Coevolution of foraging in Bombus and nectar dispensing in Chilopsis: A last dreg theory

Thomas G. Whitham

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

85 Scopus citations

Abstract

Flowers of Chilopsis linearis dispense nectar into pools and grooves. The bumblebee, Bombus sonorus, extracts pool nectar at a rate seven times faster than groove nectar. The result is the coevolution of a plant-pollinator system in which bees, while foraging efficiently, increase the number of flowers visited per calorie of nectar reward provided by the plant.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)593-596
Number of pages4
JournalScience
Volume197
Issue number4303
DOIs
StatePublished - 1977

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Coevolution of foraging in Bombus and nectar dispensing in Chilopsis: A last dreg theory'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this