What is the benefit potentially derived from the upfront energetic cost of mixing nectar and pollen internally for *Hylaeus*?
Answer
Potential time saved during nest provisioning by avoiding external packing
Although the act of mixing nectar and pollen internally might involve a higher upfront energetic cost compared to simply packing dry pollen externally, this method offers a key advantage in efficiency. By creating a pre-mixed food mass, the female bee potentially saves the time she would otherwise spend scraping off and meticulously packing external loads onto her legs. For a solitary nester who must provision numerous individual cells quickly to maximize reproductive output during a short season, this saved provisioning time can balance the initial energy expenditure.
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