal performance curve with a wide optimal range. Oxygen consumption of M. rotund

SUBMITTER: Earls KN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10805150 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature