Use of novel pollen species by specialist and generalist solitary bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

If trade-offs between flexibility to use a range of host species and efficiency on a limited set underlie the evolution of diet breadth, one resulting prediction is that specialists ought to be more restricted than generalists in their ability to use novel resource species. I used foraging tests and feeding trials to compare the ability of a generalist and a specialist solitary mason bee species to collect and develop on two pollen species that are not normally used in natural populations (novel pollens). Osmia lignaria (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) is a generalist pollen feeder; O. californica, is more specialized. Adults of the specialist were more limited in use of novel hosts, but only in some contexts. Both bee species refused to collect one novel pollen. The specialist accepted a second novel pollen only when it was presented along with its normal pollen, whereas the generalist collected novel pollen whether presented alone or with normal pollen. Surprisingly, larvae of the specialist were more flexible than were generalists. The specialist grew well on mixtures of normal and novel pollen species, in some cases better than on its normal host alone. Larvae of the generalist grew more poorly on all diets containing novel pollens than on their normal host. Data on these two species of bees suggest that specialization by itself need not reduce flexibility on novel hosts. The findings also provide information about mechanisms of specialization in bees. Similar to some folivores, specific cues of the pollen host and the bee's interpretation of these contribute, along with foraging economics, to pollen choice by adults. The ability of the larvae to cope with specific components of one pollen species need not interfere with its ability to use others.