Limiting effects on honeybee growth and development by stoichiometry of pollen from various taxa.

Calculated as TSR ratios (TSR values ≥4 denote limitations on growth and development) based on published elemental composition data on pollen from various taxa and the data from this study on C contents of pollen and the elemental composition of honeybees (mean values). The effects are caste- and sex-dependent and are indicated by symbols: Q–queen, W–worker, D–Drone; “-” no limiting effect; n.d.–no data. The limiting effect of Fe calculated in the study by Todd and Bretherick [50] is probably overestimated, as indicated by italics and “(?)”. Shaded and bolded font denotes pollen taxa that are stoichiometrically well balanced for the honeybee and shaded and underlined font indicates highly stoichiometrically unbalanced pollen taxa.