Bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) Functional Traits in Relation to Sampling Methodology in a Restored Tallgrass Prairie.

Analysis of functional trait composition can provide insights into effects of habitat alteration on ecological functioning of particular taxa. However, assessments of functional trait composition may be affected by the sampling methodology used. We assessed functional trait composition of bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) collected using 4 sampling methods (elevated bowl traps, ground-level bowl traps, Malaise traps, and vane traps). Functional diversity, as measured by functional dispersion (mean distance between individual species and the community centroid in multidimensional trait space), did not vary among sampling methods. Fourth corner analysis revealed statistically greater representation of solitary species and above-ground nesting species than expected in ground-level bowl traps. Polylecty was strongly associated with Malaise traps. Body length was negatively associated with Malaise traps and positively associated with vane traps. Our results suggest that sampling of bee functional traits can be method-dependent, and this should be considered in assessments of functional trait composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]