Does body size predict the buzz-pollination frequencies used by bees?

We investigated the influence of body size in a specialized pollination system (buzz- pollination) where bees vibrate flowers to release pollen concealed within poricidal stamens (Buchmann, 1983; De Luca & Vallejo-Marín, 2013). Specifically, we explored how body size influences the frequency of buzz-pollination vibrations. Body size is expected to affect frequency as a result of the physical constraints it places on the indirect flight muscles that control the production of floral vibrations (King & Buchmann, 2003). Larger insects beat their wings less rapidly than smaller-bodied insects when flying (Unwin & Corbet, 1984), but whether similar scaling relationships exist with floral vibrations has not been widely explored. This is important because buzz pollinated flowers are hypothesized to be sensitive to certain frequencies that maximize the release of pollen from anthers (Harder & Barclay, 1994). Therefore, if body size affects the range of frequencies a bee may generate this could limit the types of potential floral hosts that could be visited (Corbet & Huang, 2014).