1
|
Bird SA, Pope NS, McGrady CM, Fleischer SJ, López-Uribe MM. Mating frequency estimation and its importance for colony abundance analyses in eusocial pollinators: a case study of Bombus impatiens (Hymenoptera: Apidae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2024:toae178. [PMID: 39137237 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toae178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
The genus Bombus (bumble bees) includes approximately 265 species, many of which are in decline in North America and Europe. To estimate colony abundance of bumble bees in natural and agricultural habitats, sibship relationships are often reconstructed from genetic data with the assumption that colonies have 1 monandrous queen. However, some species such as the North American common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens Cresson) can display low levels of polyandry, which may bias estimates of colony abundance based on monandrous sibship reconstructions. To accurately quantify rates of polyandry in wild and commercially mated queens of this species, we empirically estimated mating frequencies using a novel statistical model and genotypes from 730 bees. To genotype individuals, we used a highly polymorphic set of microsatellites on colonies established from 20 wild-caught gynes and 10 commercial colonies. We found multiple fathers in 3 of the wild colonies and 3 of the commercial colonies. This resulted in average effective mating frequencies of 1.075 ± 0.18 and 1.154 ± 0.25 for wild and commercial colonies, respectively. These findings agree with previous reports of low rates of polyandry for B. impatiens. Using a large empirical dataset, we demonstrate that assuming monandry for colony abundance estimation in species that violate this assumption results in an overestimation of the number of colonies. Our results emphasize the importance of studying mating frequencies in social species of conservation concern and economic importance for the accuracy of colony abundance estimation and for understanding their ecology and sociobiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sydney A Bird
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, 5230 Konnowac Pass Rd, Wapato, WA 98951, USA
| | - Nathaniel S Pope
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Carley M McGrady
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Shelby J Fleischer
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Margarita M López-Uribe
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Milberg P, Franzen M, Karpaty Wickbom A, Svelander S, Johansson V. Pollinator activity and flowering in agricultural weeds in Sweden. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11725. [PMID: 38978999 PMCID: PMC11227967 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11725] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The extent to which weeds in arable land are useful to pollinators depends in part on the temporal pattern of flowering and insect flight activity. We compiled citizen science data on 54 bees and hoverflies typical of agricultural areas in southern Sweden, as well as 24 flowering weed species classified as pollinator-friendly in the sense that they provide nectar and/or pollen to pollinators. The flight periods of the bees and hoverflies varied greatly, but there were also some consistent differences between the four groups studied. The first group to fly were the early flying solitary bees (7 species), followed by the social bees (18 species). In contrast, other solitary bees (11 species) and hoverflies (22 species) flew later in the summer. Solitary bees had the shortest flight periods, while social bees and hoverflies had longer flight periods. Flowering of weed species also varied greatly between species, with weeds classified as winter annuals (e.g., germinating in autumn) starting early together with germination generalists (species that can germinate in both autumn and spring). Summer annuals (spring germinators) and perennials started flowering about a month later. Germination generalists had a much longer flowering period than the others. Weekly pollinator records were in most cases significantly explained by weed records. Apart from early flying solitary bees, all models showed strong positive relationships. The overall best explanatory variable was the total number of weeds, with a weight assigned to each species based on its potential as a nectar/pollen source. This suggests that agricultural weeds in Sweden provide a continuous potential supply of nectar and pollen throughout the flight season of most pollinators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Per Milberg
- IFM Biology, Conservation Ecology GroupLinköping UniversityLinköpingSweden
| | - Markus Franzen
- IFM Biology, Conservation Ecology GroupLinköping UniversityLinköpingSweden
| | | | - Sabine Svelander
- IFM Biology, Conservation Ecology GroupLinköping UniversityLinköpingSweden
| | - Victor Johansson
- IFM Biology, Conservation Ecology GroupLinköping UniversityLinköpingSweden
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wright EK, Timberlake TP, Baude M, Vaughan IP, Memmott J. Quantifying the production of plant pollen at the farm scale. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 242:2888-2899. [PMID: 38622779 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19763] [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: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Plant pollen is rich in protein, sterols and lipids, providing crucial nutrition for many pollinators. However, we know very little about the quantity, quality and timing of pollen availability in real landscapes, limiting our ability to improve food supply for pollinators. We quantify the floral longevity and pollen production of a whole plant community for the first time, enabling us to calculate daily pollen availability. We combine these data with floral abundance and nectar measures from UK farmland to quantify pollen and nectar production at the landscape scale throughout the year. Pollen and nectar production were significantly correlated at the floral unit, and landscape level. The species providing the highest quantity of pollen on farmland were Salix spp. (38%), Filipendula ulmaria (14%), Rubus fruticosus (10%) and Taraxacum officinale (9%). Hedgerows were the most pollen-rich habitats, but permanent pasture provided the majority of pollen at the landscape scale, because of its large area. Pollen and nectar were closely associated in their phenology, with both peaking in late April, before declining steeply in June and remaining low throughout the year. Our data provide a starting point for including pollen in floral resource assessments and ensuring the nutritional requirements of pollinators are met in farmland landscapes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen K Wright
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
- Cabot Institute, University of Bristol, Royal Fort House, Bristol, BS8 1UH, UK
| | - Thomas P Timberlake
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Mathilde Baude
- Université d'Orléans, Château de la Source, BP 6749, Orléans Cedex 2, 45067, France
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement (iEES-Paris), Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Ian P Vaughan
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Jane Memmott
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Fischer N, Costa CP, Hur M, Kirkwood JS, Woodard SH. Impacts of neonicotinoid insecticides on bumble bee energy metabolism are revealed under nectar starvation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169388. [PMID: 38104805 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169388] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Bumble bees are an important group of insects that provide essential pollination services as a consequence of their foraging behaviors. These pollination services are driven, in part, by energetic exchanges between flowering plants and individual bees. Thus, it is important to examine bumble bee energy metabolism and explore how it might be influenced by external stressors contributing to declines in global pollinator populations. Two stressors that are commonly encountered by bees are insecticides, such as the neonicotinoids, and nutritional stress, resulting from deficits in pollen and nectar availability. Our study uses a metabolomic approach to examine the effects of neonicotinoid insecticide exposure on bumble bee metabolism, both alone and in combination with nutritional stress. We hypothesized that exposure to imidacloprid disrupts bumble bee energy metabolism, leading to changes in key metabolites involved in central carbon metabolism. We tested this by exposing Bombus impatiens workers to imidacloprid according to one of three exposure paradigms designed to explore how chronic versus more acute (early or late) imidacloprid exposure influences energy metabolite levels, then also subjecting them to artificial nectar starvation. The strongest effects of imidacloprid were observed when bees also experienced nectar starvation, suggesting a combinatorial effect of neonicotinoids and nutritional stress on bumble bee energy metabolism. Overall, this study provides important insights into the mechanisms underlying the impact of neonicotinoid insecticides on pollinators, and underscores the need for further investigation into the complex interactions between environmental stressors and energy metabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Fischer
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
| | - Claudinéia P Costa
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Manhoi Hur
- IIGB Metabolomics Core Facility, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Jay S Kirkwood
- IIGB Metabolomics Core Facility, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - S Hollis Woodard
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hemberger J, Bernauer OM, Gaines-Day HR, Gratton C. Landscape-scale floral resource discontinuity decreases bumble bee occurrence and alters community composition. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2907. [PMID: 37602909 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2907] [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: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural practices and intensification during the past two centuries have dramatically altered the abundance and temporal continuity of floral resources that support pollinating insects such as bumble bees. Long-term trends among bumble bees within agricultural regions suggest that intensive agricultural conditions have created inhospitable conditions for some species, while other species have maintained their relative abundances despite landscape-level changes in flower availability. Bumble bee responses to spatiotemporal resource heterogeneity have been explored at the colony and behavioral level, but we have yet to understand whether these conditions drive community structure and ultimately explain the diverging patterns in long-term species trends. To explore the relationship between landscape-level floral resource continuity and the likelihood of bumble bee occurrence, we mapped the relative spatial and temporal availability of floral resources within an intensive agricultural region in the US Upper Midwest and related this resource availability with bumble bee species relative abundance. Across the bee community, we found that relative bumble bee occurrence increases in landscapes containing more abundant and more temporally continuous floral resources. Declining species, such as Bombus terricola, exhibited the strongest, positive responses to resource abundance and continuity whereas common, stable species, such as Bombus impatiens, showed no statistical relationship to either. Together with existing experimental evidence, this work suggests that efforts to increase spatiotemporal flower availability, along with overall flower abundance at landscape scales may have positive effects on bumble bee communities in the US Upper Midwest.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Hemberger
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Olivia M Bernauer
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Hannah R Gaines-Day
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Claudio Gratton
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kardum Hjort C, Smith HG, Allen AP, Dudaniec RY. Morphological Variation in Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) After Three Decades of an Island Invasion. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2023; 23:10. [PMID: 36856678 PMCID: PMC9972831 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iead006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Introduced social insects can be highly invasive outside of their native range. Around the world, the introduction and establishment of the eusocial bumblebee Bombus terrestris (L. 1758) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) has negatively impacted native pollinators and ecosystems. Understanding how morphological variation is linked to environmental variation across invasive ranges can indicate how rapidly species may be diverging or adapting across novel ranges and may assist with predicting future establishment and spread. Here we investigate whether B. terrestris shows morphological variation related to environmental variation across the island of Tasmania (Australia) where it was introduced three decades ago. We collected 169 workers from 16 sites across Tasmania and related relative abundance and morphology to landscape-wide climate, land use, and vegetation structure. We found weak morphological divergence related to environmental conditions across Tasmania. Body size of B. terrestris was positively associated with the percentage of urban land cover, a relationship largely driven by a single site, possibly reflecting high resource availability in urban areas. Proboscis length showed a significant negative relationship with the percentage of pasture. Wing loading and local abundance were not related to the environmental conditions within sites. Our results reflect the highly adaptable nature of B. terrestris and its ability to thrive in different environments, which may have facilitated the bumblebee's successful invasion across Tasmania.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Henrik G Smith
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden
| | - Andrew P Allen
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, NSW, Australia
| | - Rachael Y Dudaniec
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Chapman KE, Cozma NE, Hodgkinson AB, English R, Gaston KJ, Hempel de Ibarra N. Bumble bees exploit known sources but return with partial pollen loads when foraging under low evening light. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
8
|
Jones J, Rader R. Pollinator nutrition and its role in merging the dual objectives of pollinator health and optimal crop production. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210170. [PMID: 35491607 PMCID: PMC9058521 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Bee and non-bee insect pollinators play an integral role in the quantity and quality of production for many food crops, yet there is growing evidence that nutritional challenges to pollinators in agricultural landscapes are an important factor in the reduction of pollinator populations worldwide. Schemes to enhance crop pollinator health have historically focused on floral resource plantings aimed at increasing pollinator abundance and diversity by providing more foraging opportunities for bees. These efforts have demonstrated that improvements in bee diversity and abundance are achievable; however, goals of increasing crop pollination outcomes via these interventions are not consistently met. To support pollinator health and crop pollination outcomes in tandem, habitat enhancements must be tailored to meet the life-history needs of specific crop pollinators, including non-bees. This will require greater understanding of the nutritional demands of these taxa together with the supply of floral and non-floral food resources and how these interact in cropping environments. Understanding the mechanisms underlying crop pollination and pollinator health in unison across a range of taxa is clearly a win–win for industry and conservation, yet achievement of these goals will require new knowledge and novel, targeted methods. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes’.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Jones
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Romina Rader
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Whitehorn PR, Seo B, Comont RF, Rounsevell M, Brown C. The effects of climate and land use on British bumblebees: Findings from a decade of citizen‐science observations. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Penelope R. Whitehorn
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK‐IFU) Garmisch‐Partenkirchen Germany
- Highlands Rewilding Ltd. Drumnadrochit UK
| | - Bumsuk Seo
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK‐IFU) Garmisch‐Partenkirchen Germany
| | | | - Mark Rounsevell
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK‐IFU) Garmisch‐Partenkirchen Germany
- School of Geosciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Calum Brown
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK‐IFU) Garmisch‐Partenkirchen Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gonzales D, Hempel de Ibarra N, Anderson K. Remote Sensing of Floral Resources for Pollinators – New Horizons From Satellites to Drones. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.869751] [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
Insect pollinators are affected by the spatio-temporal distribution of floral resources, which are dynamic across time and space, and also influenced heavily by anthropogenic activities. There is a need for spatial data describing the time-varying spatial distribution of flowers, which can be used within behavioral and ecological studies. However, this information is challenging to obtain. Traditional field techniques for mapping flowers are often laborious and limited to relatively small areas, making it difficult to assess how floral resources are perceived by pollinators to guide their behaviors. Conversely, remote sensing of plant traits is a relatively mature technique now, and such technologies have delivered valuable data for identifying and measuring non-floral dynamics in plant systems, particularly leaves, stems and woody biomass in a wide range of ecosystems from local to global scales. However, monitoring the spatial and temporal dynamics of plant floral resources has been notably scarce in remote sensing studies. Recently, lightweight drone technology has been adopted by the ecological community, offering a capability for flexible deployment in the field, and delivery of centimetric resolution data, providing a clear opportunity for capturing fine-grained information on floral resources at key times of the flowering season. In this review, we answer three key questions of relevance to pollination science – can remote sensing deliver information on (a) how isolated are floral resources? (b) What resources are available within a flower patch? And (c) how do floral patches change over time? We explain how such information has potential to deepen ecological understanding of the distribution of floral resources that feed pollinators and the parameters that determine their navigational and foraging choices based on the sensory information they extract at different spatial scales. We provide examples of how such data can be used to generate new insights into pollinator behaviors in distinct landscape types and their resilience to environmental change.
Collapse
|
11
|
Tew NE, Baldock KCR, Vaughan IP, Bird S, Memmott J. Turnover in floral composition explains species diversity and temporal stability in the nectar supply of urban residential gardens. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E. Tew
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
| | - Katherine C. R. Baldock
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
- Cabot Institute University of Bristol Bristol UK
- Department of Geography and Environment Sciences Northumbria University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Ian P. Vaughan
- Cardiff School of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff UK
| | - Stephanie Bird
- Royal Horticultural Society, RHS Garden Wisley Woking UK
| | - Jane Memmott
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
- Cabot Institute University of Bristol Bristol UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Mola JM, Hemberger J, Kochanski J, Richardson LL, Pearse IS. The Importance of Forests in Bumble Bee Biology and Conservation. Bioscience 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Declines of many bumble bee species have raised concerns because of their importance as pollinators and potential harbingers of declines among other insect taxa. At present, bumble bee conservation is predominantly focused on midsummer flower restoration in open habitats. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that forests may play an important role in bumble bee life history. Compared with open habitats, forests and woody edges provide food resources during phenologically distinct periods, are often preferred nesting and overwintering habitats, and can offer favorable abiotic conditions in a changing climate. Future research efforts are needed in order to anticipate how ongoing changes in forests, such as overbrowsing by deer, plant invasions, and shifting canopy demographics, affect the suitability of these habitats for bumble bees. Forested habitats are increasingly appreciated in the life cycles of many bumble bees, and they deserve greater attention from those who wish to understand bumble bee populations and aid in their conservation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John M Mola
- Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
| | - Jeremy Hemberger
- University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States
| | - Jade Kochanski
- University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Leif L Richardson
- Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Portland, Oregon, United States
| | - Ian S Pearse
- Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
| |
Collapse
|