Temporal niche overlap and distinct bee ability to collect floral resources on three species of Brazilian Malpighiaceae

Abstract

Spatial and temporal limited resource and niche overlap studies have been widely used to explain resource-sharing in community ecology. Furthermore, morphological and behavioral differences among species are relevant to predict how they may share niche availabilities. We evaluated temporal niche overlap and the ability of visitors to collect floral resources on three Malpighiaceae species in the Brazilian savannah. We hypothesized: (I) an overlap between the temporal niches due the similarities between their floral resources requirements and the temporal limitation of flowering; and (II) a differential ability of bee species in resource harvesting. The 31 floral visitor species exhibited a higher niche overlap than expected by chance, confirming our first hypothesis. Furthermore, according to our second hypothesis, we observed that floral visitors showed a different efficiency in resource collection, depending on bee size and behavior. We believe that this may be a proxy of pollination efficiency. Our discussion is based on the distinct specialization of oil-collecting abilities and the specific requirements of each bee tribe.