Wing buzzing by male orchid bees, Eulaema meriana (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

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Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. ;64(1):88-94

Wing buzzing by male orchid bees, Eulaema meriana (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Stern Lab

Stern David, Dudley Robert

Note: Research in this publication was not performed at Janelia.

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Abstract

Male orchid bees of the species Eulaema meriana buzz their wings while stationary at territory perches. During buzzing, wings are first positioned laterally and then moved in a plane parallel to the ground, which probably generates a substantial airflow past the body. Within a perching episode, the ratio of buzz to pause duration decreases nonlinearly. The incidence of wing buzzing increases with ambient temperature and with duration of activity. Bees never defended territories when ambient temperatures exceeded 28.5°C. Wing buzzing may be a visual or acoustic display to conspecifics, although the brightly colored abdomen is never obscured by the wings during buzzing, and the sounds of wing buzzing are low in amplitude. The increase in buzzing frequency with increased ambient temperature and the nonlinear decrease in buzz to pause duration during perching suggest that wing buzzing may be a thermoregulatory mechanism.

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Wing buzzing by male orchid bees, Eulaema meriana (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Note: Research in this publication was not performed at Janelia.

Abstract

Janelia Authors