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McCabe LM, Boyle NK, Pitts-Singer TL. Osmia lignaria (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) increase pollination of Washington sweet cherry and pear crops. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2024:nvae043. [PMID: 38961657 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvae043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Apis mellifera Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Apis), honey bees, are the most widely used managed crop pollinators. However, their high rental cost and uncertain availability for North American orchard crops have motivated growers to explore alternative pollination options. We examined whether adding solitary, spring-flying Osmia lignaria Say (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), blue orchard bees, as co-pollinators with A. mellifera in Washington sweet cherry and pear orchards enhances fruit set and yield compared to the use of A. mellifera alone. We added managed O. lignaria to orchard sites where A. mellifera hives were already present. Fruit set, fruit yield, and O. lignaria reproduction at O. lignaria-supplemented sites were compared to nearby, paired sites pollinated only by A. mellifera (3 paired cherry and 3 paired pear sites). For both crops, the addition of O. lignaria significantly increased fruit set but did not yield at harvest. Microscopic inspection of pollen grains from O. lignaria nest cell provisions confirmed that O. lignaria primarily visited orchard flowers. Mean retention of O. lignaria in cherry orchards was slightly higher (65%) than O. lignaria retention reported in other orchard crops (30%-60%). However, retention in pear orchards was much lower (≤20%). These results show that supplementing hives with O. lignaria in Washington spring orchard crops can increase overall pollination, but that trees fail to bear developing fruit to maturity. The strategy of using co-pollinators, O. lignaria and A. mellifera, in US orchards may act as "pollination insurance" when A. mellifera hives are in low supply or when the weather is not amenable for A. mellifera flight during the bloom period.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalie K Boyle
- Pollinating Insects Research Unit, USDA ARS, Logan, UT, USA
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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2
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Turo KJ, Reilly JR, Fijen TPM, Magrach A, Winfree R. Insufficient pollinator visitation often limits yield in crop systems worldwide. Nat Ecol Evol 2024:10.1038/s41559-024-02460-2. [PMID: 38961256 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02460-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Declining pollinator populations could threaten global food production, especially if current crop yields are limited by insufficient pollinator visitation to flowers, in a phenomenon referred to as 'pollinator limitation'. Here, we assess the global prevalence of pollinator limitation, explore the risk factors, such as crop type or geographic region, that predict where pollinator limitation is more likely and ask by how much increases in pollinator visitation could improve crop yields. We address these questions using 198,360 plant-pollinator interactions and 2,083 yield measurements from 32 crop species grown in 120 study systems. We find that 28-61% of global crop systems are pollinator limited and that this limitation most frequently occurs in blueberry, coffee and apple crops. For a few datasets, we note that the probability of pollinator limitation decreases with greater forest land cover surrounding a crop field at 1 km, although average effect sizes are small. Finally, we estimate that for those crops we identify as pollinator limited, increasing pollinator visitation at all farms to existing levels observed in the 90th percentile of each study system would close 63% of yield gaps between high- and low-yielding fields. Our findings show variations in sensitivity to pollinator limitation across diverse crop systems and indicate that realistic increases in pollinator visitation could mitigate crop yield shortfalls attributable to pollinator limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine J Turo
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
| | - James R Reilly
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Thijs P M Fijen
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ainhoa Magrach
- Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), Leioa, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Rachael Winfree
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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3
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Hanson MA. When the microbiome shapes the host: immune evolution implications for infectious disease. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230061. [PMID: 38497259 PMCID: PMC10945400 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The microbiome includes both 'mutualist' and 'pathogen' microbes, regulated by the same innate immune architecture. A major question has therefore been: how do hosts prevent pathogenic infections while maintaining beneficial microbes? One idea suggests hosts can selectively activate innate immunity upon pathogenic infection, but not mutualist colonization. Another idea posits that hosts can selectively attack pathogens, but not mutualists. Here I review evolutionary principles of microbe recognition and immune activation, and reflect on newly observed immune effector-microbe specificity perhaps supporting the latter idea. Recent work in Drosophila has found a surprising importance for single antimicrobial peptides in combatting specific ecologically relevant microbes. The developing picture suggests these effectors have evolved for this purpose. Other defence responses like reactive oxygen species bursts can also be uniquely effective against specific microbes. Signals in other model systems including nematodes, Hydra, oysters, and mammals, suggest that effector-microbe specificity may be a fundamental principle of host-pathogen interactions. I propose this effector-microbe specificity stems from weaknesses of the microbes themselves: if microbes have intrinsic weaknesses, hosts can evolve effectors that exploit those weaknesses. I define this host-microbe relationship as 'the Achilles principle of immune evolution'. Incorporating this view helps interpret why some host-microbe interactions develop in a coevolutionary framework (e.g. Red Queen dynamics), or as a one-sided evolutionary response. This clarification should be valuable to better understand the principles behind host susceptibilities to infectious diseases. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sculpting the microbiome: how host factors determine and respond to microbial colonization'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Hanson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
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4
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Knauer A, Naef C, Albrecht M. Pesticide hazard, floral resource availability and natural enemies interactively drive the fitness of bee species depending on their crop fidelity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171058. [PMID: 38378056 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Anina Knauer
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Carmen Naef
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Zürich, Switzerland
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5
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Graham KK, McArt S, Isaacs R. High pesticide exposure and risk to bees in pollinator plantings adjacent to conventionally managed blueberry fields. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171248. [PMID: 38402956 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Wildflower plantings adjacent to agricultural fields provide diverse floral resources and nesting sites for wild bees. However, their proximity to pest control activities in the crop may result in pesticide exposure if pesticides drift into pollinator plantings. To quantify pesticide residues in pollinator plantings, we sampled flowers and soil from pollinator plantings and compared them to samples from unenhanced field margins and crop row middles. At conventionally managed farms, flowers from pollinator plantings had similar exposure profiles to those from unenhanced field margins or crop row middles, with multiple pesticides and high and similar risk quotient (RQ) values (with pollinator planting RQ: 3.9; without pollinator planting RQ: 4.0). Whereas samples from unsprayed sites had significantly lower risk (RQ: 0.005). Soil samples had overall low risk to bees. Additionally, we placed bumble bee colonies (Bombus impatiens) in field margins of crop fields with and without pollinator plantings and measured residues in bee-collected pollen. Pesticide exposure was similar in pollen from sites with or without pollinator plantings, and risk was generally high (with pollinator planting RQ: 0.5; without pollinator planting RQ: 1.1) and not significant between the two field types. Risk was lower at sites where there was no pesticide activity (RQ: 0.3), but again there was no significant difference between management types. The insecticide phosmet, which is used on blueberry farms for control of Drosophila suzukii, accounted for the majority of elevated risk. Additionally, analysis of pollen collected by bumble bees found no significant difference in floral species richness between sites with or without pollinator plantings. Our results suggest that pollinator plantings do not reduce pesticide risk and do not increase pollen diversity collected by B. impatiens, further highlighting the need to reduce exposure through enhanced IPM adoption, drift mitigation, and removal of attractive flowering weeds prior to insecticide applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey K Graham
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, 202 CIPS, 578 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Pollinating Insect-Biology, Management, Systematics Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1410 N 800 E, Logan, UT 84341, USA.
| | - Scott McArt
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 4129 Comstock Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Rufus Isaacs
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, 202 CIPS, 578 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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6
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Rajagopalan K, DeGrandi-Hoffman G, Pruett M, Jones VP, Corby-Harris V, Pireaud J, Curry R, Hopkins B, Northfield TD. Warmer autumns and winters could reduce honey bee overwintering survival with potential risks for pollination services. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5410. [PMID: 38528007 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55327-8] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Honey bees and other pollinators are critical for food production and nutritional security but face multiple survival challenges. The effect of climate change on honey bee colony losses is only recently being explored. While correlations between higher winter temperatures and greater colony losses have been noted, the impacts of warmer autumn and winter temperatures on colony population dynamics and age structure as an underlying cause of reduced colony survival have not been examined. Focusing on the Pacific Northwest US, our objectives were to (a) quantify the effect of warmer autumns and winters on honey bee foraging activity, the age structure of the overwintering cluster, and spring colony losses, and (b) evaluate indoor cold storage as a management strategy to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. We perform simulations using the VARROAPOP population dynamics model driven by future climate projections to address these objectives. Results indicate that expanding geographic areas will have warmer autumns and winters extending honey bee flight times. Our simulations support the hypothesis that late-season flight alters the overwintering colony age structure, skews the population towards older bees, and leads to greater risks of colony failure in the spring. Management intervention by moving colonies to cold storage facilities for overwintering has the potential to reduce honey bee colony losses. However, critical gaps remain in how to optimize winter management strategies to improve the survival of overwintering colonies in different locations and conditions. It is imperative that we bridge the gaps to sustain honey bees and the beekeeping industry and ensure food and nutritional security.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman
- United States Department of Agriculture ARS, Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ, USA.
| | | | - Vincent P Jones
- Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Wenatchee, WA, USA
| | - Vanessa Corby-Harris
- United States Department of Agriculture ARS, Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | | | | | - Tobin D Northfield
- Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Wenatchee, WA, USA
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7
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Phan NT, Joshi NK, Rajotte EG, Zhu F, Peter KA, López-Uribe MM, Biddinger DJ. Systemic pesticides in a solitary bee pollen food store affect larval development and increase pupal mortality. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 915:170048. [PMID: 38218472 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Solitary bees are often exposed to various pesticides applied for pest control on farmland while providing pollination services to food crops. Increasing evidence suggests that sublethal toxicity of agricultural pesticides affects solitary bees differently than the social bees used to determine regulatory thresholds, such as honey bees and bumblebees. Studies on solitary bees are challenging because of the difficulties in obtaining large numbers of eggs or young larvae for bioassays. Here we show the toxic and sublethal developmental effects of four widely used plant systemic pesticides on the Japanese orchard bee (Osmia cornifrons). Pollen food stores of this solitary bee were treated with different concentrations of three insecticides (acetamiprid, flonicamid, and sulfoxaflor) and a fungicide (dodine). Eggs were transplanted to the treated pollen and larvae were allowed to feed on the pollen stores after egg hatch. The effects of chronic ingestion of contaminated pollen were measured until adult eclosion. This year-long study revealed that chronic exposure to all tested pesticides delayed larval development and lowered larval and adult body weights. Additionally, exposure to the systemic fungicide resulted in abnormal larval defecation and increased mortality at the pupal stage, indicating potential risk to bees from fungicide exposure. These findings demonstrate potential threats to solitary bees from systemic insecticides and fungicides and will help in making policy decisions to mitigate these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngoc T Phan
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA; Research Center for Tropical Bees and Beekeeping, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Hanoi, Vietnam.
| | - Neelendra K Joshi
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
| | - Edwin G Rajotte
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Fang Zhu
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kari A Peter
- Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center, Biglerville, PA, USA
| | | | - David J Biddinger
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center, Biglerville, PA, USA
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8
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de Souza GT, Torquato IHS, Castro CC. Understanding the relations between Solanaceae crops and their pollinators: a global meta-network. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2024; 26:157-165. [PMID: 38192089 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Crop-pollinator interactions are essential for world food security. Studying crop pollination from a network approach allows identification of target pollinators for conservation and management, and gaps in our knowledge. Solanaceae represents the third highest ranked family based on economic value, and its production is highly improved by animal pollination. This study aimed to integrate global data on solanaceous crop pollination and analyse the interaction patterns using a meta-network approach. Our questions were: (i) how are interactions structured and what are the structuring roles of species; and (ii) what are the main gaps in our knowledge? Data were obtained through a systematic review of the main scientific databases. The network structure was described using connectivity and modularity calculations, and the role of species using centrality metrics. The 251 pollinator species reported were in seven orders, mainly Hymenoptera (84.9%). The generalists Bombus and Apis species were the most common pollinators. The meta-network was modular, and all modules mostly included bees. Most species were peripherals, around 12% were connectors, and there were no module hubs. Apis mellifera was the only network hub (supergeneralist). The most important pollinators are the most managed pollinators worldwide; however, many native species play a role in structuring the meta-network. Main gaps include species of importance to pepper pollination, lack of species-specific identification, and the need for more robust experimental studies evaluating the pollination efficiency of native, manageable bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- G T de Souza
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - I H S Torquato
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - C C Castro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
- Universidade Federal do Agreste de Pernambuco, Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil
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9
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Munné-Bosch S, Bermejo NF. Fruit quality in organic and conventional farming: advantages and limitations. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024:S1360-1385(24)00028-1. [PMID: 38402015 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2024.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Fruit quality is essential for nutrition and human health and needs urgent attention in current agricultural practices. Organic farming is not as productive as conventional agriculture, but it can provide higher quality in some fruit crops, thanks to the absence of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, enhanced pollination, and the reduction of protection treatments, hence boosting antioxidant compound production. Although organic farming does not always provide healthier food than conventional farming, some lessons from organic farming can be extrapolated to new sustainable production models. Exploiting natural resources and an adequate knowledge transfer will undoubtedly help improve the quality of climacteric and nonclimacteric fruits in new agricultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergi Munné-Bosch
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Research Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Núria F Bermejo
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Research Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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10
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Larson DL, Pennarola N, Leone JB, Larson JL. Fewer bowl traps and more hand netting can increase effective number of bee species and reduce excessive captures. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11036. [PMID: 38414567 PMCID: PMC10897529 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Reports increasingly point to substantial declines in wild bee abundance and diversity, yet there is uncertainty about how best to measure these attributes in wild bee populations. Two commonly used methods are passive trapping with bee bowls or active netting of bees on flowers, but each of these has drawbacks. Comparing the outcomes of the two methods is complicated by their uncomparable units of effort. The abundance distribution of bee species is also typically highly skewed, making it difficult to accurately assess diversity when rarer species are unlikely to be caught. The effective number of species, or Hill numbers, provides a way forward by basing the response metric on the number of equally abundant species. Our goal is to compare the effective number of bee species captured between hand netting and bowl trapping in wheatgrass prairie in South Dakota and tallgrass prairie in Minnesota, USA. Species overlap between the two methods ranged from ~40% to ~60%. Emphasis placed on rare species was important, so that 95% confidence limits overlapped between the two methods for species richness but netting exceeded trapping for Shannon's and Simpson's diversities. Netting always captured more bee species with fewer bee individuals than trapping. In most cases, the number of bees captured in bowl traps indicated substantial over-sampling, with little increase in bee species detected. Correlations between bee and floral abundance, richness, and diversity differed between netted and trapped samples. We conclude that netting and trapping together produce a more complete account of species richness, but shifting sampling emphasis from trapping to netting will result in fewer bees, but more bee species captured. Due to the different relationships between bee and floral diversities that depended on sampling method, it is unwise to compare habitat associations determined by netting with those determined by trapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane L Larson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center St. Paul Minnesota USA
| | - Nora Pennarola
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bloomington Minnesota USA
| | - Julia B Leone
- Friends of the Mississippi River St. Paul Minnesota USA
| | - Jennifer L Larson
- USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection St. Paul Minnesota USA
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11
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Na SJ, Kim YK, Park JM. Nectar Characteristics and Honey Production Potential of Five Rapeseed Cultivars and Two Wildflower Species in South Korea. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:419. [PMID: 38337952 PMCID: PMC10856812 DOI: 10.3390/plants13030419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The growing beekeeping industry in South Korea has led to the establishment of new honey plant complexes. However, studies on honey production from each species are limited. This study aimed to assess the honey production potential of various Brassica napus cultivars and two wildflower species. The nectar characteristics of B. napus varied significantly among the cultivars. Absolute sugar concentrations differed among the cultivars, but sugar composition ratios were similar. In contrast, the amino acid content remained relatively uniform regarding percentage values, irrespective of the absolute concentrations. Estimations of honey potential production per hectare (kg/ha) resulted in the following ranking among cultivars: 'JM7003' (107.1) > 'YS' (73.0) > 'JM7001' (63.7) > 'TL' (52.7) > 'TM' (42.4). The nectar volume of Pseudolysimachion rotundum var. subintegrum and Leonurus japonicus increased during the flowering stage. P. rotundum var. subintegrum was sucrose-rich and L. japonicus was sucrose-dominant. Both species predominantly contained phenylalanine, P. rotundum var. subintegrum had glutamine as the second most abundant amino acid, and L. japonicus had tyrosine. The honey production potential was 152.4 kg/ha for P. rotundum var. subintegrum and 151.3 kg/ha for L. japonicus. These findings provide a basis for identifying food resources for pollinators and selecting plant species to establish honey plant complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Joon Na
- Department of Forest Bioresources, National Institute of Forest Science, Suwon 16631, Republic of Korea; (Y.-K.K.); (J.-M.P.)
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12
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Siopa C, Castro H, Loureiro J, Castro S. PolLimCrop, a global dataset of pollen limitation in crops. Sci Data 2023; 10:905. [PMID: 38102159 PMCID: PMC10724254 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02797-6] [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: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Pollination is a crucial ecosystem service for maintaining plant communities and food production. 75% of the main crops depend on or benefit from pollination services provided by animal pollinators. However, when these services are insufficient and/or inefficient, crops experience pollen limitation with, often, lower associated yield, which may translate into economic losses. We constructed a global dataset that gathers studies with pollination experiments, aiming to provide pollen limitation values of animal-pollinated crops worldwide. Pollination experiments included hand pollen supplementation treatments, where plants were subjected to pollen supplementation of outcross pollen, and natural pollination treatments. The PolLimCrop dataset comprises 294 studies and 1169 unique pollen supplementation experiments with values of pollen limitation for 108 crops, spanning 50 years and 62 countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Siopa
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Helena Castro
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João Loureiro
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sílvia Castro
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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13
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Hung KLJ, Fan SL, Strang CG, Park MG, Thomson JD. Pollen carryover, pollinator movement, and spatial context impact the delivery of pollination services in apple orchards. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2917. [PMID: 37661589 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Assessing the relative contributions of different pollinator taxa to pollination services is a central task in both basic eco-evolutionary research and applied conservation and agriculture. To that end, many studies have quantified single-visit pollen deposition and visitation frequency, which together determine a pollinator species' rate of conspecific pollen delivery. However, for plant species that require or benefit from outcrossing, pollination service quality further depends upon the ratio of outcross to self-pollen deposited, which is determined by two additional pollinator traits: pollen carryover and movement patterns among genetically compatible plant individuals. Here, we compare the pollination capacities of managed honey bees, native bumble bees, and native mining bees in apple-a varietally self-incompatible commercial crop-when pollen carryover and pollinator movement patterns are considered. We constructed simulation models of outcross pollen deposition parameterized using empirically measured single-visit pollen deposition, visitation frequency, and probabilities of intertree movement exhibited by each pollinator type, as well as pollen carryover patterns simulated based on parameters reported in the literature. In these models, we also explicitly specified the spatial relationships among cross-compatible trees based on field-realistic orchard layout schemes. We found that estimated pollination service delivery was considerably reduced for all pollinator types when pollen carryover and pollinator movement patterns were considered, as compared to when only single-visit pollen deposition and visitation frequency were considered. We also found that the performance of different pollinator types varied greatly across simulated orchard layout schemes and pollen carryover scenarios, including one instance where bumble and mining bees reversed their relative rankings. In all simulations, native bumble and mining bees outperformed managed honey bees in terms of both outcross pollen delivery per unit time and per flower visited, with disparities being greatest under scenarios of low pollen carryover. We demonstrate the degree to which pollination studies may reach inaccurate conclusions regarding pollination service delivery when pollen carryover and pollinator movement patterns are ignored. Our finding of the strong context dependence of pollination efficiency, even within a single plant-pollinator taxon pair, cautions that future studies in both basic and applied pollination biology should explicitly consider the ecological context in which pollination interactions take place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keng-Lou James Hung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Sophia L Fan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Caroline G Strang
- College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Mia G Park
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - James D Thomson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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14
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Bell KL, Turo KJ, Lowe A, Nota K, Keller A, Encinas‐Viso F, Parducci L, Richardson RT, Leggett RM, Brosi BJ, Burgess KS, Suyama Y, de Vere N. Plants, pollinators and their interactions under global ecological change: The role of pollen DNA metabarcoding. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:6345-6362. [PMID: 36086900 PMCID: PMC10947134 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities are triggering global changes in the environment, causing entire communities of plants, pollinators and their interactions to restructure, and ultimately leading to species declines. To understand the mechanisms behind community shifts and declines, as well as monitoring and managing impacts, a global effort must be made to characterize plant-pollinator communities in detail, across different habitat types, latitudes, elevations, and levels and types of disturbances. Generating data of this scale will only be feasible with rapid, high-throughput methods. Pollen DNA metabarcoding provides advantages in throughput, efficiency and taxonomic resolution over traditional methods, such as microscopic pollen identification and visual observation of plant-pollinator interactions. This makes it ideal for understanding complex ecological networks and their responses to change. Pollen DNA metabarcoding is currently being applied to assess plant-pollinator interactions, survey ecosystem change and model the spatiotemporal distribution of allergenic pollen. Where samples are available from past collections, pollen DNA metabarcoding has been used to compare contemporary and past ecosystems. New avenues of research are possible with the expansion of pollen DNA metabarcoding to intraspecific identification, analysis of DNA in ancient pollen samples, and increased use of museum and herbarium specimens. Ongoing developments in sequencing technologies can accelerate progress towards these goals. Global ecological change is happening rapidly, and we anticipate that high-throughput methods such as pollen DNA metabarcoding are critical for understanding the evolutionary and ecological processes that support biodiversity, and predicting and responding to the impacts of change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L. Bell
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity and CSIRO Land & WaterFloreatWAAustralia
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
| | - Katherine J. Turo
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural ResourcesRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
| | | | - Kevin Nota
- Department of Ecology and GeneticsEvolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Alexander Keller
- Organismic and Cellular Networks, Faculty of BiologyBiocenter, Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universität MünchenPlaneggGermany
| | - Francisco Encinas‐Viso
- Centre for Australian National Biodiversity ResearchCSIROBlack MountainAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Laura Parducci
- Department of Ecology and GeneticsEvolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
- Department of Environmental BiologySapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Rodney T. Richardson
- Appalachian LaboratoryUniversity of Maryland Center for Environmental ScienceFrostburgMarylandUSA
| | | | - Berry J. Brosi
- Department of BiologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Kevin S. Burgess
- Department of BiologyCollege of Letters and Sciences, Columbus State University, University System of GeorgiaAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Yoshihisa Suyama
- Field Science CenterGraduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku UniversityOsakiMiyagiJapan
| | - Natasha de Vere
- Natural History Museum of DenmarkUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
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15
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Fisher A, Tadei R, Berenbaum M, Nieh J, Siviter H, Crall J, Glass JR, Muth F, Liao LH, Traynor K, DesJardins N, Nocelli R, Simon-Delso N, Harrison JF. Breaking the cycle: Reforming pesticide regulation to protect pollinators. Bioscience 2023; 73:808-813. [PMID: 38125825 PMCID: PMC10728777 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biad088] [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: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Over decades, pesticide regulations have cycled between approval and implementation, followed by the discovery of negative effects on nontarget organisms that result in new regulations, pesticides, and harmful effects. This relentless pattern undermines the capacity to protect the environment from pesticide hazards and frustrates end users that need pest management tools. Wild pollinating insects are in decline, and managed pollinators such as honey bees are experiencing excessive losses, which threatens sustainable food security and ecosystem function. An increasing number of studies demonstrate the negative effects of field-realistic exposure to pesticides on pollinator health and fitness, which contribute to pollinator declines. Current pesticide approval processes, although they are superior to past practices, clearly continue to fail to protect pollinator health. In the present article, we provide a conceptual framework to reform cyclical pesticide approval processes and better protect pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Fisher
- School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
| | | | - May Berenbaum
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States
| | - James Nieh
- University of California, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Harry Siviter
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States
- University of Bristol, Bristol, England, United Kingdom
| | - James Crall
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Widsconsin, United States
| | - Jordan R Glass
- School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
| | - Felicity Muth
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States
| | - Ling-Hsiu Liao
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States
| | | | - Nicole DesJardins
- School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
| | | | - Noa Simon-Delso
- BeeLife European Beekeeping Coordination, Louvain la Neuve, Belgium
| | - Jon F Harrison
- School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
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16
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Kraus JM, Smalling KL, Vandever MW, Givens CE, Smith CD, Kolpin DW, Hladik ML. Conserved grasslands support similar pollinator diversity as pollinator-specific practice regardless of proximal cropland and pesticide exposure. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:231093. [PMID: 38026041 PMCID: PMC10663794 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231093] [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: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Pollinator diversity and abundance are declining globally. Cropland agriculture and the corresponding use of agricultural pesticides may contribute to these declines, while increased pollinator habitat (flowering plants) can help mitigate them. Here we tested whether the relative effect of wildflower plantings on pollinator diversity and counts were modified by proportion of nearby agricultural land cover and pesticide exposure in 24 conserved grasslands in Iowa, USA. Compared with general grassland conservation practices, wildflower plantings led to only a 5% increase in pollinator diversity and no change in counts regardless of the proportion of cropland agriculture within a 1 km radius. Pollinator diversity increased earlier in the growing season and with per cent flower cover. Unexpectedly, neither insecticide nor total pesticide concentrations on above-ground passive samplers were related to pollinator diversity. However, pollinator community composition was most strongly related to date of sampling, total pesticide concentration, and forb or flower cover. Our results indicate very little difference in pollinator diversity between grassland conservation practices with and without wildflower plantings. Given the relatively high economic costs of wildflower plantings, our research provides initial evidence that investment in general grassland conservation may efficiently conserve pollinator diversity in temperate regions of intensive cropland agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna M. Kraus
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
| | - Kelly L. Smalling
- New Jersey Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, USA
| | - Mark W. Vandever
- Fort Collins Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Carrie E. Givens
- Upper Midwest Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Lansing, MI 48911, USA
| | - Cassandra D. Smith
- Oregon Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Bend, OR 97701, USA
| | - Dana W. Kolpin
- Central Midwest Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Iowa City, IA 52240, USA
| | - Michelle L. Hladik
- California Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
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17
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Quarrell S, Weinstein AM, Hannah L, Bonavia N, del Borrello O, Flematti GR, Bohman B. Critical Pollination Chemistry: Specific Sesquiterpene Floral Volatiles in Carrot Inhibit Honey Bee Feeding. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:16079-16089. [PMID: 37871312 PMCID: PMC10623568 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c03392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Many plants rely on insect pollination, yet numerous agricultural plant-breeding programs focus on traits that appeal to growers and consumers instead of pollinators, leading to declining pollinator attraction and crop yields. Using hybrid carrot seed production as a model, we investigated low-yielding carrot varieties by analyzing sugars and minerals in nectar and floral volatile composition. While the analysis of nectar sugars and minerals did not reveal any key differences between the carrot varieties, differences between the 112 detected volatiles in 23 samples were observed. Numerous differentiating sesquiterpenes were identified in floral solvent extracts, and subsequent behavioral assays showed that β-ocimene from higher-yielding carrot varieties stimulated nectar feeding (attractant), while α- and β-selinene from lower-yielding lines decreased feeding (deterrents). Sesquiterpenes have previously been implicated in plant defense, suggesting a trade-off between pollination and protection. Our results highlight the importance of volatiles as regulators of pollinator attraction in agricultural settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen
R. Quarrell
- Tasmanian
Institute of Agriculture, University of
Tasmania, College Rd, Hobart 7005, Australia
| | - Alyssa M. Weinstein
- Ecology
and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Lea Hannah
- Seed
Production Research, Research and Development, Rijk Zwaan Australia, Musk, Victoria 3461, Australia
- Hawkesbury
Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney
University, Richmond, New South Wales 2753, Australia
| | - Nicole Bonavia
- Seed
Production Research, Research and Development, Rijk Zwaan Australia, Musk, Victoria 3461, Australia
| | - Oscar del Borrello
- School
of Molecular Sciences, University of Western
Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Gavin R. Flematti
- School
of Molecular Sciences, University of Western
Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Björn Bohman
- School
of Molecular Sciences, University of Western
Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- Department
of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University
of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma 234 22, Sweden
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18
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Hallam J, Harris NC. What's going to be on the menu with global environmental changes? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5744-5759. [PMID: 37458101 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing anthropogenic change is altering the planet at an unprecedented rate, threatening biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning. Species are responding to abiotic pressures at both individual and population levels, with changes affecting trophic interactions through consumptive pathways. Collectively, these impacts alter the goods and services that natural ecosystems will provide to society, as well as the persistence of all species. Here, we describe the physiological and behavioral responses of species to global changes on individual and population levels that result in detectable changes in diet across terrestrial and marine ecosystems. We illustrate shifts in the dynamics of food webs with implications for animal communities. Additionally, we highlight the myriad of tools available for researchers to investigate the dynamics of consumption patterns and trophic interactions, arguing that diet data are a crucial component of ecological studies on global change. We suggest that a holistic approach integrating the complexities of diet choice and trophic interactions with environmental drivers may be more robust at resolving trends in biodiversity, predicting food web responses, and potentially identifying early warning signs of diversity loss. Ultimately, despite the growing body of long-term ecological datasets, there remains a dearth of diet ecology studies across temporal scales, a shortcoming that must be resolved to elucidate vulnerabilities to changing biophysical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Hallam
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Nyeema C Harris
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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19
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Wolcott KA, Stanley EL, Gutierrez OA, Wuchty S, Whitlock BA. 3D pollination biology using micro-computed tomography and geometric morphometrics in Theobroma cacao. APPLICATIONS IN PLANT SCIENCES 2023; 11:e11549. [PMID: 37915432 PMCID: PMC10617321 DOI: 10.1002/aps3.11549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Premise Imaging technologies that capture three-dimensional (3D) variation in floral morphology at micro- and nano-resolutions are increasingly accessible. In herkogamous flowers, such as those of Theobroma cacao, structural barriers between anthers and stigmas represent bottlenecks that restrict pollinator size and access to reproductive organs. To study the unresolved pollination biology of cacao, we present a novel application of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) using floral dimensions to quantify pollinator functional size limits. Methods We generated micro-CT data sets from field-collected flowers and museum specimens of potential pollinators. To compare floral variation, we used 3D Slicer to place landmarks on the surface models and performed a geometric morphometric (GMM) analysis using geomorph R. We identified the petal side door (an opening between the petal hoods and filament) as the main bottleneck for pollinator access. We compared its mean dimensions with proposed pollinators to identify viable candidates. Results We identified three levels of likelihood for putative pollinators based on the number of morphological (body) dimensions that fit through the petal side door. We also found floral reward microstructures whose presence and location were previously unclear. Discussion Using micro-CT and GMM to study the 3D pollination biology of cacao provides new evidence for predicting unknown pollinators. Incorporating geometry and floral rewards will strengthen plant-pollinator trait matching models for cacao and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Edward L. Stanley
- Department of Natural HistoryFlorida Museum of Natural HistoryGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Osman A. Gutierrez
- Subtropical Horticultural Research StationUnited States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service (USDA‐ARS)MiamiFlorida33158USA
| | - Stefan Wuchty
- Department of BiologyUniversity of MiamiCoral GablesFlorida33124USA
- Department of Computer ScienceUniversity of MiamiCoral GablesFlorida33146USA
- Institute of Data Science and ComputingUniversity of MiamiCoral GablesFlorida33146USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of MiamiMiamiFlorida33136USA
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20
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Scalici MB, McCabe LM, Alston DG, Peterson SS, Yost M, Pitts-Singer TL. Blue orchard bee (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) origin and orchard growing region affect female retention at artificial nest sites in cherry orchards. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:681-691. [PMID: 37329144 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvad057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria Say (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), is a solitary, cavity-nesting species used for pollinating spring blooming crops. Commercial stocks are sourced from a few locations in the western United States but are sold across the country. However, the existence of local adaptations of these bees is unknown, such as the propensity to nest in nearby provided materials or to disperse broadly beyond release sites. In spring 2019, California- and Utah-sourced blue orchard bees were introduced into cherry orchards in both source and reciprocal states. Nest boxes were placed near (within 78 m) and far (500 m-1 km) from central bee release points. Paint-marked bees were released when floral resources were available. Observations of marked bees at nest boxes were used to evaluate female retention and dispersal pattern. Nesting bee counts in March-blooming California orchards revealed a significant difference in female retention by population source; over twice as many UT bees established nests than did CA bees. Few females were found at far nest sites. In May-blooming Utah orchards, counts of CA and UT bees were similar at near and far nest sites; neither female retention nor dispersal was significantly affected by bee origin. It is concerning that CA females were less likely to be retained in California orchards because the demand for commercial pollination is high for early-blooming California almond and cherry. Our results highlight the need to understand potential consequences of bee origin and their management on pollinator performance and reproduction in target crops.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Diane G Alston
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | | | - Matt Yost
- Plants, Soils, and Climate Department, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
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21
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Mayack C, Cook SE, Niño BD, Rivera L, Niño EL, Seshadri A. Poor Air Quality Is Linked to Stress in Honeybees and Can Be Compounded by the Presence of Disease. INSECTS 2023; 14:689. [PMID: 37623399 PMCID: PMC10455886 DOI: 10.3390/insects14080689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Climate change-related extreme weather events have manifested in the western United States as warmer and drier conditions with an increased risk of wildfires. Honeybees, essential for crop pollination in California, are at the center of these extreme weather events. We associated the maximum daily temperature and air quality index values with the performance of colonies placed in wildfire-prone areas and determined the impact of these abiotic stressors on gene expression and histopathology. Our results indicate that poor air quality was associated with higher maximum daily temperatures and a lower gene expression level of Prophenoloxidase (ProPO), which is tied to immune system strength; however, a higher gene expression level of Vitellogenin (Vg) is tied to oxidative stress. There was a positive relationship between Varroa mites and N. ceranae pathogen loads, and a negative correlation between Varroa mites and Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70) gene expression, suggesting the limited ability of mite-infested colonies to buffer against extreme temperatures. Histological analyses did not reveal overt signs of interaction between pathology and abiotic stressors, but N. ceranae infections were evident. Our study provides insights into interactions between abiotic stressors, their relation to common biotic stressors, and the expression of genes related to immunity and oxidative stress in bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Mayack
- USDA/ARS/WRRC, Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research Unit, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (C.M.); (B.D.N.); (L.R.)
| | - Sarah E. Cook
- SpecialtyVETPATH, 3450 16th Ave. W. Ste 303, Seattle, WA 98119, USA;
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, 944 Garrod Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Bernardo D. Niño
- USDA/ARS/WRRC, Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research Unit, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (C.M.); (B.D.N.); (L.R.)
| | - Laura Rivera
- USDA/ARS/WRRC, Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research Unit, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (C.M.); (B.D.N.); (L.R.)
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
| | - Elina L. Niño
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
| | - Arathi Seshadri
- USDA/ARS/WRRC, Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research Unit, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (C.M.); (B.D.N.); (L.R.)
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22
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Ulyshen M, Urban-Mead KR, Dorey JB, Rivers JW. Forests are critically important to global pollinator diversity and enhance pollination in adjacent crops. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1118-1141. [PMID: 36879466 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12947] [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: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Although the importance of natural habitats to pollinator diversity is widely recognized, the value of forests to pollinating insects has been largely overlooked in many parts of the world. In this review, we (i) establish the importance of forests to global pollinator diversity, (ii) explore the relationship between forest cover and pollinator diversity in mixed-use landscapes, and (iii) highlight the contributions of forest-associated pollinators to pollination in adjacent crops. The literature shows unambiguously that native forests support a large number of forest-dependent species and are thus critically important to global pollinator diversity. Many pollinator taxa require or benefit greatly from resources that are restricted to forests, such as floral resources provided by forest plants (including wind-pollinated trees), dead wood for nesting, tree resins, and various non-floral sugar sources (e.g. honeydew). Although landscape-scale studies generally support the conclusion that forests enhance pollinator diversity, findings are often complicated by spatial scale, focal taxa, landscape context, temporal context, forest type, disturbance history, and external stressors. While some forest loss can be beneficial to pollinators by enhancing habitat complementarity, too much can result in the near-elimination of forest-associated species. There is strong evidence from studies of multiple crop types that forest cover can substantially increase yields in adjacent habitats, at least within the foraging ranges of the pollinators involved. The literature also suggests that forests may have enhanced importance to pollinators in the future given their role in mitigating the negative effects of pesticides and climate change. Many questions remain about the amount and configuration of forest cover required to promote the diversity of forest-associated pollinators and their services within forests and in neighbouring habitats. However, it is clear from the current body of knowledge that any effort to preserve native woody habitats, including the protection of individual trees, will benefit pollinating insects and help maintain the critical services they provide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ulyshen
- USDA Forest Service, 320 Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Katherine R Urban-Mead
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 129 Garden Avenue, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Columbus, NJ, 08022, USA
| | - James B Dorey
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - James W Rivers
- Department of Forest Engineering, Resources, and Management, Oregon State University, 3100 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
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23
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Easton-Calabria AC, Thuma JA, Cronin K, Melone G, Laskowski M, Smith MAY, Pasadyn CL, de Bivort BL, Crall JD. Colony size buffers interactions between neonicotinoid exposure and cold stress in bumblebees. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230555. [PMID: 37464757 PMCID: PMC10354472 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0555] [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: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Social bees are critical for supporting biodiversity, ecosystem function and crop yields globally. Colony size is a key ecological trait predicted to drive sensitivity to environmental stressors and may be especially important for species with annual cycles of sociality, such as bumblebees. However, there is limited empirical evidence assessing the effect of colony size on sensitivity to environmental stressors or the mechanisms underlying these effects. Here, we examine the relationship between colony size and sensitivity to environmental stressors in bumblebees. We exposed colonies at different developmental stages briefly (2 days) to a common neonicotinoid (imidacloprid) and cold stress, while quantifying behaviour of individuals. Combined imidacloprid and cold exposure had stronger effects on both thermoregulatory behaviour and long-term colony growth in small colonies. We find that imidacloprid's effects on behaviour are mediated by body temperature and spatial location within the nest, suggesting that social thermoregulation provides a buffering effect in large colonies. Finally, we demonstrate qualitatively similar effects in size-manipulated microcolonies, suggesting that group size per se, rather than colony age, drives these patterns. Our results provide evidence that colony size is critical in driving sensitivity to stressors and may help elucidate mechanisms underlying the complex and context-specific impacts of pesticide exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- August C. Easton-Calabria
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Jessie A. Thuma
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155-5801, USA
| | - Kayleigh Cronin
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Gigi Melone
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Madalyn Laskowski
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Matthew A. Y. Smith
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Cassandra L. Pasadyn
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Benjamin L. de Bivort
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - James D. Crall
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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24
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Gazzea E, Batáry P, Marini L. Global meta-analysis shows reduced quality of food crops under inadequate animal pollination. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4463. [PMID: 37491349 PMCID: PMC10368628 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40231-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal pollination supports the production of a wide range of food crops fundamental to maintaining diverse and nutritionally balanced diets. Here, we present a global meta-analysis quantifying the contribution of pollination to multiple facets of crop quality, including both organoleptic and nutritional traits. In fruits and vegetables, pollinators strongly improve several commercially important attributes related to appearance and shelf life, whereas they have smaller effects on nutritional value. Pollination does not increase quality in stimulant crops, nuts, and spices. We report weak signals of a pollination deficit for organoleptic traits, which might indicate a potential service decline across agricultural landscapes. However, the deficit is small and non-significant at the α = 0.05 level, suggesting that pollen deposition from wild and/or managed pollinators is sufficient to maximise quality in most cases. As producing commercially suboptimal fruits can have multiple negative economic and environmental consequences, safeguarding pollination services is important to maintain food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Gazzea
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padua, Legnaro (Padua), Italy.
| | - Péter Batáry
- "Lendület" Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Lorenzo Marini
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padua, Legnaro (Padua), Italy
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Wang Q, Liu G, Yan L, Xu W, Hilton DJ, Liu X, Pei W, Li X, Wu J, Zhao H, Zhang D, Elgar MA. Short-term particulate matter contamination severely compromises insect antennal olfactory perception. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4112. [PMID: 37433781 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39469-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The consequences of sub-lethal levels of ambient air pollution are underestimated for insects, for example, the accumulation of particulate matter on sensory receptors located on their antennae may have detrimental effects to their function. Here we show that the density of particulate matter on the antennae of houseflies (Musca domestica) collected from an urban environment increases with the severity of air pollution. A combination of behavioural assays, electroantennograms and transcriptomic analysis provide consistent evidence that a brief exposure to particulate matter pollution compromises olfactory perception of reproductive and food odours in both male and female houseflies. Since particulate matter can be transported thousands of kilometres from its origin, these effects may represent an additional factor responsible for global declines in insect numbers, even in pristine and remote areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qike Wang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 100083, Beijing, China
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Genting Liu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 100083, Beijing, China
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Liping Yan
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Wentian Xu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Douglas J Hilton
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Xianhui Liu
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Wenya Pei
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyu Li
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Jinbiao Wu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Haifeng Zhao
- Faculty of Architecture, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Dong Zhang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 100083, Beijing, China.
| | - Mark A Elgar
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
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Pecenka JR, Ingwell LL, Krupke CH, Kaplan I. Implementing IPM in crop management simultaneously improves the health of managed bees and enhances the diversity of wild pollinator communities. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11033. [PMID: 37420024 PMCID: PMC10328965 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38053-5] [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: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Impacts of insecticide use on the health of wild and managed pollinators have been difficult to accurately quantify in the field. Existing designs tend to focus on single crops, even though highly mobile bees routinely forage across crop boundaries. We created fields of pollinator-dependent watermelon surrounded by corn, regionally important crops in the Midwestern US. These fields were paired at multiple sites in 2017-2020 with the only difference being pest management regimes: a standard set of conventional management (CM) practices vs. an integrated pest management (IPM) system that uses scouting and pest thresholds to determine if/when insecticides are used. Between these two systems we compared the performance (e.g., growth, survival) of managed pollinators-honey bees (Apis mellifera), bumble bees (Bombus impatiens)-along with the abundance and diversity of wild pollinators. Compared to CM fields, IPM led to higher growth and lower mortality of managed bees, while also increasing the abundance (+ 147%) and richness (+ 128%) of wild pollinator species, and lower concentrations of neonicotinoids in the hive material of both managed bees. By replicating realistic changes to pest management, this experiment provides one of the first demonstrations whereby tangible improvements to pollinator health and crop visitation result from IPM implementation in agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob R Pecenka
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, 901 W. State St., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
| | - Laura L Ingwell
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, 901 W. State St., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Christian H Krupke
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, 901 W. State St., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Ian Kaplan
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, 901 W. State St., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
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27
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Osterman J, Benton F, Hellström S, Luderer‐Pflimpfl M, Pöpel‐Eisenbrandt A, Wild BS, Theodorou P, Ulbricht C, Paxton RJ. Mason bees and honey bees synergistically enhance fruit set in sweet cherry orchards. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10289. [PMID: 37435028 PMCID: PMC10329911 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10289] [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: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Mason bees (Osmia spp.) are efficient fruit tree pollinators that can be encouraged to occupy and breed in artificial nesting material. In sweet cherry orchards, they are occasionally used as an alternative managed pollinator as a replacement for or in addition to honey bees (Apis mellifera). Yet, the lack of practical guidelines on management practices, for example optimal stocking rates, for both mason bee nesting material and honey bees might compromise pollination service provision. In this study, we assessed the relationship between stocking rates (honey bee hives and mason bee nesting material) and the abundance of honey bees and mason bees in 17 sweet cherry (Prunus avium) orchards in Central Germany. We furthermore performed a pollination experiment to explore the interactive effect of mason bees and honey bees on sweet cherry fruit set. In the orchards, both honey bee and mason bee abundance increased with increasing stocking rates of hives or nesting material, respectively. Honey bee abundance increased linearly with stocking rates. In contrast, mason bee abundance asymptoted at 2-3 nesting boxes per ha, beyond which more boxes resulted in little increase in visitation rate. Our pollination experiment demonstrated that orchards were pollen limited, with only 28% of insect-pollinated flowers setting fruit versus 39% of optimally hand-pollinated flowers. Honey bees and mason bees enhanced sweet cherry fruit set, but only when both were present and not when either was present alone in an orchard. Our findings demonstrate that offering nesting material for mason bees and employing honey bee hives can enhance bee abundance in sweet cherry orchards. By increasing honey bee abundance in combination with enhanced mason bee abundance, farmers can substantially boost fruit set and potentially sweet cherry yield. To enhance pollination services, farmers should consider the benefits of increasing pollinator biodiversity as an immediate benefit to improve crop yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Osterman
- General Zoology, Institute for BiologyMartin‐Luther‐University of Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
- Department of Computational Landscape EcologyHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research‐UFZ Leipzig, ESCALATELeipzigGermany
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity CentreUniversity of GothenburgGöteborgSweden
| | - Frances Benton
- General Zoology, Institute for BiologyMartin‐Luther‐University of Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
- Queen's University BelfastBelfastUK
| | - Sara Hellström
- General Zoology, Institute for BiologyMartin‐Luther‐University of Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
| | | | | | - Bilyana Stoykova Wild
- General Zoology, Institute for BiologyMartin‐Luther‐University of Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
- Faculty of BiologySofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”SofiaBulgaria
| | - Panagiotis Theodorou
- General Zoology, Institute for BiologyMartin‐Luther‐University of Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Christin Ulbricht
- Dezernat GartenbauLandesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und GartenbauQuedlinburgGermany
| | - Robert J. Paxton
- General Zoology, Institute for BiologyMartin‐Luther‐University of Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
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Aidoo OF, Osei-Owusu J, Asante K, Dofuor AK, Boateng BO, Debrah SK, Ninsin KD, Siddiqui SA, Chia SY. Insects as food and medicine: a sustainable solution for global health and environmental challenges. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1113219. [PMID: 37388630 PMCID: PMC10303143 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1113219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Insects are a significant source of food for millions of people worldwide. Since ancient times, insects in medicine have been contributing to the treatment of diseases in humans and animals. Compared to conventional animal farming, the production of insects for food and feed generates significantly less greenhouse gas emissions and uses considerably less land. Edible insects provide many ecosystem services, including pollination, environmental health monitoring, and the decomposition of organic waste materials. Some wild edible insects are pests of cash crops. Thus, harvesting and consuming edible insect pests as food and utilizing them for therapeutic purposes could be a significant progress in the biological control of insect pests. Our review discusses the contribution of edible insects to food and nutritional security. It highlights therapeutic uses of insects and recommends ways to ensure a sustainable insect diet. We stress that the design and implementation of guidelines for producing, harvesting, processing, and consuming edible insects must be prioritized to ensure safe and sustainable use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owusu Fordjour Aidoo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
| | - Jonathan Osei-Owusu
- Department of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
| | - Kwasi Asante
- Coconut Research Programme, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Sekondi, Ghana
| | - Aboagye Kwarteng Dofuor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
| | | | - Shadrack Kwaku Debrah
- Department of Horticulture and Crop Production Sunyani, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana
| | - Kodwo Dadzie Ninsin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
| | - Shahida Anusha Siddiqui
- Technical University of Munich, Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Straubing, Germany
- German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL e.V.), Quakenbrück, Germany
| | - Shaphan Yong Chia
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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29
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Davis AE, Schmidt LA, Harrington S, Spurr C, Rader R. Provisioning Australian Seed Carrot Agroecosystems with Non-Floral Habitat Provides Oviposition Sites for Crop-Pollinating Diptera. INSECTS 2023; 14:insects14050439. [PMID: 37233067 DOI: 10.3390/insects14050439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The addition of floral resources is a common intervention to support the adult life stages of key crop pollinators. Fly (Diptera) crop pollinators, however, typically do not require floral resources in their immature life stages and are likely not supported by this management intervention. Here, we deployed portable pools filled with habitat (decaying plant materials, soil, water) in seed carrot agroecosystems with the intention of providing reproduction sites for beneficial syrphid (tribe Eristalini) fly pollinators. Within 12 to 21 days after the pools were deployed, we found that the habitat pools supported the oviposition and larval development of two species of eristaline syrphid flies, Eristalis tenax (Linnaeus, 1758) and Eristalinus punctulatus (Macquart, 1847). Each habitat pool contained an average (±S.E.) of 547 ± 117 eristaline fly eggs and 50 ± 17 eristaline fly larvae. Additionally, we found significantly more eggs were laid on decaying plant stems and carrot roots compared to other locations within the pool habitat (e.g., on decaying carrot umbels, leaves, etc.). These results suggest that deploying habitat pools in agroecosystems can be a successful management intervention that rapidly facilitates fly pollinator reproduction. This method can be used to support future studies to determine if the addition of habitat resources on intensively cultivated farms increases flower visitation and crop pollination success by flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abby E Davis
- Department of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
| | - Lena Alice Schmidt
- Department of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
| | | | | | - Romina Rader
- Department of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
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30
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Mateos‐Fierro Z, Garratt MPD, Fountain MT, Ashbrook K, Westbury DB. The potential of wildflower strips to enhance pollination services in sweet cherry orchards grown under polytunnels. J Appl Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
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31
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Lazic D, Schmickl T. Will biomimetic robots be able to change a hivemind to guide honeybees' ecosystem services? BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2023; 18:035004. [PMID: 36863023 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/acc0b9] [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: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
We study whether or not a group of biomimetic waggle dancing robots is able to significantly influence the swarm-intelligent decision making of a honeybee colony, e.g. to avoid foraging at dangerous food patches using a mathematical model. Our model was successfully validated against data from two empirical experiments: one examined the selection of foraging targets and the other cross inhibition between foraging targets. We found that such biomimetic robots have a significant effect on a honeybee colony's foraging decision. This effect correlates with the number of applied robots up to several dozens of robots and then saturates quickly with higher robot numbers. These robots can reallocate the bees' pollination service in a directed way towards desired locations or boost it at specific locations, without having a significant negative effect on the colony's nectar economy. Additionally, we found that such robots may be able to lower the influx of toxic substances from potentially harmful foraging sites by guiding the bees to alternative places. These effects also depend on the saturation level of the colony's nectar stores. The more nectar is already stored in the colony, the easier the bees are guided by the robots to alternative foraging targets. Our study shows that biomimetic and socially immersive biomimetic robots are a relevant future research target in order to support (a) the bees by guiding them to safe (pesticide free) places, (b) the ecosystem via boosted and directed pollination services and (c) human society by supporting agricultural crop pollination, thus increasing our food security this way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dajana Lazic
- Artificial Life Lab, Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Thomas Schmickl
- Artificial Life Lab, Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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32
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Rinkevich FD, Moreno-Martí S, Hernández-Rodríguez CS, González-Cabrera J. Confirmation of the Y215H mutation in the β 2 -octopamine receptor in Varroa destructor is associated with contemporary cases of amitraz resistance in the United States. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2023. [PMID: 36947601 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The parasitic mite, Varroa destructor (Anderson and Trueman), is a leading cause of honey bee colony losses around the world. Application of miticides such as amitraz are often the primary method of Varroa control in commercial beekeeping operations in the United States. It is likely that excessive and exclusive amitraz application has led to the development of amitraz resistance in Varroa. A mutation of tyrosine at amino acid position 215 to histidine (Y215H) in the β2 -octopamine receptor was identified in putatively amitraz-resistant Varroa in the United States. This research investigated the presence of the Y215H mutation in quantitatively confirmed amitraz-resistant Varroa from the United States. RESULTS There was a strong association of susceptible and resistant phenotypes with the corresponding susceptible and resistant genotypes respectively, and vice versa. The resistance bioassay may understate resistance levels because of the influence of environmental conditions on the outcome of the test, whereby Varroa with an amitraz-resistant genotype may appear with a susceptible phenotype. CONCLUSION Confirmation of the Y215H mutation in the β2 -octopamine receptor of amitraz-resistant Varroa encourages the development and validation of low-cost, high-throughput genotyping protocols to assess amitraz resistance. Resistance monitoring via genotyping will allow for large-scale passive monitoring to accurately determine the prevalence of amitraz resistance rather than directed sampling of apiaries with known resistance issues. Genotyping of Varroa for amitraz resistance early in the beekeeping season may predict late-season resistance at the colony level and provide beekeepers with enough time to develop an effective Varroa management strategy. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank D Rinkevich
- USDA-ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Laboratory, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
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33
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Local Plant and Insect Conservation Evaluated with Organizational Identity Theory. JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL GARDENS 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/jzbg4010019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
With a range of programs focused on local plant and insect conservation, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden works with partners and our communities to restore landscapes and thriving ecosystems for wildlife and people. We used organizational identity theory (OIT) to evaluate the current strategies and practices of five programs and determine opportunities for adaptation to better achieve our organizational conservation goals. Case studies ranged from habitat restoration of wetlands and gardens to community engagement to encourage individual gardeners and the reintroduction of endangered plants and insects. We present program characteristics and how collaborative partnerships facilitate opportunities for zoos to lead the conservation of local flora and fauna. The OIT framework reveals components critical to strategy implementation and best practices relevant to other zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens when evaluating their collaborative conservation initiatives.
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Catania R, Lima MAP, Potrich M, Sgolastra F, Zappalà L, Mazzeo G. Are Botanical Biopesticides Safe for Bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea)? INSECTS 2023; 14:247. [PMID: 36975932 PMCID: PMC10053700 DOI: 10.3390/insects14030247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The recent global decline in insect populations is of particular concern for pollinators. Wild and managed bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) are of primary environmental and economic importance because of their role in pollinating cultivated and wild plants, and synthetic pesticides are among the major factors contributing to their decline. Botanical biopesticides may be a viable alternative to synthetic pesticides in plant defence due to their high selectivity and short environmental persistence. In recent years, scientific progress has been made to improve the development and effectiveness of these products. However, knowledge regarding their adverse effects on the environment and non-target species is still scarce, especially when compared to that of synthetic products. Here, we summarize the studies concerning the toxicity of botanical biopesticides on the different groups of social and solitary bees. We highlight the lethal and sublethal effects of these products on bees, the lack of a uniform protocol to assess the risks of biopesticides on pollinators, and the scarcity of studies on specific groups of bees, such as the large and diverse group of solitary bees. Results show that botanical biopesticides cause lethal effects and a large number of sublethal effects on bees. However, the toxicity is limited when comparing the effects of these compounds with those of synthetic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Catania
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Maria Augusta Pereira Lima
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Michele Potrich
- Laboratório de Controle Biológico, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná—Dois Vizinhos (UTFPR-DV), Paraná 85660-000, Brazil
| | - Fabio Sgolastra
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-Alimentari, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Lucia Zappalà
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Gaetana Mazzeo
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
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35
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Barda M, Karamaouna F, Kati V, Perdikis D. Do Patches of Flowering Plants Enhance Insect Pollinators in Apple Orchards? INSECTS 2023; 14:insects14020208. [PMID: 36835777 PMCID: PMC9960344 DOI: 10.3390/insects14020208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Apples depend on insect pollination but intensification of agriculture jeopardizes pollination services in agroecosystems. Concerns about the dependency of crop pollination exclusively on honey bees increase the interest in agricultural practices that safeguard wild pollinators in agroecosystems. The purpose of the study was to assess the potential of floral resource provision in apple orchards to enhance the conservation of hymenopterous pollinating insects and potentially the pollination service to the crop. For this reason, flowering plant mixtures sown in patches inside apple orchards were tested against wild plant patches. Pollinator taxa recorded on the sown and wild plant patches were honey bees, wild bees (Andrena, Anthophora, Eucera, Halictus, Lasioglossum, Megachilidae on both; Systropha only on wild plants; Bombus, Hylaeus, Sphecodes, Nomada, Xylocopa only on sown mixture), syrphids, bee flies. The most abundant pollinator of apple was A. mellifera but wild bees were also recorded (Andrena, Anthophora, Bombus, Xylocopa, Lasioglossum, Megachilidae). The sown mixture attracted a more diverse taxa of pollinators and in greater numbers compared to the weed flora, but it did not have an effect on pollinators visiting apple flowers. Groundcover management with patches of suitable flowering mixtures can enhance pollinator conservation in apple orchards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrto Barda
- Laboratory of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
- Scientific Directorate of Pesticides Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 Stefanou Delta Str., 14561 Kifissia, Greece
- Correspondence: (M.B.); (F.K.)
| | - Filitsa Karamaouna
- Scientific Directorate of Pesticides Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 Stefanou Delta Str., 14561 Kifissia, Greece
- Correspondence: (M.B.); (F.K.)
| | - Vaya Kati
- Scientific Directorate of Pesticides Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 Stefanou Delta Str., 14561 Kifissia, Greece
- Laboratory of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Dionysios Perdikis
- Laboratory of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
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36
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Dorian NN, McCarthy MW, Crone EE. Ecological traits explain long-term phenological trends in solitary bees. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:285-296. [PMID: 35839142 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Across taxa, the timing of life-history events (phenology) is changing in response to warming temperatures. However, little is known about drivers of variation in phenological trends among species. We analysed 168 years of museum specimen and sighting data to evaluate the patterns of phenological change in 70 species of solitary bees that varied in three ecological traits: diet breadth (generalist or specialist), seasonality (spring, summer or fall) and nesting location (above-ground or below-ground). We estimated changes in onset, median, end and duration of each bee species' annual activity (flight duration) using quantile regression. To determine whether ecological traits could explain phenological trends, we compared average trends across species groups that differed in a single trait. We expected that specialist bees would be constrained by their host plants' phenology and would show weaker phenological change than generalist species. We expected phenological advances in spring and delays in summer and fall. Lastly, we expected stronger shifts in above-ground versus below-ground nesters. Across all species, solitary bees have advanced their phenology by 0.43 days/decade. Since 1970, this advancement has increased fourfold to 1.62 days/decade. Solitary bees have also lengthened their flight period by 0.44 days/decade. Seasonality and nesting location explained variation in trends among species. Spring- and summer-active bees tended to advance their phenology, whereas fall-active bees tended to delay. Above-ground nesting species experienced stronger advances than below-ground nesting bees in spring; however, the opposite was true in summer. Diet breadth was not associated with patterns of phenological change. Our study has two key implications. First, an increasing activity period of bees across the flight season means that bee communities will potentially provide pollination services for a longer period of time during the year. And, since phenological trends in solitary bees can be explained by some ecological traits, our study provides insight into mechanisms underpinning population viability of insect pollinators in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas N Dorian
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Max W McCarthy
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Elizabeth E Crone
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
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Recent and future declines of a historically widespread pollinator linked to climate, land cover, and pesticides. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2211223120. [PMID: 36689649 PMCID: PMC9945941 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2211223120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The acute decline in global biodiversity includes not only the loss of rare species, but also the rapid collapse of common species across many different taxa. The loss of pollinating insects is of particular concern because of the ecological and economic values these species provide. The western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis) was once common in western North America, but this species has become increasingly rare through much of its range. To understand potential mechanisms driving these declines, we used Bayesian occupancy models to investigate the effects of climate and land cover from 1998 to 2020, pesticide use from 2008 to 2014, and projected expected occupancy under three future scenarios. Using 14,457 surveys across 2.8 million km2 in the western United States, we found strong negative relationships between increasing temperature and drought on occupancy and identified neonicotinoids as the pesticides of greatest negative influence across our study region. The mean predicted occupancy declined by 57% from 1998 to 2020, ranging from 15 to 83% declines across 16 ecoregions. Even under the most optimistic scenario, we found continued declines in nearly half of the ecoregions by the 2050s and mean declines of 93% under the most severe scenario across all ecoregions. This assessment underscores the tenuous future of B. occidentalis and demonstrates the scale of stressors likely contributing to rapid loss of related pollinator species throughout the globe. Scaled-up, international species-monitoring schemes and improved integration of data from formal surveys and community science will substantively improve the understanding of stressors and bumble bee population trends.
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Helander M, Lehtonen TK, Saikkonen K, Despains L, Nyckees D, Antinoja A, Solvi C, Loukola OJ. Field-realistic acute exposure to glyphosate-based herbicide impairs fine-color discrimination in bumblebees. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 857:159298. [PMID: 36216073 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159298] [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: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Pollinator decline is a grave challenge worldwide. One of the main culprits for this decline is the widespread use of, and pollinators' chronic exposure to, agrochemicals. Here, we examined the effect of a field-realistic dose of the world's most commonly used pesticide, glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH), on bumblebee cognition. We experimentally tested bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) color and scent discrimination using acute GBH exposure, approximating a field-realistic dose from a day's foraging in a patch recently sprayed with GBH. In a 10-color discrimination experiment with five learning bouts, GBH treated bumblebees' learning rate fell to zero by third learning bout, whereas the control bees increased their performance in the last two bouts. In the memory test, the GBH treated bumblebees performed to near chance level, indicating that they had lost everything they had learned during the learning bouts, while the control bees were performing close to the level in their last learning bout. However, GBH did not affect bees' learning in a 2-color or 10-odor discrimination experiment, which suggests that the impact is limited to fine color learning and does not necessarily generalize to less specific tasks or other modalities. These results indicate that the widely used pesticide damages bumblebees' fine-color discrimination, which is essential to the pollinator's individual success and to colony fitness in complex foraging environments. Hence, our study suggests that acute sublethal exposure to GBH poses a greater threat to pollination-based ecosystem services than previously thought, and that tests for learning and memory should be integrated into pesticide risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjo Helander
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland.
| | - Topi K Lehtonen
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, FI-90570 Oulu, Finland; Natural Resources Institute Finland, FI-90570 Oulu, Finland
| | - Kari Saikkonen
- Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Léo Despains
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Danae Nyckees
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Anna Antinoja
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, FI-90570 Oulu, Finland
| | - Cwyn Solvi
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, FI-90570 Oulu, Finland
| | - Olli J Loukola
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, FI-90570 Oulu, Finland
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Hladik ML, Kraus JM, Smith CD, Vandever M, Kolpin DW, Givens CE, Smalling KL. Wild Bee Exposure to Pesticides in Conservation Grasslands Increases along an Agricultural Gradient: A Tale of Two Sample Types. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:321-330. [PMID: 36573799 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07195] [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] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Conservation efforts have been implemented in agroecosystems to enhance pollinator diversity by creating grassland habitat, but little is known about the exposure of bees to pesticides while foraging in these grassland fields. Pesticide exposure was assessed in 24 conservation grassland fields along an agricultural gradient at two time points (July and August) using silicone band passive samplers (nonlethal) and bee tissues (lethal). Overall, 46 pesticides were detected including 9 herbicides, 19 insecticides, 17 fungicides, and a plant growth regulator. For the bands, there were more frequent/higher concentrations of herbicides in July (maximum: 1600 ng/band in July; 570 ng/band in August), while insecticides and fungicides had more frequent/higher concentrations in August (maximum: 110 and 65 ng/band in July; 1500 and 1700 ng/band in August). Pesticide concentrations in bands increased 16% with every 10% increase in cultivated crops. The bee tissues showed no difference in detection frequency, and concentrations were similar among months; maximum concentrations of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides in July and August were 17, 27, and 180 and 19, 120, and 170 ng/g, respectively. Pesticide residues in bands and bee tissues did not always show the same patterns; of the 20 compounds observed in both media, six (primarily fungicides) showed a detection-concentration relationship between the two media. Together, the band and bee residue data can provide a more complete understanding of pesticide exposure and accumulation in conserved grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L Hladik
- U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center, Sacramento, California 95819, United States
| | - Johanna M Kraus
- U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201, United States
| | - Cassandra D Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon Water Science Center, Bend, Oregon 97701, United States
| | - Mark Vandever
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, United States
| | - Dana W Kolpin
- U.S. Geological Survey, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Iowa City, Iowa 52240, United States
| | - Carrie E Givens
- U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Lansing, Michigan 48911, United States
| | - Kelly L Smalling
- U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648, United States
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Zhu C, Li H, Xu X, Zhou S, Zhou B, Li X, Xu H, Tian Y, Wang Y, Chu Y, Zhang X, Zhu X. The mushroom body development and learning ability of adult honeybees are influenced by cold exposure during their early pupal stage. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1173808. [PMID: 37153230 PMCID: PMC10157483 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1173808] [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: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The honeybees are the most important pollinator in the production of crops and fresh produce. Temperature affects the survival of honeybees, and determines the quality of their development, which is of great significance for beekeeping production. Yet, little was known about how does low temperature stress during development stage cause bee death and any sub-lethal effect on subsequent. Early pupal stage is the most sensitive stage to low temperature in pupal stage. In this study, early pupal broods were exposed to 20°C for 12, 16, 24, and 48 h, followed by incubation at 35°C until emergence. We found that 48 h of low temperature duration cause 70% of individual bees to die. Although the mortality at 12 and 16 h seems not very high, the association learning ability of the surviving individuals was greatly affected. The brain slices of honeybees showed that low temperature treatment could cause the brain development of honeybees to almost stop. Gene expression profiles between low temperature treatment groups (T24, T48) and the control revealed that 1,267 and 1,174 genes were differentially expressed respectively. Functional enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes showed that the differential expression of Map3k9, Dhrs4, and Sod-2 genes on MAPK and peroxisome signaling pathway caused oxidative damage to the honeybee head. On the FoxO signal pathway, InsR and FoxO were upregulated, and JNK, Akt, and Bsk were downregulated; and on the insect hormone synthesis signal pathway, Phm and Spo genes were downregulated. Therefore, we speculate that low temperature stress affects hormone regulation. It was detected that the pathways related to the nervous system were Cholinergic synapse, Dopaminergic synapse, GABAergic synapse, Glutamatergic synapse, Serotonergic synapse, Neurotrophin signaling pathway, and Synaptic vesicle cycle. This implies that the synaptic development of honeybees is quite possibly greatly affected by low temperature stress. Understanding how low temperature stress affects the physiology of bee brain development and how it affects bee behavior provide a theoretical foundation for a deeper comprehension of the temperature adaptation mechanism that underlies the "stenothermic" development of social insects, and help to improve honeybee management strategies to ensure the healthy of colony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyu Zhu
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Han Li
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xinjian Xu
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Honeybee Research Institute, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shujing Zhou
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Honeybee Research Institute, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Bingfeng Zhou
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Honeybee Research Institute, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiang Li
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hongzhi Xu
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuanmingyue Tian
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yanxin Wang
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yu Chu
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xianlan Zhang
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiangjie Zhu
- College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Honeybee Research Institute, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xiangjie Zhu,
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Garratt MPD, O'Connor RS, Carvell C, Fountain MT, Breeze TD, Pywell R, Redhead JW, Kinneen L, Mitschunas N, Truslove L, Xavier e Silva C, Jenner N, Ashdown C, Brittain C, McKerchar M, Butcher C, Edwards M, Nowakowski M, Sutton P, Potts SG. Addressing pollination deficits in orchard crops through habitat management for wild pollinators. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2743. [PMID: 36107148 PMCID: PMC10078601 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that farmers in many areas are achieving below maximum yields due to insufficient pollination. Practical and effective approaches are needed to maintain wild pollinator populations within agroecosystems so they can deliver critical pollination services that underpin crop production. We established nesting and wildflower habitat interventions in 24 UK apple orchards and measured effects on flower-visiting insects and the pollination they provide, exploring how this was affected by landscape context. We quantified the extent of pollination deficits and assessed whether the management of wild pollinators can reduce deficits and deliver improved outcomes for growers over 3 years. Wildflower interventions increased solitary bee numbers visiting apple flowers by over 20%, but there was no effect of nesting interventions. Other pollinator groups were influenced by both local and landscape-scale factors, with bumblebees and hoverflies responding to the relative proportion of semi-natural habitat at larger spatial scales (1000 m), while honeybees and other flies responded at 500 m or less. By improving fruit number and quality, pollinators contributed more than £16 k per hectare. However, deficits (where maximum potential was not being reached due to a lack of pollination) were recorded and the extent of these varied across orchards, and from year to year, with a 22% deficit in output in the worst (equivalent to ~£14 k/ha) compared to less than 3% (equivalent to ~£2 k/ha) in the best year. Although no direct effect of our habitat interventions on deficits in gross output was observed, initial fruit set and seed set deficits were reduced by abundant bumblebees, and orchards with a greater abundance of solitary bees saw lower deficits in fruit size. The abundance of pollinators in apple orchards is influenced by different local and landscape factors that interact and vary between years. Consequently, pollination, and the extent of economic output deficits, also vary between orchards and years. We highlight how approaches, including establishing wildflower areas and optimizing the ratio of cropped and non-cropped habitats can increase the abundance of key apple pollinators and improve outcomes for growers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rory S. O'Connor
- Centre for Agri‐Environmental Research, University of ReadingReadingUK
| | | | | | - Tom D. Breeze
- Centre for Agri‐Environmental Research, University of ReadingReadingUK
| | | | | | - Lois Kinneen
- Centre for Agri‐Environmental Research, University of ReadingReadingUK
| | | | - Louise Truslove
- Centre for Agri‐Environmental Research, University of ReadingReadingUK
| | | | | | | | - Claire Brittain
- Syngenta, Jealotts Hill International Research CentreBracknellUK
| | | | | | - Mike Edwards
- Edwards Ecological and Data Services LtdMidhurstUK
| | | | - Peter Sutton
- Syngenta, Jealotts Hill International Research CentreBracknellUK
| | - Simon G. Potts
- Centre for Agri‐Environmental Research, University of ReadingReadingUK
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Bratu IC, Igna V, Simiz E, Dunea IB, Pătruică S. The Influence of Body Weight on Semen Parameters in Apis mellifera Drones. INSECTS 2022; 13:1141. [PMID: 36555051 PMCID: PMC9785928 DOI: 10.3390/insects13121141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The quantity and quality of the honey bee drone semen have a significant determination on the performance of bee colonies. The existence of a smaller number of mature drones to participate in the mating of queens, as well as a sufficient number of drones but with poor quality semen can have serious implications for the productivity of bee colonies. Our study aimed to investigate the correlation between two body weight ranges of drones and semen parameters in the Buckfast honey bee, data that could be integrated into the optimization of instrumental insemination in been queens. Semen was collected from two groups of drones with different body weights (200−240 mg and 240−280 mg). Semen volume, semen concentration, motility, morphology and membrane integrity of spermatozoa were analyzed. The phenotype indicator related to body weight in correlation with the main semen parameters studied gives a weak influence or causality ratio. In drones with 240−280 mg body weight, a higher percentage of spermatozoa with abnormal morphology (>9.60%) was recorded, compared to drones with 200−240 mg body weight. The study reveals that a higher weight of honey bee drones is correlated with higher sperm concentration and total number of spermatozoa/ejaculate, with an increase in the percentage of spermatozoa with abnormal morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioan Cristian Bratu
- Faculty of Bioengineering of Animal Resources, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timisoara, Calea Aradului No. 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Violeta Igna
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timisoara, Calea Aradului No. 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Eliza Simiz
- Faculty of Bioengineering of Animal Resources, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timisoara, Calea Aradului No. 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Ioan Bănățean Dunea
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timisoara, Calea Aradului No. 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Silvia Pătruică
- Faculty of Bioengineering of Animal Resources, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timisoara, Calea Aradului No. 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
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Smith MR, Mueller ND, Springmann M, Sulser TB, Garibaldi LA, Gerber J, Wiebe K, Myers SS. Pollinator Deficits, Food Consumption, and Consequences for Human Health: A Modeling Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:127003. [PMID: 36515549 PMCID: PMC9749483 DOI: 10.1289/ehp10947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal pollination supports agricultural production for many healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes, that provide key nutrients and protect against noncommunicable disease. Today, most crops receive suboptimal pollination because of limited abundance and diversity of pollinating insects. Animal pollinators are currently suffering owing to a host of direct and indirect anthropogenic pressures: land-use change, intensive farming techniques, harmful pesticides, nutritional stress, and climate change, among others. OBJECTIVES We aimed to model the impacts on current global human health from insufficient pollination via diet. METHODS We used a climate zonation approach to estimate current yield gaps for animal-pollinated foods and estimated the proportion of the gap attributable to insufficient pollinators based on existing research. We then simulated closing the "pollinator yield gaps" by eliminating the portion of total yield gaps attributable to insufficient pollination. Next, we used an agriculture-economic model to estimate the impacts of closing the pollinator yield gap on food production, interregional trade, and consumption. Finally, we used a comparative risk assessment to estimate the related changes in dietary risks and mortality by country and globally. In addition, we estimated the lost economic value of crop production for three diverse case-study countries: Honduras, Nepal, and Nigeria. RESULTS Globally, we calculated that 3%-5% of fruit, vegetable, and nut production is lost due to inadequate pollination, leading to an estimated 427,000 (95% uncertainty interval: 86,000, 691,000) excess deaths annually from lost healthy food consumption and associated diseases. Modeled impacts were unevenly distributed: Lost food production was concentrated in lower-income countries, whereas impacts on food consumption and mortality attributable to insufficient pollination were greater in middle- and high-income countries with higher rates of noncommunicable disease. Furthermore, in our three case-study countries, we calculated the economic value of crop production to be 12%-31% lower than if pollinators were abundant (due to crop production losses of 3%-19%), mainly due to lost fruit and vegetable production. DISCUSSION According to our analysis, insufficient populations of pollinators were responsible for large present-day burdens of disease through lost healthy food consumption. In addition, we calculated that low-income countries lost significant income and crop yields from pollinator deficits. These results underscore the urgent need to promote pollinator-friendly practices for both human health and agricultural livelihoods. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10947.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R. Smith
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nathaniel D. Mueller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Marco Springmann
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Environmental Change Institute and Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Timothy B. Sulser
- Environment and Production Technology Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Lucas A. Garibaldi
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Miter 630, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural. Mitre 630, CP 8400, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - James Gerber
- Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Keith Wiebe
- Environment and Production Technology Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Samuel S. Myers
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard University Center for the Environment, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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Gupta N, Jain SK, Tomar BS, Anand A, Singh J, Sagar V, Kumar R, Singh V, Chaubey T, Abd-Elsalam KA, Singh AK. Impact of Foliar Application of ZnO and Fe 3O 4 Nanoparticles on Seed Yield and Physio-Biochemical Parameters of Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) Seed under Open Field and Protected Environment vis a vis during Seed Germination. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:3211. [PMID: 36501251 PMCID: PMC9738616 DOI: 10.3390/plants11233211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Nutritionally rich cucumber seeds remain in demand in the agricultural, health and cosmetic sectors as they are essential for a successful crop stand establishment and seed-based products. However, the production of cucumber seeds is impeded by source limitation and nutrient deficiency. The foliar application of micronutrients can supplement this deficiency and overcome the physiological setback. An experiment was undertaken to compare the impacts of the foliar application of Fe and Zn, as nanoparticles and fertilizers, on the yield and seed quality of cucumber under open and protected environments. A foliar spray of nano-ZnO (ZnNPs) and nano-Fe3O4 (FeNPs) at 100, 200 and 300 mg L-1, as well as ZnSO4 and FeSO4 as fertilizer (0.5%), was conducted at the vegetative stage and pre- and post-flowering stages. The NPs had a greater efficacy in an open field than in the protected (naturally ventilated poly house) environment. The application of both NPs increased seed yield (51.7-52.2%), total chlorophyll content (15.9-17.3%) and concentration of Zn and Fe in the fruit and the seed, by 2.0-58.5% and 5.0-30.5%, respectively. A significant increase in starch, soluble proteins, soluble sugars and oil content was observed in the seeds from the NP treated plants. NP treatment also enhanced the germination-related parameters, such as percent germination (16.8-17.0%), rate of germination (18.0-22.2%) and seedling vigor (59.8-72.6%). The biochemical characterization showed a significant improvement in the seed water uptake and the activity of hydrolytic enzymes (amylase and protease) in the germinating seed. The involvement of reactive oxygen species (superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide) and antioxidant enzymes (Superoxide dismutase, Catalase and Peroxidase) in the germination process was indicated by an increase in their activities in the seeds from NP treated plants. Hence, the study proposes the potential benefit of the foliar application of 300 mg L-1 ZnNPs and 200 mg L-1 FeNPs at crucial stages of plant growth to improve the yield and seed quality in cucumbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nakul Gupta
- ICAR—Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, PB-01, Po-Jakhini (Sahanshahpur), Varanasi 221305, India
- ICAR—Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Sudhir Kumar Jain
- ICAR—Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
| | | | - Anjali Anand
- ICAR—Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Jogendra Singh
- ICAR—Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Vidya Sagar
- ICAR—Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, PB-01, Po-Jakhini (Sahanshahpur), Varanasi 221305, India
| | - Rajesh Kumar
- ICAR—Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, PB-01, Po-Jakhini (Sahanshahpur), Varanasi 221305, India
| | - Vikas Singh
- ICAR—Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, PB-01, Po-Jakhini (Sahanshahpur), Varanasi 221305, India
| | - Tribhuvan Chaubey
- ICAR—Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, PB-01, Po-Jakhini (Sahanshahpur), Varanasi 221305, India
| | - Kamel A. Abd-Elsalam
- Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza 12619, Egypt
| | - Awani Kumar Singh
- ICAR—Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
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Rondeau S, Willis Chan DS, Pindar A. Identifying wild bee visitors of major crops in North America with notes on potential threats from agricultural practices. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.943237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Considering the critical importance of insect pollination to food security and documented declines in wild bee populations, it is imperative to develop effective conservation and management strategies that promote the health of wild bee communities associated with agroecosystems. Identifying wild bee visitors of crops, including crop-flower visitors and species that nest within cropping areas, may prove critical to this endeavor as optimal conservation strategies may differ among bee species and/or guilds, regions, and cropping systems. Although lists of bee species that are associated with North American crops are scattered throughout the literature, there is a need for a comprehensive compilation of those species by crop, region, and nesting guild. Here, we searched the literature to compile a list of wild bee species associated with 33 major crops in North America and assessed the overlap in bee species communities among crops and regions. Of the 739 crop-associated bee species retrieved, 405 species (54.8%) were ground nesters, and 438 species (59.3%) were identified as crop-flower visitors of at least one crop. Because of their nesting and foraging behavior, we argue that these species are more likely to be exposed to agricultural pesticide residues than bee species that do not nest in the ground or feed directly on crop flowers. We further compiled lists of wild bees that have been found to be associated with all of the four most surveyed perennial fruit crops (apple, blueberry, cranberry, strawberry) and all of the three most surveyed cucurbit crops (cucumber, Cucurbita, watermelon) in eastern North America. These lists of bee species can be used to focus attention on species needing better protection strategies within agroecosystems, especially for these two important North American crop groups and can also inform the development of multi-species pesticide risk assessment schemes.
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Beaujour PM, Cézilly F. The Importance of Urban Green Spaces for Pollinating Insects: The Case of the Metropolitan Area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. CARIBB J SCI 2022. [DOI: 10.18475/cjos.v52i2.a11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Michard Beaujour
- UMR CNRS MNHN ISYEB, UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, Université des Antilles, Campus de Fouillole, Guadeloupe, France
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DeVetter LW, Chabert S, Milbrath MO, Mallinger RE, Walters J, Isaacs R, Galinato SP, Kogan C, Brouwer K, Melathopoulos A, Eeraerts M. Toward evidence-based decision support systems to optimize pollination and yields in highbush blueberry. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.1006201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) is a globally important fruit crop that depends on insect-mediated pollination to produce quality fruit and commercially viable yields. Pollination success in blueberry is complex and impacted by multiple interacting factors including flower density, bee diversity and abundance, and weather conditions. Other factors, including floral traits, bee traits, and economics also contribute to pollination success at the farm level but are less well understood. As blueberry production continues to expand globally, decision-aid technologies are needed to optimize and enhance the sustainability of pollination strategies. The objective of this review is to highlight our current knowledge about blueberry pollination, where current research efforts are focused, and where future research should be directed to successfully implement a comprehensive blueberry pollination decision-making framework for modern production systems. Important knowledge gaps remain, including how to integrate wild and managed pollinators to optimize pollination, and how to provide predictable and stable crop pollination across variable environmental conditions. In addition, continued advances in pesticide stewardship are required to optimize pollinator health and crop outcomes. Integration of on- and off-farm data, statistical models, and software tools could distill complex scientific information into decision-aid systems that support sustainable, evidence-based pollination decisions at the farm level. Utility of these tools will require multi-disciplinary research and strategic deployment through effective extension and information-sharing networks of growers, beekeepers, and extension/crop advisors.
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Lemanski NJ, Williams NM, Winfree R. Greater bee diversity is needed to maintain crop pollination over time. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1516-1523. [PMID: 35995849 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01847-3] [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: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The current biodiversity crisis underscores the need to understand how biodiversity loss affects ecosystem function in real-world ecosystems. At any one place and time, a few highly abundant species often provide the majority of function, suggesting that function could be maintained with relatively little biodiversity. However, biodiversity may be critical to ecosystem function at longer timescales if different species are needed to provide function at different times. Here we show that the number of wild bee species needed to maintain a threshold level of crop pollination increased steeply with the timescale examined: two to three times as many bee species were needed over a growing season compared to on a single day and twice as many species were needed over six years compared to during a single year. Our results demonstrate the importance of pollinator biodiversity to maintaining pollination services across time and thus to stable agricultural output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie J Lemanski
- Rutgers University, Department of Ecology, Evolution & Natural Resources, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
| | - Neal M Williams
- University of California Davis, Department of Entomology & Nematology, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Rachael Winfree
- Rutgers University, Department of Ecology, Evolution & Natural Resources, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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Donkersley P, Ashton L, Lamarre GPA, Segar S. Global insect decline is the result of wilful political failure: A battle plan for entomology. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9417. [PMID: 36254301 PMCID: PMC9555050 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment assessed ecosystem change, human wellbeing and scientific evidence for sustainable use of biological systems. Despite intergovernmental acknowledgement of the problem, global ecological decline has continued, including declines in insect biodiversity, which has received much media attention in recent years. Several roadmaps to averting biological declines have failed due to various economic and political factors, and so biodiversity loss continues, driven by several interacting human pressures. Humans are innately linked with nature but tend to take it for granted. The benefits we gain from the insect world are broad, yet aversion or phobias of invertebrates are common, and stand firmly in the path of their successful conservation. Providing an integrated synthesis for policy teams, conservation NGOs, academic researchers and those interested in public engagement, this article considers: (1) The lack of progress to preserve and protect insects. (2) Examples relating to insect decline and contributions insects make to people worldwide, and consequently what we stand to lose. (3) How to engage the public, governmental organizations and researchers through "insect contributions to people" to better address insect declines. International political will has consistently acknowledged the existence of biodiversity decline, but apart from a few narrow cases of charismatic megafauna, little meaningful change has been achieved. Public values are reflected in political willpower, the progress being made across the world, changing views on insects in the public should initiate a much-needed political sea-change. Taking both existing activity and required future actions, we outline an entomologist's "battle plan" to enormously expand our efforts and become the champions of insect conservation that the natural world needs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Louise Ashton
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
| | - Greg P. A. Lamarre
- Faculty of Science, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of SciencesUniversity of South BohemiaCeske BudejoviceCzech Republic
- ForestGEOSmithsonian Tropical Research InstituteAnconPanama
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Malerbo-Souza DT, Costa CFSD, Pimentel ACS, Andrade MOD, Siqueira RAD, Silva RCBD, Souza CMD, Souza FGD. Stingless bee Trigona spinipes (Hymenoptera: Apidae) behavior on chayote flowers (Sechium edule). ACTA SCIENTIARUM: ANIMAL SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v44i1.56760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
This experiment aimed to evaluate the forage species and their effect on fruit production of the chayote crop. For this, the culture was under observation in the first ten minutes at each time, from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, with three repetitions, in each year studied (1994, 2001, 2009 and 2016). With the exception of 2009, Trigona spinipes stingless bees were frequent and constant insects in these flowers between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm, visiting mainly male flowers for nectar collection and due to foraging behavior this stingless bee may be considered a pollinator of the chayote.
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