Analyzing bee functional traits, a helpful* 10-point guide.

*guide not actually helpful

1. When assigning traits to a given species, never cite primary sources. That wastes valuable time you could be using to yell at R.
   
2. If you find a significant result, giving the p-value and the trait is enough. The individual species driving that effect are unimportant. Do not bother discussing them.
   
3. We don’t know which traits are biologically relevant, so just focus on the ones that are easiest to measure.
   
4. When dividing traits into categories, do not provide category definitions. If you must do so, make sure to use vague and broad terms.
   
5. If you don’t know a trait for a given species, just select one that seems right. No one will know or care.
   
6. Never acknowledge that there is any uncertainty in which traits a bee has. Doing so would make you look weak and ignorant.
   
7. Pollen specialization and floral visitation are essentially the same thing, so treat them as such and use the terms interchangeably.
   
8. It doesn’t matter if your data set is rough around the edges as long as you have enough data points.
   
9. Yes, of course you can identify all your Dialictus by yourself. They’re all the same from an ecological standpoint anyways so it doesn’t matter if you get some wrong.
   
10. Make sure to follow tradition and classify a well-documented solitary species as social. Double points if it’s Agapostemon or Andrenidae.