Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration

All winged insects have wing veins that form unique patterns. A strong correlation between wing size and body size has been established in the insect order Hymenoptera, including bees. Vein pattern in bees is also an important trait for identification at the genus level. However, how this pattern relates to the density of veins observed in the wing has not previously been studied and the overall relationship between wing vein number and body size has not been evaluated in bees in the absence of other hymenopteran taxa. Bee forewing vein density as it relates to body size and taxonomic group was investigated. Using dorsal and slide-plated wing images, wing vein density and intertegular span were measured for bee species within different genera and families. The study found that both taxonomic level and body size influence wing vein density, of which the taxonomic level of genus has the most significant effect, regardless of body size. This poster was presented at the UC Santa Barbara Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Poster Colloquium on May 3rd, 2022. Github link: https://github.com/LeoEisner/Body-Size-and-Taxonomic-Influence-on-Bee-Wing-Vein-Density