Climate Change May Be Causing Bumblebees' Tongues To Shrink, Study

Scientists show that due to climate changes, there is an effect on flower diversity, leading to decrease in the length of alpine bumblebees' tongues. Hence, the vital insects are not well suited to eat or pollinate crops nearby, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Scientists thus believe that there is a need to fight climate change, so that "the mutually beneficial ecological partnerships" can be maintained, according to HNGN.

Even as long-tongued bumblebees have consumed nectar from deep flowers with long corolla tubes, such bumblebees have shown a population decline, and those with short tongues are remaining.

Researchers studied a number of high-altitude sites in Colorado that constitute "typical habitats" for two species of such long-tongued alpine bumblebees. While the team examined specimens they had gathered between 1966 and 1980 as well as those in the time period 2012 and 2014, the amazing finding was that the tongues had gotten shorter over time.

Experts also looked at archives of bee specimens and surveyed bumble bees and host plants. They concluded that shorter tongues were not due to smaller sizes, or competition from other insects and animals, or a "co-evolution of flowers" in the region.

The main reason for the shorter tongues were warmer summers, bringing down the number of deep flowers that was their main source of food. It forced the bumblebees to behave as "general foragers" and feast on a large variety of flowers, including shorter ones.

"The pattern seen here may predict future effects of climate change in other systems," the researchers said.

The study shows how climate change can "dramatically decouple mutualisms between bees and plants," according to HNGN.

Read the article in the journal Science.