Abstract
Nectar-related traits influence the number of bee visits to sunflowers, but the effects of floret size on the diversity and composition of bee communities are unknown. In 4 year × planting date combinations, bees were collected from sunflowers with small (< 7.5 mm), medium (7.5–9 mm), or large (> 9 mm) florets, and counts of foraging bees were used to clarify bee responses to plant traits. No effect of floret size on diversity of foraging bees was found, but associations of bee tongue length and floret size led to differences in the communities foraging on sunflowers with small, medium, or large florets. Though most wild bees preferred to forage on plants with more nectar and smaller florets (≈ easier access to nectar), Bombus spp. showed an opposite response to floret size, foraging preferentially on lines with large florets. Changes in Melissodes spp. foraging preference in the presence of Bombus spp. also suggest interactions between small- and large-bodied bees may be important.
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