| Mechanics of nectar feeding in the orchid bee Euglossa imperialis: pressure, viscosity and flow. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 17142679 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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The orchid bee Euglossa imperialis sucks nectars through a slender proboscis. I tested how nectar properties influence this suction pressure and whether ambient air pressure sets the upper limit for suction feeding. Nectar intake rate was measured as a function of sucrose concentration (5-75% w/w), nectar viscosity (2-80 mPa s), and ambient pressure (101-40 kPa). Intake rate declines from about 1.2 mul s(-1) to 0.003 mul s(-1) as sucrose concentration increases from 15% to 65% sucrose. When sucrose concentration is held at 25% while viscosity increases from 2 to 80 mPa s, intake rate declines. When viscosity is held at 10.2 mPa s (the viscosity of 50% sucrose) while sucrose concentration increases from 5% to 50%, intake rate remains constant. Intake rate was limited by a reduction in ambient pressure at all nectar concentrations. Assuming a rigid proboscis, the Hagen-Poiseuille equation suggests that suction pressure increases with viscosity from 10 kPa at 5% sucrose to 45 kPa at 65% sucrose. However, because intake rate declined by the same fraction under hypobaria (40 kPa) at all sucrose concentrations, the euglossine bee proboscis may be better described as a collapsible tube: expanding or collapsing depending on the flow rate, the pressure gradient along the proboscis, and circumferential forces imposed by the proboscis walls. |
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Authors:
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Brendan J Borrell |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. |
Journal Detail:
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Title: The Journal of experimental biology Volume: 209 ISSN: 0022-0949 ISO Abbreviation: J. Exp. Biol. Publication Date: 2006 Dec |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2006-12-04 Completed Date: 2007-02-28 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0243705 Medline TA: J Exp Biol Country: England |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 4901-7 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140, USA. bborrell@cal.berkeley.edu |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Animals Bees / anatomy & histology, physiology* Biomechanics Feeding Behavior* Pressure Viscosity |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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