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Phenology, the timing of recurrent biological events, is a key mechanism by which species adapt or acclimatize to variable environmental conditions, including those influenced by climate change. Measurable traits, including the onset and end of activity, peak activity, and duration, characterize the phenology of life events, and could be significant predictors of trends in population abundance or stability in a changing climate. Bees provide critical pollination services, and understanding the covariates of bee phenological traits can refine predictions on the vulnerabilities of bees and their services to climate change. We paired 16 years of monthly bee survey data (2002-2019) with climate data for 74 bee species in dryland ecosystems of central New Mexico, USA. Contrary to the current paradigm of temperature as the key driver of insect phenology, twice as many bee species had phenological sensitivity to precipitation (39%) than to temperature (20%). Among phenological traits, the end date of active flying periods was most sensitive to climate. Of the 20% of bee species for which precipitation predicted activity end date, 73% ended activity later in wetter years. Fifteen bee species (~20%) had phenological traits sensitive to temperature, but temperature sensitivity was idiosyncratic, and only four species had earlier onset in warmer years, as expected from results in other biomes. Oligolectic (diet specialist) bee species began, peaked, and ended activity later in the year than polylectic (generalist) species, but phenological traits did not correlate with sociality. All phenological traits showed phylogenetic signal, suggesting evolutionary conservatism of phenology among the common bees of central New Mexico drylands. Finally, species with long activity durations were more common, had greater temporal stability in abundance from year to year, and were less likely to decline over time, perhaps because of their longer window for resource acquisition. Our results suggest that drier climates of the future may shift bee phenological activities toward earlier onset, peak, and end dates, that bees with short activity durations may be among the most sensitive to declines in future climates, and that both generalist and social bees may be able to resist or recover from climate change if they have long durations of flight activity.
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Climate drivers of adult insect activity are conditioned by life history traits
Abstract Insect phenological lability is key for determining which species will adapt under environmental change. However, little is known about when adult insect activity terminates and overall activity duration. We used community‐science and museum specimen data to investigate the effects of climate and urbanisation on timing of adult insect activity for 101 species varying in life history traits. We found detritivores and species with aquatic larval stages extend activity periods most rapidly in response to increasing regional temperature. Conversely, species with subterranean larval stages have relatively constant durations regardless of regional temperature. Species extended their period of adult activity similarly in warmer conditions regardless of voltinism classification. Longer adult durations may represent a general response to warming, but voltinism data in subtropical environments are likely underreported. This effort provides a framework to address the drivers of adult insect phenology at continental scales and a basis for predicting species response to environmental change.
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- PAR ID:
- 10446932
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Ecology Letters
- Volume:
- 24
- Issue:
- 12
- ISSN:
- 1461-023X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. 2687-2699
- Size(s):
- p. 2687-2699
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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