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Bryś MS, Staniec B, Strachecka A. The effect of pollen monodiets on fat body morphology parameters and energy substrate levels in the fat body and hemolymph of Apis mellifera L. workers. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15177. [PMID: 38956174 PMCID: PMC11219722 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64598-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Human activities associated with large-scale farms and the monocultures expose honey bees to one type of food. Moreover, there is an ongoing decline of plant species producing pollen and nectar in Europe. A poorly balanced diet affects a number of processes occurring in a bee's body. The fat body and hemolymph are the tissues that participate in all of them. Therefore, the aim of our study was to determine the effect of hazel, pine, rapeseed, buckwheat, phacelia and goldenrod pollen on the morphological parameters of fat body trophocytes, the diameters of cell nuclei in oenocytes and the concentrations of compounds involved in energy metabolism (glucose, glycogen, triglycerides and protein). In the cage tests, the bees were fed from the first day of life with sugar candy (control group) or candy with a 10% addition of one of the 6 pollen types. Hemolymph and fat body from various locations were collected from 1-, 7- and 14-day-old workers. Pollen produced by plant species such as hazel and pine increased glucose concentrations in the bee tissues, especially in the hemolymph. It can therefore be concluded that they are valuable sources of energy (in the form of simple carbohydrates) which are quickly used by bees. Pollen from plants blooming in the summer and autumn increased the concentrations of proteins, glycogen and triglycerides in the fat body, especially that from the third tergite. The accumulation of these compounds was associated with an increased the length and width of trophocytes as well as with enhanced metabolic activity, which was evidenced in the increasing diameter of oenocyte cell nuclei. It seems a balanced multi-pollen diet is more valuable for bees, but it is important to understand the effects of the particular pollen types in the context of a mono-diet. In the future, this will make it possible to produce mixtures that can ensure homeostasis in the apian body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Sylwester Bryś
- Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Bernard Staniec
- Departament of Zoology and Nature Protection, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| | - Aneta Strachecka
- Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
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Walters J, Barlass M, Fisher R, Isaacs R. Extreme heat exposure of host plants indirectly reduces solitary bee fecundity and survival. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240714. [PMID: 38889783 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Extreme heat poses a major threat to plants and pollinators, yet the indirect consequences of heat stress are not well understood, particularly for native solitary bees. To determine how brief exposure of extreme heat to flowering plants affects bee behaviour, fecundity, development and survival we conducted a no-choice field cage experiment in which Osmia lignaria were provided blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) and white clover (Trifolium repens) that had been previously exposed to either extreme heat (37.5°C) or normal temperatures (25°C) for 4 h during early bloom. Despite a similar number of open flowers and floral visitation frequency between the two treatments, female bees provided with heat-stressed plants laid approximately 70% fewer eggs than females provided with non-stressed plants. Their progeny received similar quantities of pollen provisions between the two treatments, yet larvae consuming pollen from heat-stressed plants had significantly lower survival as larvae and adults. We also observed trends for delayed emergence and reduced adult longevity when larvae consumed heat-stressed pollen. This study is the first to document how short, field-realistic bursts of extreme heat exposure to flowering host plants can indirectly affect bee pollinators and their offspring, with important implications for crop pollination and native bee populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna Walters
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - McKenna Barlass
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Robin Fisher
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Rufus Isaacs
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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Bryś MS, Strachecka A. The Key Role of Amino Acids in Pollen Quality and Honey Bee Physiology-A Review. Molecules 2024; 29:2605. [PMID: 38893480 PMCID: PMC11173770 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
When studying honey bee nutrition, it is important to pay attention not only to the quantity but also to the quality of pollen for floral visitors. The recommended way to determine the value of pollen is to determine both the protein concentration and the amino acid composition in the insect's hemolymph. In addition, the composition of pollen also includes lipids, sterols and biogenic elements such as carbon, nitrogen, etc. Very high protein concentration is observed in aloe pollen, averaging 51%. Plants with a high protein content, at the level of 27% in Europe, are rapeseed and phacelia. In turn, a plant that is poor in protein (at the level of 11%) is buckwheat. The aforementioned plants are sown over very large areas. Vast acreages in Central and Eastern Europe are occupied by pollen- and nectar-providing invasive plants, such as goldenrod. Therefore, bees are forced to use one food source-a mono diet-which results in their malnutrition. In the absence of natural pollen, beekeepers use other foods for bees; including soy protein, powdered milk, egg yolks, fish meal, etc. However, the colony is the strongest when bees are fed with pollen, as opposed to artificial protein diets. More research is needed on the relationship between bee pollen composition and nutrition, as measured by protein concentration and amino acid composition in apian hemolymph, colony strength, honey yield and good overwintering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Sylwester Bryś
- Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Doświadczalna 50a, 20-280 Lublin, Poland;
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Giampaoli O, Messi M, Merlet T, Sciubba F, Canepari S, Spagnoli M, Astolfi ML. Landfill fire impact on bee health: beneficial effect of dietary supplementation with medicinal plants and probiotics in reducing oxidative stress and metal accumulation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-31561-x. [PMID: 38158534 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31561-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The honey bee is an important pollinator insect susceptible to environmental contaminants. We investigated the effects of a waste fire event on elemental content, oxidative stress, and metabolic response in bees fed different nutrients (probiotics, Quassia amara, and placebo). The level of the elements was also investigated in honey and beeswax. Our data show a general increase in elemental concentrations in all bee groups after the event; however, the administration of probiotics and Quassia amara help fight oxidative stress in bees. Significantly lower concentrations of Ni, S, and U for honey in the probiotic group and a general and significant decrease in elemental concentrations for beeswax in the probiotic group and Li in the Quassia amara group were observed after the fire waste event. The comparison of the metabolic profiles through pre- and post-event PCA analyses showed that bees treated with different feeds react differently to the environmental event. The greatest differences in metabolic profiles are observed between the placebo-fed bees compared to the others. This study can help to understand how some stress factors can affect the health of bees and to take measures to protect these precious insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ottavia Giampaoli
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
- NMR-Based Metabolomics Laboratory (NMLab), Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello Messi
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Thomas Merlet
- Department of Chemistry, Toulouse INP - ENSIACET, 4 Allée Emile Monso, 31030, Toulouse, France
| | - Fabio Sciubba
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
- NMR-Based Metabolomics Laboratory (NMLab), Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Canepari
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
- C.N.R. Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Via Salaria, Km 29,300, Monterotondo St, 00015, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Spagnoli
- Department of Medicine, Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Hygiene, INAIL, via Fontana Candida 1, 00078, Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Astolfi
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
- Research Center for Applied Sciences to the Safeguard of Environment and Cultural Heritage (CIABC), Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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Gekière A, Vanderplanck M, Michez D. Trace metals with heavy consequences on bees: A comprehensive review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 895:165084. [PMID: 37379929 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
The pervasiveness of human imprint on Earth is alarming and most animal species, including bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila), must cope with several stressors. Recently, exposure to trace metals and metalloids (TMM) has drawn attention and has been suggested as a threat for bee populations. In this review, we aimed at bringing together all the studies (n = 59), both in laboratories and in natura, that assessed the effects of TMM on bees. After a brief comment on semantics, we listed the potential routes of exposure to soluble and insoluble (i.e. nanoparticle) TMM, and the threat posed by metallophyte plants. Then, we reviewed the studies that addressed whether bees could detect and avoid TMM in their environment, as well as the ways bee detoxify these xenobiotics. Afterwards, we listed the impacts TMM have on bees at the community, individual, physiological, histological and microbial levels. We discussed around the interspecific variations among bees, as well as around the simultaneous exposure to TMM. Finally, we highlighted that bees are likely exposed to TMM in combination or with other stressors, such as pesticides and parasites. Overall, we showed that most studies focussed on the domesticated western honey bee and mainly addressed lethal effects. Because TMM are widespread in the environment and have been shown to result in detrimental consequences, evaluating their lethal and sublethal effects on bees, including non-Apis species, warrants further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Gekière
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, 20 Place du Parc, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
| | - Maryse Vanderplanck
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, 1919 Route de Mende, 34090 Montpellier, France.
| | - Denis Michez
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, 20 Place du Parc, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
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Straub F, Birkenbach M, Leonhardt SD, Ruedenauer FA, Kuppler J, Wilfert L, Ayasse M. Land-use-associated stressors interact to reduce bumblebee health at the individual and colony level. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231322. [PMID: 37817596 PMCID: PMC10565366 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In agricultural landscapes, bees face a variety of stressors, including insecticides and poor-quality food. Although both stressors individually have been shown to affect bumblebee health negatively, few studies have focused on stressor interactions, a scenario expected in intensively used agricultural landscapes. Using the bumblebee Bombus terrestris, a key pollinator in agricultural landscapes, we conducted a fully factorial laboratory experiment starting at nest initiation. We assessed the effects of food quality and insecticides, alone and in interaction, on health traits at various levels, some of which have been rarely studied. Pollen with a diluted nutrient content (low quality) reduced ovary size and delayed colony development. Wing asymmetry, indicating developmental stress, was increased during insecticide exposure and interactions with poor food, whereas both stressors reduced body size. Both stressors and their interaction changed the workers' chemical profile and reduced worker interactions and the immune response. Our findings suggest that insecticides combined with nutritional stress reduce bumblebee health at the individual and colony levels, thus possibly affecting colony performance, such as development and reproduction, and the stability of plant-pollinator networks. The synergistic effects highlight the need of combining stressors in risk assessments and when studying the complex effects of anthropogenic stressors on health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Straub
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Markus Birkenbach
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sara D. Leonhardt
- Plant-Insect-Interactions, Research Department Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Fabian A. Ruedenauer
- Plant-Insect-Interactions, Research Department Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Jonas Kuppler
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Lena Wilfert
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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Crone MK, Boyle NK, Bresnahan ST, Biddinger DJ, Richardson RT, Grozinger CM. More than mesolectic: Characterizing the nutritional niche of Osmia cornifrons. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10640. [PMID: 37869440 PMCID: PMC10589078 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterizing the nutritional needs of wild bee species is an essential step to better understanding bee biology and providing suitable supplemental forage for at-risk species. Here, we aim to characterize the nutritional needs of a model solitary bee species, Osmia cornifrons (Radoszkowski), by using dietary protein-to-lipid ratio (P:L ratio) as a proxy for nutritional niche and niche breadth. We first identified the mean target P:L ratio (~3.02:1) and P:L collection range (0.75-6.26:1) from pollen provisions collected across a variety of sites and time points. We then investigated the P:L tolerance range of larvae by rearing bees in vitro on a variety of diets. Multifloral and single-source pollen diets with P:L ratios within the range of surveyed provisions did not always support larval development, indicating that other dietary components such as plant secondary compounds and micronutrients must also be considered in bee nutritional experiments. Finally, we used pollen metabarcoding to identify pollen from whole larval provisions to understand how much pollen bees used from plants outside of their host plant families to meet their nutritional needs, as well as pollen from individual forager bouts, to observe if bees maintained strict floral constancy or visited multiple plant genera per foraging bout. Whole larval provision surveys revealed a surprising range of host plant pollen use, ranging from ~5% to 70% of host plant pollen per provision. Samples from individual foraging trips contained pollen from multiple genera, suggesting that bees are using some form of foraging decision making. Overall, these results suggest that O. cornifrons have a wide nutritional niche breadth, but while pollen P:L ratio tolerance is broad, a tolerable P:L ratio alone is not enough to create a quality diet for O. cornifrons, and the plant species that make up these diets must also be carefully considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makaylee K. Crone
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life SciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology, Huck Institutes of the Life SciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Natalie K. Boyle
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life SciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Sean T. Bresnahan
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life SciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences, Huck Institutes of the Life SciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - David J. Biddinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life SciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- Penn State Fruit Research and Extension CenterBiglervillePennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | - Christina M. Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life SciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
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Rittschof CC, Denny AS. The Impacts of Early-Life Experience on Bee Phenotypes and Fitness. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:808-824. [PMID: 36881719 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Across diverse animal species, early-life experiences have lifelong impacts on a variety of traits. The scope of these impacts, their implications, and the mechanisms that drive these effects are central research foci for a variety of disciplines in biology, from ecology and evolution to molecular biology and neuroscience. Here, we review the role of early life in shaping adult phenotypes and fitness in bees, emphasizing the possibility that bees are ideal species to investigate variation in early-life experience and its consequences at both individual and population levels. Bee early life includes the larval and pupal stages, critical time periods during which factors like food availability, maternal care, and temperature set the phenotypic trajectory for an individual's lifetime. We discuss how some common traits impacted by these experiences, including development rate and adult body size, influence fitness at the individual level, with possible ramifications at the population level. Finally, we review ways in which human alterations to the landscape may impact bee populations through early-life effects. This review highlights aspects of bees' natural history and behavioral ecology that warrant further investigation with the goal of understanding how environmental disturbances threaten these vulnerable species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare C Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - Amanda S Denny
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
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Filipiak ZM, Ollerton J, Filipiak M. Uncovering the significance of the ratio of food K:Na in bee ecology and evolution. Ecology 2023; 104:e4110. [PMID: 37232411 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Bees provide important ecological services, and many species are threatened globally, yet our knowledge of wild bee ecology and evolution is limited. While evolving from carnivorous ancestors, bees had to develop strategies for coping with limitations imposed on them by a plant-based diet, with nectar providing energy and essential amino acids and pollen as an extraordinary, protein- and lipid-rich food nutritionally similar to animal tissues. Both nectar and pollen display one characteristic common to plants, a high ratio of potassium to sodium (K:Na), potentially leading to bee underdevelopment, health problems, and death. We discuss why and how the ratio of K:Na contributes to bee ecology and evolution and how considering this factor in future studies will provide new knowledge, more accurately depicting the relationship of bees with their environments. Such knowledge is essential for understanding how plants and bees function and interact and is needed to effectively protect wild bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzanna M Filipiak
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Jeff Ollerton
- Faculty or Arts, Science and Technology, University of Northampton, Northampton, UK
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Kunming, China
| | - Michał Filipiak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
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Russo L, Ruedenauer F, Gronert A, Van de Vreken I, Vanderplanck M, Michez D, Klein A, Leonhardt S, Stout JC. Fertilizer and herbicide alter nectar and pollen quality with consequences for pollinator floral choices. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15452. [PMID: 37334137 PMCID: PMC10269573 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pollinating insects provide economically and ecologically valuable services, but are threatened by a variety of anthropogenic changes. The availability and quality of floral resources may be affected by anthropogenic land use. For example, flower-visiting insects in agroecosystems rely on weeds on field edges for foraging resources, but these weeds are often exposed to agrochemicals that may compromise the quality of their floral resources. Methods We conducted complementary field and greenhouse experiments to evaluate the: (1) effect of low concentrations of agrochemical exposure on nectar and pollen quality and (2) relationship between floral resource quality and insect visitation. We applied the same agrochemcial treatments (low concentrations of fertilizer, low concentrations of herbicide, a combination of both, and a control of just water) to seven plant species in the field and greenhouse. We collected data on floral visitation by insects in the field experiment for two field seasons and collected pollen and nectar from focal plants in the greenhouse to avoid interfering with insect visitation in the field. Results We found pollen amino acid concentrations were lower in plants exposed to low concentrations of herbicide, and pollen fatty acid concentrations were lower in plants exposed to low concentrations of fertilizer, while nectar amino acids were higher in plants exposed to low concentrations of either fertilizer or herbicide. Exposure to low fertilizer concentrations also increased the quantity of pollen and nectar produced per flower. The responses of plants exposed to the experimental treatments in the greenhouse helped explain insect visitation in the field study. The insect visitation rate correlated with nectar amino acids, pollen amino acids, and pollen fatty acids. An interaction between pollen protein and floral display suggested pollen amino acid concentrations drove insect preference among plant species when floral display sizes were large. We show that floral resource quality is sensitive to agrochemical exposure and that flower-visiting insects are sensitive to variation in floral resource quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Russo
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville, United States of America
- Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Angela Gronert
- Chair of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Alexandra Klein
- Chair of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Castle D, Alkassab AT, Steffan-Dewenter I, Pistorius J. Nutritional resources modulate the responses of three bee species to pesticide exposure. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 443:130304. [PMID: 36368063 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The response of bee species to various stressors is assumed to depend on the availability of sufficient nutrients in their environment. We compare the response of three bee species (Apis mellifera, Bombus terrestris, Osmia bicornis) under laboratory conditions. Survival, physiology, and sensitivity, after exposure to the fungicide prochloraz, the insecticide chlorantraniliprole, and their mixture with different nutritional resources (sugar only, sugar with amino acids or pollen) were observed. Prochloraz reduced the bee survival of A. mellifera and O. bicornis fed with pollen, but not with other diets. Chlorantraniliprole impaired the survival of A. mellifera fed with sugar or pollen diet, but not with amino acid diet. The mixture impaired survival of A. mellifera and O. bicornis in association with every diet. B. terrestris was only affected by chlorantraniliprole and its mixture with prochloraz fed with sugar diet. The activity of P450 reductase was higher in A. mellifera fed with amino acids in all treatments, whereas no effect emerged in O. bicornis and B. terrestris. Our results indicate that the sensitivity of bee species after exposure to agrochemicals is affected by diet. Thus, balanced and species-dependent nutrition ameliorated the effects. Further field studies are necessary to evaluate the potential effects of such mixtures on bee populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Castle
- Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Bee Protection, Messeweg 11/12, Braunschweig, Germany; University of Würzburg, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Abdulrahim T Alkassab
- Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Bee Protection, Messeweg 11/12, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- University of Würzburg, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jens Pistorius
- Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Bee Protection, Messeweg 11/12, Braunschweig, Germany
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Garlin J, Theodorou P, Kathe E, Quezada-Euán JJG, Paxton RJ, Soro A. Anthropogenic effects on the body size of two neotropical orchid bees. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:94. [PMID: 35918637 PMCID: PMC9347145 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02048-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
To accommodate an ever-increasing human population, agriculture is rapidly intensifying at the expense of natural habitat, with negative and widely reported effects on biodiversity in general and on wild bee abundance and diversity in particular. Cities are similarly increasing in area, though the impact of urbanisation on wild bees is more equivocal and potentially positive in northern temperate regions. Yet agriculture and urbanisation both lead to the loss and alteration of natural habitat, its fragmentation, a potential reduction in floral availability, and warmer temperatures, factors thought to be drivers of wild bee decline. They have also been shown to be factors to which wild bee populations respond through morphological change. Body size is one such trait that, because of its relation to individual fitness, has received growing attention as a morphological feature that responds to human induced modification in land use. Here, we investigated the change in body size of two sympatric orchid bee species on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico in response to urbanization and agricultural intensification. By measuring 540 male individuals sampled from overall 24 sites, we found that Euglossa dilemma and Euglossa viridissima were on average smaller in urban and agricultural habitats than in natural ones. We discuss the potential role of reduced availability of resources in driving the observed body size shifts. Agricultural and urban land management in tropical regions might benefit wild bees if it encompassed the planting of flowering herbs and trees to enhance their conservation.
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Astolfi ML, Conti ME, Messi M, Marconi E. Probiotics as a promising prophylactic tool to reduce levels of toxic or potentially toxic elements in bees. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 308:136261. [PMID: 36057357 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bees are precious living beings for our planet. Thanks to their essential service of pollination, these insects allow the maintenance of biodiversity and the variety and amount of food available. Unfortunately, we are observing an increasingly devastating reduction of bee families and other pollinating insects for factors related to human activities, environmental pollution, diseases and parasites, compromise of natural habitats, and climate change. We show that probiotics can protect bees from element pollution. We collected bees, beeswax, honey, pollen, and propolis directly from hives in a rural area of central Italy to investigate the content of 41 elements in control (not supplemented with probiotics) and experimental (supplemented with probiotics) groups. Our data show a significantly lower concentration of some elements (Ba, Be, Cd, Ce, Co, Cu, Pb, Sn, Tl, and U) in experimental bees than in control groups, indicating a possible beneficial effect of probiotics in reducing the absorption of chemicals. This study presents the first data on element levels after probiotics have been fed to bees and provides the basis for future research in several activities relating to the environment, agriculture, economy, territory, and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luisa Astolfi
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy; CIABC, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Marcelo Enrique Conti
- Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Del Castro Laurenziano 9, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello Messi
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Marconi
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
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Filipiak M, Shields MW, Cairns SM, Grainger MNC, Wratten SD. The conserved and high K-to-Na ratio in sunflower pollen: Possible implications for bee health and plant-bee interactions. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1042348. [PMID: 36388528 PMCID: PMC9664163 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1042348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Sodium (Na) concentrations are low in plant tissues, and its metabolic function in plants is minor; however, Na is a key nutrient for plant consumers. Previous studies have thus far focused on Na concentration. Nevertheless, a balanced potassium (K) to Na ratio (K:Na) is more important than Na concentration alone since food with high K:Na has detrimental effects on consumers irrespective of Na concentration. Therefore, plants may actively regulate K:Na in their tissues and products, shaping plant-insect interactions. Studies considering nutritional aspects of plant-insect interactions have focused on nonreproductive tissues and nectar. In this study, we consider pollen as serving a primary reproductive function for plants as well as a food of pollinivores. Plants might regulate K:Na in pollen to affect their interactions with pollinivorous pollinators. To investigate whether such a mechanism exists, we manipulated Na concentrations in soil and measured the proportion of K, Na, and 13 other nutrient elements in the pollen of two sunflower (Helianthus annuus) cultivars. This approach allowed us to account for the overall nutritional quality of pollen by investigating the proportions of many elements that could correlate with the concentrations of K and Na. Of the elements studied, only the concentrations of Na and K were highly correlated. Pollen K:Na was high in both cultivars irrespective of Na fertilization, and it remained high regardless of pollen Na concentration. Interestingly, pollen K:Na did not decrease as pollen increased the Na concentration. We hypothesize that high K:Na in pollen might benefit plant fertilization and embryonic development; therefore, a tradeoff might occur between producing low K:Na pollen as a reward for pollinators and high K:Na pollen to optimize the plant fertilization process. This is the first study to provide data on pollen K:Na regulation by plants. Our findings broaden the understanding of plant-bee interactions and provide a foundation for a better understanding of the role of the soil-plant-pollen-pollinator pathway in nutrient cycling in ecosystems. Specifically, unexplored costs and tradeoffs related to balancing the K:Na by plants and pollinivores might play a role in past and current shaping of pollination ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Filipiak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Morgan W. Shields
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Sarah M. Cairns
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | | | - Stephen D. Wratten
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand
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Floral resource distribution and fitness consequences for two solitary bee species in agricultural landscapes. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Lau P, Lesne P, Grebenok RJ, Rangel J, Behmer ST. Assessing pollen nutrient content: a unifying approach for the study of bee nutritional ecology. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210510. [PMID: 35491590 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Poor nutrition and landscape changes are regularly cited as key factors causing the decline of wild and managed bee populations. However, what constitutes 'poor nutrition' for bees currently is inadequately defined. Bees collect and eat pollen: it is their only solid food source and it provides a broad suite of required macro- and micronutrients. Bees are also generalist foragers and thus the different pollen types they collect and eat can be highly nutritionally variable. Therefore, characterizing the multidimensional nutrient content of different pollen types is needed to fully understand pollen as a nutritional resource. Unfortunately, the use of different analytical approaches to assess pollen nutrient content has complicated between-studies comparisons and blurred our understanding of pollen nutrient content. In the current study, we start by reviewing the common methods used to estimate protein and lipids found in pollen. Next, using monofloral Brassica and Rosa pollen, we experimentally reveal biases in results using these methods. Finally, we use our collective data to propose a unifying approach for analysing pollen nutrient content. This will help researchers better study and understand the nutritional ecology-including foraging behaviour, nutrient regulation and health-of bees and other pollen feeders. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Lau
- Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Pierre Lesne
- Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Juliana Rangel
- Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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