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Tiusanen M, Becker-Scarpitta A, Wirta H. Distinct Communities and Differing Dispersal Routes in Bacteria and Fungi of Honey Bees, Honey, and Flowers. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2024; 87:100. [PMID: 39080099 PMCID: PMC11289361 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02413-z] [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: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Microbiota, the communities of microbes on and in organisms or organic matter, are essential for the functioning of ecosystems. How microbes are shared and transmitted delineates the formation of a microbiota. As pollinators forage, they offer a route to transfer microbes among the flowering plants, themselves, and their nests. To assess how the two components of the microbiota, bacteria and fungi, in pollination communities are shared and transferred, we focused on the honey bee Apis mellifera and collected honey bee, honey (representing the hive microbiota), and flower samples three times during the summer in Finland. We identified the bacteria and fungi by DNA metabarcoding. To determine the impact of honey bees' flower choices on the honey bee and hive microbiota, we identified also plant DNA in honey. The bacterial communities of honey bees, honey, and flowers all differ greatly from each other, while the fungal communities of honey bees and honey are very similar, yet different from flowers. The time of the summer and the sampling area influence all these microbiota. For flowers, the plant identity impacts both bacterial and fungal communities' composition the most. For the dispersal pathways of bacteria to honey bees, they are acquired directly from the honey and indirectly from flowers through the honey, while fungi are directly transmitted to honey bees from flowers. Overall, the distinctiveness of the microbiota of honey bees, honey, and the surrounding flowers suggests the sharing of microbes among them occurs but plays a minor role for the established microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikko Tiusanen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zürich), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Becker-Scarpitta
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- UMR PVBMT, CIRAD, Saint Pierre, 97410, La Réunion, France
| | - Helena Wirta
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
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Jones LJ, Miller DA, Schilder RJ, López‐Uribe MM. Body mass, temperature, and pathogen intensity differentially affect critical thermal maxima and their population-level variation in a solitary bee. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10945. [PMID: 38362170 PMCID: PMC10867875 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate change presents a major threat to species distribution and persistence. Understanding what abiotic or biotic factors influence the thermal tolerances of natural populations is critical to assessing their vulnerability under rapidly changing thermal regimes. This study evaluates how body mass, local climate, and pathogen intensity influence heat tolerance and its population-level variation (SD) among individuals of the solitary bee Xenoglossa pruinosa. We assess the sex-specific relationships between these factors and heat tolerance given the differences in size between sexes and the ground-nesting behavior of the females. We collected X. pruinosa individuals from 14 sites across Pennsylvania, USA, that varied in mean temperature, precipitation, and soil texture. We measured the critical thermal maxima (CTmax) of X. pruinosa individuals as our proxy for heat tolerance and used quantitative PCR to determine relative intensities of three parasite groups-trypanosomes, Spiroplasma apis (mollicute bacteria), and Vairimorpha apis (microsporidian). While there was no difference in CTmax between the sexes, we found that CTmax increased significantly with body mass and that this relationship was stronger for males than for females. Air temperature, precipitation, and soil texture did not predict mean CTmax for either sex. However, population-level variation in CTmax was strongly and negatively correlated with air temperature, which suggests that temperature is acting as an environmental filter. Of the parasites screened, only trypanosome intensity correlated with heat tolerance. Specifically, trypanosome intensity negatively correlated with the CTmax of female X. pruinosa but not males. Our results highlight the importance of considering size, sex, and infection status when evaluating thermal tolerance traits. Importantly, this study reveals the need to evaluate trends in the variation of heat tolerance within and between populations and consider implications of reduced variation in heat tolerance for the persistence of ectotherms in future climate conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J. Jones
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in EcologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator ResearchThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Douglas A. Miller
- Earth and Environmental Systems InstituteThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Rudolf J. Schilder
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in EcologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator ResearchThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of BiologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Margarita M. López‐Uribe
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in EcologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator ResearchThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
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3
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Lazarova S, Lozanova L, Neov B, Shumkova R, Balkanska R, Palova N, Salkova D, Radoslavov G, Hristov P. Composition and diversity of bacterial communities associated with honey bee foragers from two contrasting environments. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 113:693-702. [PMID: 37545319 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485323000378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The honey bee is associated with a diverse community of microbes (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protists), commonly known as the microbiome. Here, we present data on honey bee microbiota from two localities having different surrounding landscapes - mountain (the Rhodope Mountains) and lowland (the Danube plain). The bacterial communities of abdomen of adult bees were studied using amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The composition and dominance structure and their variability within and between localities, alpha and beta diversity, and core and differential taxa were compared at different hierarchical levels (operational taxonomic units to phylum). Seven genera (Lactobacillus, Gilliamella, Bifidobacterium, Commensalibacter, Bartonella, Snodgrassella, and Frischella), known to include core gut-associated phylotypes or species clusters, dominated (92-100%) the bacterial assemblages. Significant variations were found in taxa distribution across both geographical regions and within each apiary. Lactobacillus (Firmicutes) prevailed significantly in the mountain locality followed by Gilliamella and Bartonella (Proteobacteria). Bacteria of four genera, core (Bartonella and Lactobacillus) and non-core (Pseudomonas and Morganella), dominated the bee-associated assemblages of the Danube plain locality. Several ubiquitous bacterial genera (e.g., Klebsiella, Serratia, and Providencia), some species known also as potential and opportunistic bee pathogens, had been found in the lowland locality. Beta diversity analyses confirmed the observed differences in the bacterial communities from both localities. The occurrence of non-core taxa contributes substantially to higher microbial richness and diversity in bees from the Danube plain locality. We assume that the observed differences in the microbiota of honey bees from both apiaries are due to a combination of factors specific for each region. The surrounding landscape features of both localities and related vegetation, anthropogenic impact and land use intensity, the beekeeping management practices, and bee health status might all contribute to observed differences in bee microbiota traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stela Lazarova
- Department of Animal Diversity and Resources, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Lyudmila Lozanova
- Department of Ecosystem Research, Environmental Risk Assessment and Conservation Biology, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Boyko Neov
- Department of Animal Diversity and Resources, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Rositsa Shumkova
- Research Centre of Stockbreeding and Agriculture, Agricultural Academy, 4700 Smolyan, Bulgaria
| | - Ralitsa Balkanska
- Department 'Special Branches', Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Academy, 2230 Kostinbrod, Bulgaria
| | - Nadezhda Palova
- Scientific Center of Agriculture, Agricultural Academy, Sredets 8300, Bulgaria
| | - Delka Salkova
- Department of Experimental Parasitology, Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Georgi Radoslavov
- Department of Animal Diversity and Resources, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Peter Hristov
- Department of Animal Diversity and Resources, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
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Zbrozek M, Fearon ML, Weise C, Tibbetts EA. Honeybee visitation to shared flowers increases Vairimorpha ceranae prevalence in bumblebees. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10528. [PMID: 37736280 PMCID: PMC10511299 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Vairimorpha (=Nosema) ceranae is a widespread pollinator parasite that commonly infects honeybees and wild pollinators, including bumblebees. Honeybees are highly competent V. ceranae hosts and previous work in experimental flight cages suggests V. ceranae can be transmitted during visitation to shared flowers. However, the relationship between floral visitation in the natural environment and the prevalence of V. ceranae among multiple bee species has not been explored. Here, we analyzed the number and duration of pollinator visits to particular components of squash flowers-including the petals, stamen, and nectary-at six farms in southeastern Michigan, USA. We also determined the prevalence of V. ceranae in honeybees and bumblebees at each site. Our results showed that more honeybee flower contacts and longer duration of contacts with pollen and nectar were linked with greater V. ceranae prevalence in bumblebees. Honeybee visitation patterns appear to have a disproportionately large impact on V. ceranae prevalence in bumblebees even though honeybees are not the most frequent flower visitors. Floral visitation by squash bees or other pollinators was not linked with V. ceranae prevalence in bumblebees. Further, V. ceranae prevalence in honeybees was unaffected by floral visitation behaviors by any pollinator species. These results suggest that honeybee visitation behaviors on shared floral resources may be an important contributor to increased V. ceranae spillover to bumblebees in the field. Understanding how V. ceranae prevalence is influenced by pollinator behavior in the shared floral landscape is critical for reducing parasite spillover into declining wild bee populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryellen Zbrozek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Michelle L. Fearon
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Chloe Weise
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Elizabeth A. Tibbetts
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
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de Santana SF, Santos VC, Lopes ÍS, Porto JAM, Mora-Ocampo IY, Sodré GA, Pirovani CP, Góes-Neto A, Pacheco LGC, Fonseca PLC, Costa MA, Aguiar ERGR. Mining Public Data to Investigate the Virome of Neglected Pollinators and Other Floral Visitors. Viruses 2023; 15:1850. [PMID: 37766257 PMCID: PMC10535300 DOI: 10.3390/v15091850] [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: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This study reports the virome investigation of pollinator species and other floral visitors associated with plants from the south of Bahia: Aphis aurantii, Atrichopogon sp., Dasyhelea sp., Forcipomyia taiwana, and Trigona ventralis hoozana. Studying viruses in insects associated with economically important crops is vital to understand transmission dynamics and manage viral diseases that pose as threats for global food security. Using literature mining and public RNA next-generation sequencing data deposited in the NCBI SRA database, we identified potential vectors associated with Malvaceae plant species and characterized the microbial communities resident in these insects. Bacteria and Eukarya dominated the metagenomic analyses of all taxon groups. We also found sequences showing similarity to elements from several viral families, including Bunyavirales, Chuviridae, Iflaviridae, Narnaviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Totiviridae, and Xinmoviridae. Phylogenetic analyses indicated the existence of at least 16 new viruses distributed among A. aurantii (3), Atrichopogon sp. (4), Dasyhelea sp. (3), and F. taiwana (6). No novel viruses were found for T. ventralis hoozana. For F. taiwana, the available libraries also allowed us to suggest possible vertical transmission, while for A. aurantii we followed the infection profile along the insect development. Our results highlight the importance of studying the virome of insect species associated with crop pollination, as they may play a crucial role in the transmission of viruses to economically important plants, such as those of the genus Theobroma, or they will reduce the pollination process. This information may be valuable in developing strategies to mitigate the spread of viruses and protect the global industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Ferreira de Santana
- Department of Biological Science, Center of Biotechnology and Genetics, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil; (S.F.d.S.)
| | - Vinícius Castro Santos
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil (A.G.-N.)
| | - Ícaro Santos Lopes
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil (A.G.-N.)
| | - Joel Augusto Moura Porto
- Department of Biological Science, Center of Biotechnology and Genetics, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil; (S.F.d.S.)
| | - Irma Yuliana Mora-Ocampo
- Department of Biological Science, Center of Biotechnology and Genetics, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil; (S.F.d.S.)
| | - George Andrade Sodré
- Department of Biological Science, Center of Biotechnology and Genetics, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil; (S.F.d.S.)
| | - Carlos Priminho Pirovani
- Department of Biological Science, Center of Biotechnology and Genetics, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil; (S.F.d.S.)
| | - Aristóteles Góes-Neto
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil (A.G.-N.)
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Luis Gustavo Carvalho Pacheco
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador 40231-300, BA, Brazil
| | - Paula Luize Camargos Fonseca
- Department of Biological Science, Center of Biotechnology and Genetics, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil; (S.F.d.S.)
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Marco Antônio Costa
- Department of Biological Science, Center of Biotechnology and Genetics, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil; (S.F.d.S.)
| | - Eric Roberto Guimarães Rocha Aguiar
- Department of Biological Science, Center of Biotechnology and Genetics, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil; (S.F.d.S.)
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LeCroy KA, Krichilsky (Rin) E, Grab HL, Roulston TH, Danforth BN. Spillover of chalkbrood fungi to native solitary bee species from non‐native congeners. J Appl Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn A. LeCroy
- Department of Environmental Sciences University of Virginia 400 Blandy Farm Lane Boyce Virginia 22620 USA
- Department of Entomology Cornell University Comstock Hall Ithaca New York 14850 USA
| | - Erin Krichilsky (Rin)
- Department of Entomology Cornell University Comstock Hall Ithaca New York 14850 USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Columbia University New York City New York 10027 USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology American Museum of Natural History New York City New York 10024 USA
| | - Heather L. Grab
- Department of Entomology Cornell University Comstock Hall Ithaca New York 14850 USA
- School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Plant Science Building Cornell University Ithaca New York 14853 USA
| | - T’ai H. Roulston
- Department of Environmental Sciences University of Virginia 400 Blandy Farm Lane Boyce Virginia 22620 USA
| | - Bryan N. Danforth
- Department of Entomology Cornell University Comstock Hall Ithaca New York 14850 USA
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War AF, Bashir I, Reshi ZA, Kardol P, Rashid I. Insights into the seed microbiome and its ecological significance in plant life. Microbiol Res 2023; 269:127318. [PMID: 36753851 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127318] [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: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the microbiome has attracted much attention because of the multiple roles and functions that microbes play in plants, animals, and human beings. Seed-associated microbes are of particular interest in being the initial microbial inoculum that affects the critical early life stages of a plant. The seed-microbe interactions are also known to improve nutrient acquisition, resilience against pathogens, and resistance against abiotic stresses. Despite these diverse roles, the seed microbiome has received little attention in plant ecology. Thus, we review the current knowledge on seed microbial diversity, community structure, and functions obtained through culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. Furthermore, we present a comprehensive synthesis of the ecological literature on seed-microbe interactions to better understand the impact of these interactions on plant health and productivity. We suggest that future research should focus on the role of the seed microbiome in the establishment, colonization and spread of plant species in their native and non-native ranges as it may provide new insights into conservation biology and invasion ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aadil Farooq War
- Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
| | - Iqra Bashir
- Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Zafar A Reshi
- Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Paul Kardol
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S 901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Irfan Rashid
- Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
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Van Wyk JI, Lynch AM, Adler LS. Manipulation of multiple floral traits demonstrates role in pollinator disease transmission. Ecology 2023; 104:e3866. [PMID: 36056578 PMCID: PMC9978041 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Plants modulate multitrophic ecological interactions, and variation in plant traits can affect these interactions. Pollinators are exposed to pathogens at flowers and acquire or transmit pathogens at different rates on different plant species, but the traits mediating those interactions are almost entirely unknown. We experimentally manipulated five plant traits that span scales including flower, inflorescence, and plant, to determine their effects on pathogen transmission between foraging bees. Specifically, we manipulated two morphological traits (corolla lip length and flower orientation within an inflorescence) and three resource distribution traits (inflorescence nectar, plant patch nectar, and plant aggregation) in tents to test how plant traits affect bee pathogen transmission. We also quantified foraging behavior and fecal deposition patterns as potential mechanisms driving differences in transmission, and assessed trait manipulation consequences for bee reproduction. We found that pathogen transmission was reduced when we trimmed the corolla lip, evenly dispersed nectar distribution within an inflorescence, or aggregated plants in space. Some traits also affected bee reproduction; tents with trimmed corollas had more larval production than control tents, and tents with evenly distributed nectar across plant patches had more larval production than tents with clumped resources. Thus, some trait manipulations both reduced transmission and increased bee microcolony reproduction, although our design does not allow us to discern whether these are related or separate effects. Taken together, our results demonstrate causal effects of several floral traits on pathogen transmission and pollinator reproduction, indicating the importance of intraspecific plant trait variation for pollinator health and population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer I. Van Wyk
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
| | - Amy-Mei Lynch
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
| | - Lynn S. Adler
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
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Fetters AM, Ashman TL. The pollen virome: A review of pollen-associated viruses and consequences for plants and their interactions with pollinators. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023:e16144. [PMID: 36924316 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The movement of pollen grains from anthers to stigmas, often by insect pollinator vectors, is essential for plant reproduction. However, pollen is also a unique vehicle for viral spread. Pollen-associated plant viruses reside on the outside or inside of pollen grains, infect susceptible individuals through vertical or horizontal infection pathways, and can decrease plant fitness. These viruses are transferred with pollen between plants by pollinator vectors as they forage for floral resources; thus, pollen-associated viral spread is mediated by floral and pollen grain phenotypes and pollinator traits, much like pollination. Most of what is currently known about pollen-associated viruses was discovered through infection and transmission experiments in controlled settings, usually involving one virus and one plant species of agricultural or horticultural interest. In this review, we first provide an updated, comprehensive list of the recognized pollen-associated viruses. Then, we summarize virus, plant, pollinator vector, and landscape traits that can affect pollen-associated virus transmission, infection, and distribution. Next, we highlight the consequences of plant-pollinator-virus interactions that emerge in complex communities of co-flowering plants and pollinator vectors, such as pollen-associated virus spread between plant species and viral jumps from plant to pollinator hosts. We conclude by emphasizing the need for collaborative research that bridges pollen biology, virology, and pollination biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea M Fetters
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 318 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Tia-Lynn Ashman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
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Hietaranta E, Juottonen H, Kytöviita MM. Honeybees affect floral microbiome composition in a central food source for wild pollinators in boreal ecosystems. Oecologia 2023; 201:59-72. [PMID: 36434466 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05285-7] [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: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Basic knowledge on dispersal of microbes in pollinator networks is essential for plant, insect, and microbial ecology. Thorough understanding of the ecological consequences of honeybee farming on these complex plant-pollinator-microbe interactions is a prerequisite for sustainable honeybee keeping. Most research on plant-pollinator-microbe interactions have focused on temperate agricultural systems. Therefore, information on a wild plant that is a seasonal bottleneck for pollinators in cold climate such as Salix phylicifolia is of specific importance. We investigated how floral visitation by insects influences the community structure of bacteria and fungi in Salix phylicifolia inflorescences under natural conditions. Insect visitors were experimentally excluded with net bags. We analyzed the microbiome and measured pollen removal in open and bagged inflorescences in sites where honeybees were foraging and in sites without honeybees. Site and plant individual explained most of the variation in floral microbial communities. Insect visitation and honeybees had a smaller but significant effect on the community composition of microbes. Honeybees had a specific effect on the inflorescence microbiome and, e.g., increased the relative abundance of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from the bacterial order Lactobacillales. Site had a significant effect on the amount of pollen removed from inflorescences but this was not due to honeybees. Insect visitors increased bacterial and especially fungal OTU richness in the inflorescences. Pollinator visits explained 38% variation in fungal richness, but only 10% in bacterial richness. Our work shows that honeybee farming affects the floral microbiome in a wild plant in rural boreal ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsi Hietaranta
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland.
| | - Heli Juottonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Minna-Maarit Kytöviita
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
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11
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Pislak Ocepek M, Glavan G, Verovnik R, Šimenc L, Toplak I. First Detection of Honeybee Pathogenic Viruses in Butterflies. INSECTS 2022; 13:925. [PMID: 36292873 PMCID: PMC9604290 DOI: 10.3390/insects13100925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Several pathogens are important causes of the observed pollinator decline, some of which could be transmitted between different pollinator species. To determine whether honeybee viruses can be transmitted to butterflies, a total of 120 butterflies were sampled at four locations in Slovenia. At each location, butterflies from three families (Pieridae, Nymphalidae, Hesperiidae/Lycenidae) and Carniolan honeybees (Apis mellifera carnica) were collected. The RNA of six honeybee viruses, i.e., acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), deformed wing virus A (DWV-A), Sacbrood bee virus (SBV), and Lake Sinai virus 3 (LSV3), was detected by a specific quantitative method (RT-PCR). The presence of ABPV, BQCV, LSV3, and SBV was detected in both butterflies and honeybees. All butterfly and bee samples were negative for CBPV, while DWV-A was detected only in honeybees. The viral load in the positive butterfly samples was much lower than in the positive bee samples, which could indicate that butterflies are passive carriers of bee viruses. The percentage of positive butterfly samples was higher when the butterflies were collected at sampling sites with a higher density of apiaries. Therefore, we believe that infected bees are a necessary condition for the presence of viruses in cohabiting butterflies. This is the first study on the presence of pathogenic bee viruses in butterflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Metka Pislak Ocepek
- Institute of Pathology, Wild Animals, Fish and Bees, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gordana Glavan
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rudi Verovnik
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Laura Šimenc
- Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ivan Toplak
- Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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12
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Straub L, Strobl V, Yañez O, Albrecht M, Brown MJ, Neumann P. Do pesticide and pathogen interactions drive wild bee declines? Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2022; 18:232-243. [PMID: 35800107 PMCID: PMC9253050 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
There is clear evidence for wild insect declines globally. Habitat loss, climate change, pests, pathogens and environmental pollution have all been shown to cause detrimental effects on insects. However, interactive effects between these stressors may be the key to understanding reported declines. Here, we review the literature on pesticide and pathogen interactions for wild bees, identify knowledge gaps, and suggest avenues for future research fostering mitigation of the observed declines. The limited studies available suggest that effects of pesticides most likely override effects of pathogens. Bees feeding on flowers and building sheltered nests, are likely less adapted to toxins compared to other insects, which potential susceptibility is enhanced by the reduced number of genes encoding detoxifying enzymes compared with other insect species. However, to date all 10 studies using a fully-crossed design have been conducted in the laboratory on social bees using Crithidia spp. or Nosema spp., identifying an urgent need to test solitary bees and other pathogens. Similarly, since laboratory studies do not necessarily reflect field conditions, semi-field and field studies are essential if we are to understand these interactions and their potential effects in the real-world. In conclusion, there is a clear need for empirical (semi-)field studies on a range of pesticides, pathogens, and insect species to better understand the pathways and mechanisms underlying their potential interactions, in particular their relevance for insect fitness and population dynamics. Such data are indispensable to drive forward robust modelling of interactive effects in different environmental settings and foster predictive science. This will enable pesticide and pathogen interactions to be put into the context of other stressors more broadly, evaluating their relative importance in driving the observed declines of wild bees and other insects. Ultimately, this will enable the development of more effective mitigation measures to protect bees and the ecosystem services they supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Straub
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Verena Strobl
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Orlando Yañez
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Mark J.F. Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
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13
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Vulnerability of non-native invasive plants to novel pathogen attack: do plant traits matter? Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02853-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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14
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Gillespie MAK, Baude M, Biesmeijer J, Boatman N, Budge GE, Crowe A, Davies N, Evans R, Memmott J, Morton RD, Moss E, Murphy M, Pietravalle S, Potts SG, Roberts SPM, Rowland C, Senapathi D, Smart SM, Wood C, Kunin WE. Landscape-scale drivers of pollinator communities may depend on land-use configuration. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210172. [PMID: 35491602 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Research into pollinators in managed landscapes has recently combined approaches of pollination ecology and landscape ecology, because key stressors are likely to interact across wide areas. While laboratory and field experiments are valuable for furthering understanding, studies are required to investigate the interacting drivers of pollinator health and diversity across a broader range of landscapes and a wider array of taxa. Here, we use a network of 96 study landscapes in six topographically diverse regions of Britain, to test the combined importance of honeybee density, insecticide loadings, floral resource availability and habitat diversity to pollinator communities. We also explore the interactions between these drivers and the cover and proximity of semi-natural habitat. We found that among our four drivers, only honeybee density was positively related to wild pollinator abundance and diversity, and the positive association between abundance and floral resources depended on insecticide loadings and habitat diversity. By contrast, our exploratory models including habitat composition metrics revealed a complex suite of interactive effects. These results demonstrate that improving pollinator community composition and health is unlikely to be achieved with general resource enhancements only. Rather, local land-use context should be considered in fine-tuning pollinator management and conservation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A K Gillespie
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,Department of Science and Engineering, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, PB 133, 6851 Sogndal, Norway
| | - Mathilde Baude
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, UK.,INRAE USC1328, LBLGC EA1207, University of Orléans, rue de Chartres, BP 6759, 45067 Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - Jacobus Biesmeijer
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands.,Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nigel Boatman
- Fera Science Ltd (previously Food and Environment Research Agency), Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK
| | - Giles E Budge
- Fera Science Ltd (previously Food and Environment Research Agency), Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK.,School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Andrew Crowe
- Fera Science Ltd (previously Food and Environment Research Agency), Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK
| | - Nancy Davies
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, UK
| | - Rebecca Evans
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AR, UK
| | - Jane Memmott
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, UK
| | - R Daniel Morton
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Ellen Moss
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.,Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AR, UK
| | - Mark Murphy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Stephane Pietravalle
- Fera Science Ltd (previously Food and Environment Research Agency), Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK
| | - Simon G Potts
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AR, UK
| | - Stuart P M Roberts
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AR, UK
| | - Clare Rowland
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Deepa Senapathi
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AR, UK
| | - Simon M Smart
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Claire Wood
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK
| | - William E Kunin
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Research Centre at Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
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15
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Balbuena MS, Broadhead GT, Dahake A, Barnett E, Vergara M, Skogen KA, Jogesh T, Raguso RA. Mutualism has its limits: consequences of asymmetric interactions between a well-defended plant and its herbivorous pollinator. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210166. [PMID: 35491593 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Concern for pollinator health often focuses on social bees and their agricultural importance at the expense of other pollinators and their ecosystem services. When pollinating herbivores use the same plants as nectar sources and larval hosts, ecological conflicts emerge for both parties, as the pollinator's services are mitigated by herbivory and its larvae are harmed by plant defences. We tracked individual-level metrics of pollinator health-growth, survivorship, fecundity-across the life cycle of a pollinating herbivore, the common hawkmoth, Hyles lineata, interacting with a rare plant, Oenothera harringtonii, that is polymorphic for the common floral volatile (R)-(-)-linalool. Linalool had no impact on floral attraction, but its experimental addition suppressed oviposition on plants lacking linalool. Plants showed robust resistance against herbivory from leaf-disc to whole-plant scales, through poor larval growth and survivorship. Higher larval performance on other Oenothera species indicates that constitutive herbivore resistance by O. harringtonii is not a genus-wide trait. Leaf volatiles differed among populations of O. harringtonii but were not induced by larval herbivory. Similarly, elagitannins and other phenolics varied among plant tissues but were not herbivore-induced. Our findings highlight asymmetric plant-pollinator interactions and the importance of third parties, including alternative larval host plants, in maintaining pollinator health. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Sol Balbuena
- Department of Neurobiology and Behaviour, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EHA, Argentina
| | - Geoffrey T Broadhead
- Department of Neurobiology and Behaviour, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Ajinkya Dahake
- Department of Neurobiology and Behaviour, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Emily Barnett
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Melissa Vergara
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Krissa A Skogen
- Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL 60035, USA
| | - Tania Jogesh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.,Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL 60035, USA
| | - Robert A Raguso
- Department of Neurobiology and Behaviour, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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16
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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’.
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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
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17
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Martin VN, Schaeffer RN, Fukami T. Potential effects of nectar microbes on pollinator health. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210155. [PMID: 35491594 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Floral nectar is prone to colonization by nectar-adapted yeasts and bacteria via air-, rain-, and animal-mediated dispersal. Upon colonization, microbes can modify nectar chemical constituents that are plant-provisioned or impart their own through secretion of metabolic by-products or antibiotics into the nectar environment. Such modifications can have consequences for pollinator perception of nectar quality, as microbial metabolism can leave a distinct imprint on olfactory and gustatory cues that inform foraging decisions. Furthermore, direct interactions between pollinators and nectar microbes, as well as consumption of modified nectar, have the potential to affect pollinator health both positively and negatively. Here, we discuss and integrate recent findings from research on plant-microbe-pollinator interactions and their consequences for pollinator health. We then explore future avenues of research that could shed light on the myriad ways in which nectar microbes can affect pollinator health, including the taxonomic diversity of vertebrate and invertebrate pollinators that rely on this reward. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tadashi Fukami
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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18
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Nicholls E, Rands SA, Botías C, Hempel de Ibarra N. Flower sharing and pollinator health: a behavioural perspective. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210157. [PMID: 35491598 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease is an integral part of any organisms' life, and bees have evolved immune responses and a suite of hygienic behaviours to keep them at bay in the nest. It is now evident that flowers are another transmission hub for pathogens and parasites, raising questions about adaptations that help pollinating insects stay healthy while visiting hundreds of plants over their lifetime. Drawing on recent advances in our understanding of how bees of varying size, dietary specialization and sociality differ in their foraging ranges, navigational strategies and floral resource preferences, we explore the behavioural mechanisms and strategies that may enable foraging bees to reduce disease exposure and transmission risks at flowers by partitioning overlapping resources in space and in time. By taking a novel behavioural perspective, we highlight the missing links between disease biology and the ecology of plant-pollinator relationships, critical for improving the understanding of disease transmission risks and the better design and management of habitat for pollinator conservation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Nicholls
- Evolution, Behaviour and Environment, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
| | - S A Rands
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - C Botías
- Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal de Castilla La Mancha (IRIAF), CIAPA de Marchamalo, 19180 Guadalajara, Spain
| | - N Hempel de Ibarra
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
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19
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Burdon RD, Bartlett MJ. Putative biotic drivers of plant phenology: With special reference to pathogens and deciduousness. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8932. [PMID: 35784056 PMCID: PMC9163672 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant phenology is not only manifested in the seasonal timing of vegetative and reproductive processes but also has ontogenetic aspects. The adaptive basis of seasonal phenology has been considered mainly in terms of climatic drivers. However, some biotic factors as likely evolutionary influences on plants’ phenology appear to have been under‐researched. Several specific cases of putative biotic factors driving plant phenology are outlined, involving both herbivores and pathogens. These illustrate the diversity of likely interactions rather than any systematic coverage or review. Emphasis is on woody perennials, in which phenology is often most multifaceted and complicated by the ontogenetic aspect. The complete seasonal leaf fall that characterizes deciduous plants may be a very important defense against some pathogens. Whether biotic influences drive acquisition or long‐term persistence of deciduousness is considered. In one case, of leaf rusts in poplars, countervailing influences of the rusts and climate suggest persistence. Often, however, biotic and environmental influences likely reinforce each other. The timing and duration of shoot flushing may in at least some cases contribute to defenses against herbivores, largely through brief periods of “predator satiation” when plant tissues have highest food value. Wide re‐examination of plant phenology, accommodating the roles of biotic factors and their interplays with environments as additional adaptive drivers, is advocated toward developing and applying hypotheses that are observationally or experimentally testable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowland D. Burdon
- Scion (New Zealand Forest Research Institute Ltd) Rotorua New Zealand
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20
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Takeda K, Sakai S. Idea paper: Extended benefits of pollinator‐mediated microbial dispersal among flowers. Ecol Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuya Takeda
- Center for Ecological Research Kyoto University Otsu Shiga Japan
- Research Institute for Food and Agriculture Ryukoku University Shiga Japan
| | - Shoko Sakai
- Center for Ecological Research Kyoto University Otsu Shiga Japan
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21
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Gaiarsa MP, Rehan S, Barbour MA, McFrederick QS. Individual dietary specialization in a generalist bee varies across populations but has no effect on the richness of associated microbial communities. Am Nat 2022; 200:730-737. [DOI: 10.1086/721023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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22
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Pinilla-Gallego MS, Ng WH, Amaral VE, Irwin RE. Floral shape predicts bee-parasite transmission potential. Ecology 2022; 103:e3730. [PMID: 35416294 PMCID: PMC9255851 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The spread of parasites is one of the primary drivers of population decline of both managed and wild bees. Several bee parasites are transmitted by the shared use of flowers, turning floral resources into potential disease hotspots. However, we know little about how floral morphology and floral species identity affect different steps of the transmission process. Here, we used the gut parasite Crithidia bombi and its primary host, bumble bees (Bombus spp.), to examine whether floral traits or species identity better predict three basic steps of parasite transmission on flowers: feces deposition on flowers, survival of the parasite on flowers, and acquisition by a new host. We also identified which traits and/or species were most strongly associated with each step in the transmission process. We found that both trait‐ and species‐based models fit the data on deposition of feces and survival of C. bombi on flowers, but that species‐based models provided a better fit compared with trait‐based ones. However, trait‐based models were better at predicting the acquisition of C. bombi on flowers. Although different species tended to support higher fecal deposition or parasite survival, we found that floral shape provided explanatory power for each of the transmission steps. When we assessed overall transmission potential, floral shape had the largest explanatory effect, with wider, shorter flowers promoting higher transmission. Taken together, our results highlight the importance of flower species identity and floral traits in disease transmission dynamics of bee parasites, and floral shape as an important predictor of overall transmission potential. Identifying traits associated with transmission potential may help us create seed mix that presents lower parasite transmission risk for bees for use in pollinator habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wee-Hao Ng
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Victoria E Amaral
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca E Irwin
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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23
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Tehel A, Streicher T, Tragust S, Paxton RJ. Experimental cross species transmission of a major viral pathogen in bees is predominantly from honeybees to bumblebees. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212255. [PMID: 35168401 PMCID: PMC8848241 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cross-species transmission of a pathogen from a reservoir to a recipient host species, spillover, can have major impacts on biodiversity, domestic species and human health. Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a panzootic RNA virus in honeybees that is causal in their elevated colony losses, and several correlative field studies have suggested spillover of DWV from managed honeybees to wild bee species such as bumblebees. Yet unequivocal demonstration of DWV spillover is lacking, while spillback, the transmission of DWV from a recipient back to the reservoir host, is rarely considered. Here, we show in fully crossed laboratory experiments that the transmission of DWV (genotype A) from honeybees to bumblebees occurs readily, yet we neither detected viral transmission from bumblebees to honeybees nor onward transmission from experimentally infected to uninoculated bumblebees. Our results support the potential for viral spillover from honeybees to other bee species in the field when robbing resources from heterospecific nests or when visiting the same flowers. They also underscore the importance of studies on the virulence of DWV in wild bee species so as to evaluate viral impact on individual and population fitness as well as viral adaption to new host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Tehel
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Tabea Streicher
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Simon Tragust
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Robert J. Paxton
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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24
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Cohen H, Ponisio LC, Russell KA, Philpott SM, McFrederick QS. Floral resources shape parasite and pathogen dynamics in bees facing urbanization. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2157-2171. [PMID: 35114032 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Urbanization is associated with increases in impervious land cover, which alters the distribution of resources available to wildlife and concentrates activity in un-built spaces such as parks and gardens. How resource shifts alter the dynamics of parasite and pathogen transmission has not been addressed for many important species in urban systems. We focus on urban gardens, resource-rich "islands" within the urban matrix, to examine how the availability of floral resources at local and landscape scales influences the prevalence of 6 RNA viruses and 3 parasites in honey bees and bumble bees. Because parasites and pathogens are transmitted at flowers between visitors, we expected that floral abundance would concentrate bees within gardens, amplifying infection rates in pollinators, unless increases in floral resources would enhance bee diversity enough to dilute transmission. We found that garden size and flowering perennial plant abundance had a positive, direct effect on parasite and pathogen richness in bumble bees, suggesting that resource provisioning amplifies transmission. We also found that parasitism rates in honey bees were positively associated with parasites and pathogens in bumble bees, suggesting spillover between species. Encouragingly, we found evidence that management may mitigate parasitism through indirect effects: garden size had a positive impact on bee diversity, which in-turn was negatively associated with parasite and pathogen richness in bumble bees. Unexpectedly, we observed that that parasite and pathogen richness in honey bees had no significant predictors, highlighting the complexity of comparing transmission dynamics between species. Although floral resources provide bees with food, we suggest more research on the tradeoffs between resource provisioning and disease transmission to implement conservation plantings in changing landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamutahl Cohen
- Institute for Food and Agriculture, University of Florida, U.S.A
| | | | - Kaleigh A Russell
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, U.S.A
| | - Stacy M Philpott
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, U.S.A
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25
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Honey bees and climate explain viral prevalence in wild bee communities on a continental scale. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1904. [PMID: 35115568 PMCID: PMC8814194 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05603-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses are omnipresent, yet the knowledge on drivers of viral prevalence in wild host populations is often limited. Biotic factors, such as sympatric managed host species, as well as abiotic factors, such as climatic variables, are likely to impact viral prevalence. Managed and wild bees, which harbor several multi-host viruses with a mostly fecal-oral between-species transmission route, provide an excellent system with which to test for the impact of biotic and abiotic factors on viral prevalence in wild host populations. Here we show on a continental scale that the prevalence of three broad host viruses: the AKI-complex (Acute bee paralysis virus, Kashmir bee virus and Israeli acute paralysis virus), Deformed wing virus, and Slow bee paralysis virus in wild bee populations (bumble bees and solitary bees) is positively related to viral prevalence of sympatric honey bees as well as being impacted by climatic variables. The former highlights the need for good beekeeping practices, including Varroa destructor management to reduce honey bee viral infection and hive placement. Furthermore, we found that viral prevalence in wild bees is at its lowest at the extreme ends of both temperature and precipitation ranges. Under predicted climate change, the frequency of extremes in precipitation and temperature will continue to increase and may hence impact viral prevalence in wild bee communities.
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26
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Marre M, Ushio M, Sakai S. The effects of the floral infection by a bacterial pathogen in a dioecious plant,
Mallotus japonicus
(Euphorbiaceae). POPUL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/1438-390x.12110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Marre
- Center for Ecological Research Kyoto University Otsu Japan
| | - Masayuki Ushio
- Center for Ecological Research Kyoto University Otsu Japan
- Hakubi Center Kyoto University Kyoto Japan
| | - Shoko Sakai
- Center for Ecological Research Kyoto University Otsu Japan
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27
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Fetters AM, Cantalupo PG, Wei N, Robles MTS, Stanley A, Stephens JD, Pipas JM, Ashman TL. The pollen virome of wild plants and its association with variation in floral traits and land use. Nat Commun 2022; 13:523. [PMID: 35082293 PMCID: PMC8791949 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28143-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pollen is a unique vehicle for viral spread. Pollen-associated viruses hitchhike on or within pollen grains and are transported to other plants by pollinators. They are deposited on flowers and have a direct pathway into the plant and next generation via seeds. To discover the diversity of pollen-associated viruses and identify contributing landscape and floral features, we perform a species-level metagenomic survey of pollen from wild, visually asymptomatic plants, located in one of four regions in the United States of America varying in land use. We identify many known and novel pollen-associated viruses, half belonging to the Bromoviridae, Partitiviridae, and Secoviridae viral families, but many families are represented. Across the regions, species harbor more viruses when surrounded by less natural and more human-modified environments than the reverse, but we note that other region-level differences may also covary with this. When examining the novel connection between virus richness and floral traits, we find that species with multiple, bilaterally symmetric flowers and smaller, spikier pollen harbored more viruses than those with opposite traits. The association of viral diversity with floral traits highlights the need to incorporate plant-pollinator interactions as a driver of pollen-associated virus transport into the study of plant-viral interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea M Fetters
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA.
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 318 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| | - Paul G Cantalupo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, 5607 Baum Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, USA
| | - Na Wei
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
- The Holden Arboretum, 9500 Sperry Road, Kirtland, OH, 44094, USA
| | - Maria Teresa Sáenz Robles
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Amber Stanley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Jessica D Stephens
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
- Department of Biology, Westfield State University, 577 Western Avenue, Westfield, MA, 01086, USA
| | - James M Pipas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Tia-Lynn Ashman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA.
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OUP accepted manuscript. Behav Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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29
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Estravis-Barcala MC, Palottini F, Farina WM. Learning of a mimic odor combined with nectar nonsugar compounds enhances honeybee pollination of a commercial crop. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23918. [PMID: 34907244 PMCID: PMC8671565 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03305-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing demand on pollination services leads food industry to consider new strategies for management of pollinators to improve their efficiency in agroecosystems. Recently, it was demonstrated that feeding beehives food scented with an odorant mixture mimicking the floral scent of a crop (sunflower mimic, SM) enhanced foraging activity and improved recruitment to the target inflorescences, which led to higher density of bees on the crop and significantly increased yields. Besides, the oral administration of nonsugar compounds (NSC) naturally found in nectars (caffeine and arginine) improved short and long-term olfactory memory retention in conditioned bees under laboratory conditions. To test the effect of offering of SM-scented food supplemented with NSC on honeybees pollinating sunflower for hybrid seed production, in a commercial plantation we fed colonies SM-scented food (control), and SM-scented food supplemented with either caffeine, arginine, or a mixture of both, in field realistic concentrations. Their foraging activity was assessed at the hive and on the crop up to 90 h after treatment, and sunflower yield was estimated prior to harvest. Our field results show that SM + Mix-treated colonies exhibited the highest incoming rates and densities on the crop. Additionally, overall seed mass was significantly higher by 20% on inflorescences close to these colonies than control colonies. Such results suggest that combined NSC potentiate olfactory learning of a mimic floral odor inside the hive, promoting faster colony-level foraging responses and increasing crop production.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Cecilia Estravis-Barcala
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Florencia Palottini
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Walter M Farina
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Davis AE, Deutsch KR, Torres AM, Mata Loya MJ, Cody LV, Harte E, Sossa D, Muñiz PA, Ng WH, McArt SH. Eristalis flower flies can be mechanical vectors of the common trypanosome bee parasite, Crithidia bombi. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15852. [PMID: 34349198 PMCID: PMC8338921 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95323-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Flowers can be transmission platforms for parasites that impact bee health, yet bees share floral resources with other pollinator taxa, such as flies, that may be hosts or non-host vectors (i.e., mechanical vectors) of parasites. Here, we assessed whether the fecal-orally transmitted gut parasite of bees, Crithidia bombi, can infect Eristalis tenax flower flies. We also investigated the potential for two confirmed solitary bee hosts of C. bombi, Osmia lignaria and Megachile rotundata, as well as two flower fly species, Eristalis arbustorum and E. tenax, to transmit the parasite at flowers. We found that C. bombi did not replicate (i.e., cause an active infection) in E. tenax flies. However, 93% of inoculated flies defecated live C. bombi in their first fecal event, and all contaminated fecal events contained C. bombi at concentrations sufficient to infect bumble bees. Flies and bees defecated inside the corolla (flower) more frequently than other plant locations, and flies defecated at volumes comparable to or greater than bees. Our results demonstrate that Eristalis flower flies are not hosts of C. bombi, but they may be mechanical vectors of this parasite at flowers. Thus, flower flies may amplify or dilute C. bombi in bee communities, though current theoretical work suggests that unless present in large populations, the effects of mechanical vectors will be smaller than hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abby E Davis
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
- Department of Environmental and Rural Science, The University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia.
| | - Kaitlin R Deutsch
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Alondra M Torres
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Mesly J Mata Loya
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Lauren V Cody
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Emma Harte
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - David Sossa
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Paige A Muñiz
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Wee Hao Ng
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Scott H McArt
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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31
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Moretti M, Fontana S, Carscadden KA, MacIvor JS. Reproductive trait differences drive offspring production in urban cavity-nesting bees and wasps. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:9932-9948. [PMID: 34367550 PMCID: PMC8328425 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The contrasting and idiosyncratic changes in biodiversity that have been documented across urbanization gradients call for a more mechanistic understanding of urban community assembly. The reproductive success of organisms in cities should underpin their population persistence and the maintenance of biodiversity in urban landscapes. We propose that exploring individual-level reproductive traits and environmental drivers of reproductive success could provide the necessary links between environmental conditions, offspring production, and biodiversity in urban areas. For 3 years, we studied cavity-nesting solitary bees and wasps in four urban green space types across Toronto, Canada. We measured three reproductive traits of each nest: the total number of brood cells, the proportion of parasite-free cells, and the proportion of non-emerged brood cells that were parasite-free. We determined (a) how reproductive traits, trait diversity and offspring production respond to multiple environmental variables and (b) how well reproductive trait variation explains the offspring production of single nests, by reflecting the different ways organisms navigate trade-offs between gathering of resources and exposure to parasites. Our results showed that environmental variables were poor predictors of mean reproductive trait values, trait diversity, and offspring production. However, offspring production was highly positively correlated with reproductive trait evenness and negatively correlated with trait richness and divergence. This suggests that a narrow range of reproductive traits are optimal for reproduction, and the even distribution of individual reproductive traits across those optimal phenotypes is consistent with the idea that selection could favor diverse reproductive strategies to reduce competition. This study is novel in its exploration of individual-level reproductive traits and its consideration of multiple axes of urbanization. Reproductive trait variation did not follow previously reported biodiversity-urbanization patterns; the insensitivity to urbanization gradients raise questions about the role of the spatial mosaic of habitats in cities and the disconnections between different metrics of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Moretti
- Biodiversity and Conservation BiologySwiss Federal Research Institute WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - Simone Fontana
- Biodiversity and Conservation BiologySwiss Federal Research Institute WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Nature Conservation and Landscape EcologyUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Kelly A. Carscadden
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | - J. Scott MacIvor
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoONCanada
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32
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Van Wyk JI, Amponsah ER, Ng WH, Adler LS. Big bees spread disease: body size mediates transmission of a bumble bee pathogen. Ecology 2021; 102:e03429. [PMID: 34105776 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Trait variation can have important consequences for the outcomes of species interactions. Even though some traits vary as much within species as across related species, models and empirical studies typically do not consider the role of intraspecific trait variation for processes such as disease transmission. For example, many pollinator species are in decline because of a variety of stressors including pathogens, but the role of intraspecific trait variation in mediating disease dynamics is rarely considered. For example, pollinator body size could affect pathogen transmission via differences in resistance, foraging behavior and physiology. We tested effects of body size on pollinator pathogen transmission using the common eastern bumble bee Bombus impatiens in field tents, introducing an infected "donor" microcolony of large or small workers with an uninfected average-sized "recipient" microcolony and allowing bees to forage for 9-16 d. Small donor bees had nearly 50% higher infection intensity (cells/0.02 μL) than large donor bees, but large donor bees were twice as likely to transmit Crithidia bombi to recipient bees. Both behavioral and physiological mechanisms may underlie this apparent paradox. Compared to small bees, large bees foraged more and produced more feces; simulations showed that foraging and defecation rates together had stronger effects on transmission than did donor infection intensity. Thus, effects of bee size on contact rates and pathogen supply may play significant roles in disease transmission, demonstrating the multifaceted impacts of traits on transmission dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer I Van Wyk
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, USA
| | - Eugene R Amponsah
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, USA
| | - Wee Hao Ng
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Lynn S Adler
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, USA
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33
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Seshadri A, Bernklau E. Context-Dependent Effect of Dietary Phytochemicals on Honey Bees Exposed to a Pesticide, Thiamethoxam. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2021; 21:6347255. [PMID: 34374762 PMCID: PMC8353980 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Honey bees continue to face challenges relating to the degradation of natural flowering habitats that limit their access to diverse floral resources. While it is known that nectar and pollen provide macronutrients, flowers also contain secondary metabolites (phytochemicals) that impart benefits including increased longevity, improved gut microbiome abundance, and pathogen tolerance. Our study aims to understand the role of phytochemicals in pesticide tolerance when worker bees were fed with sublethal doses (1 ppb and 10 ppb) of thiamethoxam (TMX), a neonicotinoid, in 20% (w/v) sugar solution supplemented with 25 ppm of phytochemicals-caffeine, kaempferol, gallic acid, or p-coumaric acid, previously shown to have beneficial impacts on bee health. The effect of phytochemical supplementation during pesticide exposure was context-dependent. With 1 ppb TMX, phytochemical supplementation increased longevity but at 10 ppb TMX, longevity was reduced suggesting a negative synergistic effect. Phytochemicals mixed with 1 ppb TMX increased mortality in bees of the forager-age group but with 10 ppb TMX, mortality of the inhive-age group increased, implying the possibility of accumulation effect in lower sublethal doses. Given that the phytochemical composition of pollen and nectar varies between plant species, we suggest that the negative impacts of agrochemicals on honey bees could vary based on the phytochemicals in pollen and nectar of that crop, and hence the effects may vary across crops. Analyzing the phytochemical composition for individual crops may be a necessary first step prior to determining the appropriate dosage of agrochemicals so that harm to bees Apis mellifera L. is minimized while crop pests are effectively controlled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arathi Seshadri
- Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Unit, USDA ARS/WRRC, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Corresponding author, e-mail:
| | - Elisa Bernklau
- Colorado State University, Department of Agricultural Biology, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
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34
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Folly AJ, Koch H, Farrell IW, Stevenson PC, Brown MJF. Agri-environment scheme nectar chemistry can suppress the social epidemiology of parasites in an important pollinator. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210363. [PMID: 34034519 PMCID: PMC8150011 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Emergent infectious diseases are one of the main drivers of species loss. Emergent infection with the microsporidian Nosema bombi has been implicated in the population and range declines of a suite of North American bumblebees, a group of important pollinators. Previous work has shown that phytochemicals found in pollen and nectar can negatively impact parasites in individuals, but how this relates to social epidemiology and by extension whether plants can be effectively used as pollinator disease management strategies remains unexplored. Here, we undertook a comprehensive screen of UK agri-environment scheme (AES) plants, a programme designed to benefit pollinators and wider biodiversity in agricultural settings, for phytochemicals in pollen and nectar using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Caffeine, which occurs across a range of plant families, was identified in the nectar of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), a component of UK AES and a major global crop. We showed that caffeine significantly reduces N. bombi infection intensity, both prophylactically and therapeutically, in individual bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), and, for the first time, that such effects impact social epidemiology, with colonies reared from wild-caught queens having both lower prevalence and intensity of infection. Furthermore, infection prevalence was lower in foraging bumblebees from caffeine-treated colonies, suggesting a likely reduction in population-level transmission. Combined, these results show that N. bombi is less likely to be transmitted intracolonially when bumblebees consume naturally available caffeine, and that this may in turn reduce environmental prevalence. Consequently, our results demonstrate that floral phytochemicals at ecologically relevant concentrations can impact pollinator disease epidemiology and that planting strategies that increase floral abundance to support biodiversity could be co-opted as disease management tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arran J. Folly
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | | | | | - Philip C. Stevenson
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent, UK
| | - Mark J. F. Brown
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
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35
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Viral load, not food availability or temperature, predicts colony longevity in an invasive eusocial wasp with plastic life history. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10087. [PMID: 33980970 PMCID: PMC8115236 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89607-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Social insect colonies exhibit a variety of life history strategies, from the annual, semelparous colonies of temperate bees and wasps to the long-lived colonies of many ants and honeybees. Species introduced to novel habitats may exhibit plasticity in life history strategies as a result of the introduction, but the factors governing these changes often remain obscure. Vespula pensylvanica, a yellowjacket wasp, exhibits such plasticity in colony longevity. Multi-year (perennial) colonies are relatively common in introduced populations in Hawaii, while source populations in the western United States are typically on an annual cycle. Here, we use experiments and observational data to examine how diet, disease, nest thermal environment, and nest location influence colony longevity in a population with both annual and perennial colonies. Counter to our predictions, experimental feeding and warming did not increase colony survival in the winter in the introduced range. However, Moku Virus load and wasp colony density predicted colony survival in one year, suggesting a potential role for disease in modulating colony phenology. We also found that local V. pensylvanica colony density was positively correlated with Moku Virus loads, and that Arsenophonus sp. bacterial loads in V. pensylvanica colonies were positively associated with proximity to feral honeybee (Apis mellifera) hives, suggesting potential transmission routes for these poorly understood symbionts. The factors influencing colony longevity in this population are likely multiple and interactive. More important than food availability, we propose winter precipitation as a critical factor that may explain temporal and spatial variation in colony longevity in these invasive wasps.
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Pascall DJ, Tinsley MC, Clark BL, Obbard DJ, Wilfert L. Virus Prevalence and Genetic Diversity Across a Wild Bumblebee Community. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:650747. [PMID: 33967987 PMCID: PMC8100031 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.650747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses are key population regulators, but we have limited knowledge of the diversity and ecology of viruses. This is even the case in wild host populations that provide ecosystem services, where small fitness effects may have major ecological impacts in aggregate. One such group of hosts are the bumblebees, which have a major role in the pollination of food crops and have suffered population declines and range contractions in recent decades. In this study, we investigate the diversity of four recently discovered bumblebee viruses (Mayfield virus 1, Mayfield virus 2, River Liunaeg virus, and Loch Morlich virus), and two previously known viruses that infect both wild bumblebees and managed honeybees (Acute bee paralysis virus and Slow bee paralysis virus) from isolates in Scotland. We investigate the ecological and environmental factors that determine viral presence and absence. We show that the recently discovered bumblebee viruses were more genetically diverse than the viruses shared with honeybees. Coinfection is potentially important in shaping prevalence: we found a strong positive association between River Liunaeg virus and Loch Morlich virus presence after controlling for host species, location and other relevant ecological variables. We tested for a relationship between environmental variables (temperature, UV radiation, wind speed, and prevalence), but as we had few sampling sites, and thus low power for site-level analyses, we could not conclude anything regarding these variables. We also describe the relationship between the bumblebee communities at our sampling sites. This study represents a first step in the description of predictors of bumblebee infection in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Pascall
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew C. Tinsley
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Bethany L. Clark
- BirdLife International, The David Attenborough Building, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Darren J. Obbard
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Lena Wilfert
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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Proesmans W, Albrecht M, Gajda A, Neumann P, Paxton RJ, Pioz M, Polzin C, Schweiger O, Settele J, Szentgyörgyi H, Thulke HH, Vanbergen AJ. Pathways for Novel Epidemiology: Plant-Pollinator-Pathogen Networks and Global Change. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:623-636. [PMID: 33865639 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Multiple global change pressures, and their interplay, cause plant-pollinator extinctions and modify species assemblages and interactions. This may alter the risks of pathogen host shifts, intra- or interspecific pathogen spread, and emergence of novel population or community epidemics. Flowers are hubs for pathogen transmission. Consequently, the structure of plant-pollinator interaction networks may be pivotal in pathogen host shifts and modulating disease dynamics. Traits of plants, pollinators, and pathogens may also govern the interspecific spread of pathogens. Pathogen spillover-spillback between managed and wild pollinators risks driving the evolution of virulence and community epidemics. Understanding this interplay between host-pathogen dynamics and global change will be crucial to predicting impacts on pollinators and pollination underpinning ecosystems and human wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem Proesmans
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRAE, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France.
| | | | - Anna Gajda
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology and Veterinary Diagnostics, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Robert J Paxton
- General Zoology, Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Maryline Pioz
- Abeilles et Environnement, INRAE, 84140 Avignon, France
| | - Christine Polzin
- Department of Environmental Politics, UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Oliver Schweiger
- UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Josef Settele
- UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany; iDiv, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines, 4031 Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Hajnalka Szentgyörgyi
- Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Hans-Hermann Thulke
- Department of Ecological Modelling, UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04138 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Adam J Vanbergen
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRAE, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France.
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38
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Essenberg CJ. Intraspecific relationships between floral signals and rewards with implications for plant fitness. AOB PLANTS 2021; 13:plab006. [PMID: 33708371 PMCID: PMC7937183 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plab006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Within-species variation in traits such as petal size or colour often provides reliable information to pollinators about the rewards offered to them by flowers. In spite of potential disadvantages of allowing pollinators to discriminate against less-rewarding flowers, examples of informative floral signals are diverse in form and widely distributed across plant taxa, apparently having evolved repeatedly in different lineages. Although hypotheses about the adaptive value of providing reward information have been proposed and tested in a few cases, a unified effort to understand the evolutionary mechanisms favouring informative floral signals has yet to emerge. This review describes the diversity of ways in which floral signals can be linked with floral rewards within plant species and discusses the constraints and selective pressures on floral signal-reward relationships. It focuses particularly on how information about floral rewards can influence pollinator behaviour and how those behavioural changes may, in turn, affect plant fitness, selecting either for providing or withholding reward information. Most of the hypotheses about the evolution of floral signal-reward relationships are, as yet, untested, and the review identifies promising research directions for addressing these considerable gaps in knowledge. The advantages and disadvantages of sharing floral reward information with pollinators likely play an important role in floral trait evolution, and opportunities abound to further our understanding of this neglected aspect of floral signalling.
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Adler LS, Irwin RE, McArt SH, Vannette RL. Floral traits affecting the transmission of beneficial and pathogenic pollinator-associated microbes. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 44:1-7. [PMID: 32866657 PMCID: PMC7914268 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Flowers provide resources for pollinators, and can also be transmission venues for beneficial or pathogenic pollinator-associated microbes. Floral traits could mediate transmission similarly for beneficial and pathogenic microbes, although some beneficial microbes can grow in flowers while pathogenic microbes may only survive until acquired by a new host. In spite of conceptual similarities, research on beneficial and pathogenic pollinator-associated microbes has progressed mostly independently. Recent advances demonstrate that floral traits are associated with transmission of beneficial and pathogenic microbes, with consequences for pollinator populations and communities. However, there is a near-absence of experimental manipulations of floral traits to determine causal effects on transmission, and a need to understand how floral, microbe and host traits interact to mediate transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn S Adler
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 221 Morrill Science Center, 611 N. Pleasant St., Amherst MA 01002 USA.
| | - Rebecca E Irwin
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, 127 David Clark Labs, 100 Eugene Brooks Ave., Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
| | - Scott H McArt
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 4132 Comstock Hall, 129 Garden Ave., Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Rachel L Vannette
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, 43 Briggs Hall, Davis CA 95616 USA
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40
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Fearon ML, Tibbetts EA. Pollinator community species richness dilutes prevalence of multiple viruses within multiple host species. Ecology 2021; 102:e03305. [PMID: 33571384 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Most pathogens are embedded in complex communities composed of multiple interacting hosts, but we are still learning how community-level factors, such as host diversity, abundance, and composition, contribute to pathogen spread for many host-pathogen systems. Evaluating relationships among multiple pathogens and hosts may clarify whether particular host or pathogen traits consistently drive links between community factors and pathogen prevalence. Pollinators are a good system to test how community composition influences pathogen spread because pollinator communities are extremely variable and contain several multi-host pathogens transmitted on shared floral resources. We conducted a field survey of four pollinator species to test the prevalence of three RNA viruses (deformed wing virus, black queen cell virus, and sacbrood virus) among pollinator communities with variable species richness, abundance, and composition. All three viruses showed a similar pattern of prevalence among hosts. Apis mellifera and Bombus impatiens had significantly higher viral prevalence than Lasioglossum spp. and Eucera pruinosa. In each species, lower virus prevalence was most strongly linked with greater pollinator community species richness. In contrast, pollinator abundance, species-specific pollinator abundance, and community composition were not associated with virus prevalence. Our results support a consistent dilution effect for multiple viruses and host species. Pollinators in species-rich communities had lower viral prevalence than pollinators from species-poor communities, when accounting for differences in pollinator abundance. Species-rich communities likely had lower viral prevalence because species-rich communities contained more native bee species likely to be poor viral hosts than species-poor communities, and all communities contained the highly competent hosts A. mellifera and B. impatiens. Interestingly, the strength of the dilution effect was not consistent among hosts. Instead, host species with low viral prevalence exhibited weaker dilution effects compared to hosts with high viral prevalence. Therefore, host species susceptibility and competence for each virus may contribute to variation in the strength of dilution effects. This study expands biodiversity-disease studies to the pollinator-virus system, finding consistent evidence of the dilution effect among multiple similar pathogens that infect "replicate" host communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L Fearon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Tibbetts
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
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41
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Marchi IL, Palottini F, Farina WM. Combined secondary compounds naturally found in nectars enhance honeybee cognition and survival. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb.239616. [PMID: 33602677 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.239616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The alkaloid caffeine and the amino acid arginine are present as secondary compounds in nectars of some flower species visited by pollinators. Each of these compounds affects honeybee appetitive behaviours by improving foraging activity and learning. While caffeine potentiates responses of mushroom body neurons involved in honeybee learning processes, arginine acts as precursor of nitric oxide, enhancing the protein synthesis involved in memory formation. Despite existing evidence on how these compounds affect honeybee cognitive ability individually, their combined effect on this is still unknown. We evaluated acquisition and memory retention in a classical olfactory conditioning procedure, in which the reward (sucrose solution) contained traces of caffeine, arginine or a mixture of the two. The results indicate that the presence of the single compounds and their most concentrated mixture increases bees' learning performance. However, memory retention, measured in the short and long term, increases significantly only in those treatments offering combinations of the two compounds in the reward. Additionally, the most concentrated mixture triggers a significant survival rate in the conditioned bees. Thus, some nectar compounds, when combined, show synergistic effects on cognitive ability and survival in an insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio L Marchi
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Florencia Palottini
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Walter M Farina
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina .,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina
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42
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Bruns E, Pierce L, Antonovics J, Hood M. Vector preference and heterogeneity in host sex ratio can affect pathogen spread in natural plant populations. Ecology 2021; 102:e03246. [PMID: 33190245 PMCID: PMC9803934 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases threaten human and agricultural health and are a critical component of the ecology of plants and animals. While previous studies have shown that pathogen spread can be affected by vector preferences for host infection status, less attention has been paid to vector preference for host sex, despite abundant evidence of sex-specific variation in disease burden. We investigated vector preference for host infection status and sex in the sterilizing "anther-smut" pathogen (Microbotryum) of the alpine carnation, Dianthus pavonius. The pathogen is transferred among hosts by pollinators that visit infected flowers and become contaminated with spores produced by infected anthers. The host plant has a mixed breeding system with hermaphrodites and females. In experimental floral arrays, pollinators strongly preferred healthy hermaphrodites over both females and diseased plants, consistently across different guilds of pollinators and over multiple years. Using an agent-based model, we showed that pollinator preferences for sex can affect pathogen spread in populations with variable sex ratios, even if there is no preference for infection status. Our results demonstrate that vector preferences for host traits other than infection status can play a critical role in pathogen transmission dynamics when there is heterogeneity for those traits in the host population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emme Bruns
- University of Virginia, Dept. Biology. Charlottesville, VA,,University of Maryland, Dept of Biology. College Park, MD (current address),Corresponding author:
| | - Laura Pierce
- University of Virginia, Dept. Biology. Charlottesville, VA,,McGill University, School of Public Health (Current address)
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43
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Zemenick AT, Vanette RL, Rosenheim JA. Linked networks reveal dual roles of insect dispersal and species sorting for bacterial communities in flowers. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ash T. Zemenick
- Dept of Entomology and Nematology, Univ. of California, Davis Davis CA USA
- Dept of Plant Biology, Michigan State Univ. East Lansing MI USA
| | - Rachel L. Vanette
- Dept of Entomology and Nematology, Univ. of California, Davis Davis CA USA
| | - Jay A. Rosenheim
- Dept of Entomology and Nematology, Univ. of California, Davis Davis CA USA
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44
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Daughenbaugh KF, Kahnonitch I, Carey CC, McMenamin AJ, Wiegand T, Erez T, Arkin N, Ross B, Wiedenheft B, Sadeh A, Chejanovsky N, Mandelik Y, Flenniken ML. Metatranscriptome Analysis of Sympatric Bee Species Identifies Bee Virus Variants and a New Virus, Andrena-Associated Bee Virus-1. Viruses 2021; 13:291. [PMID: 33673324 PMCID: PMC7917660 DOI: 10.3390/v13020291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Bees are important plant pollinators in agricultural and natural ecosystems. High average annual losses of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in some parts of the world, and regional population declines of some mining bee species (Andrena spp.), are attributed to multiple factors including habitat loss, lack of quality forage, insecticide exposure, and pathogens, including viruses. While research has primarily focused on viruses in honey bees, many of these viruses have a broad host range. It is therefore important to apply a community level approach in studying the epidemiology of bee viruses. We utilized high-throughput sequencing to evaluate viral diversity and viral sharing in sympatric, co-foraging bees in the context of habitat type. Variants of four common viruses (i.e., black queen cell virus, deformed wing virus, Lake Sinai virus 2, and Lake Sinai virus NE) were identified in honey bee and mining bee samples, and the high degree of nucleotide identity in the virus consensus sequences obtained from both taxa indicates virus sharing. We discovered a unique bipartite + ssRNA Tombo-like virus, Andrena-associated bee virus-1 (AnBV-1). AnBV-1 infects mining bees, honey bees, and primary honey bee pupal cells maintained in culture. AnBV-1 prevalence and abundance was greater in mining bees than in honey bees. Statistical modeling that examined the roles of ecological factors, including floral diversity and abundance, indicated that AnBV-1 infection prevalence in honey bees was greater in habitats with low floral diversity and abundance, and that interspecific virus transmission is strongly modulated by the floral community in the habitat. These results suggest that land management strategies that aim to enhance floral diversity and abundance may reduce AnBV-1 spread between co-foraging bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie F. Daughenbaugh
- Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA; (K.F.D.); (B.R.)
- Pollinator Health Center, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA; (C.C.C.); (A.J.M.); (T.W.)
| | - Idan Kahnonitch
- The Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 5290002, Israel; (I.K.); (Y.M.)
- Agroecology Lab, Newe Ya’ar Research Center, ARO, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel; (N.A.); (A.S.)
| | - Charles C. Carey
- Pollinator Health Center, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA; (C.C.C.); (A.J.M.); (T.W.)
| | - Alexander J. McMenamin
- Pollinator Health Center, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA; (C.C.C.); (A.J.M.); (T.W.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA;
| | - Tanner Wiegand
- Pollinator Health Center, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA; (C.C.C.); (A.J.M.); (T.W.)
| | - Tal Erez
- Entomology Department, ARO, The Volcani Center, Rishon Lezion 7528809, Israel; (T.E.); (N.C.)
| | - Naama Arkin
- Agroecology Lab, Newe Ya’ar Research Center, ARO, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel; (N.A.); (A.S.)
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Brian Ross
- Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA; (K.F.D.); (B.R.)
- Pollinator Health Center, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA; (C.C.C.); (A.J.M.); (T.W.)
| | - Blake Wiedenheft
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA;
| | - Asaf Sadeh
- Agroecology Lab, Newe Ya’ar Research Center, ARO, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel; (N.A.); (A.S.)
| | - Nor Chejanovsky
- Entomology Department, ARO, The Volcani Center, Rishon Lezion 7528809, Israel; (T.E.); (N.C.)
| | - Yael Mandelik
- The Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 5290002, Israel; (I.K.); (Y.M.)
| | - Michelle L. Flenniken
- Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA; (K.F.D.); (B.R.)
- Pollinator Health Center, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA; (C.C.C.); (A.J.M.); (T.W.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA;
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45
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Koupilová K, Štenc J, Janovský Z. Pollen dispersal is driven by pollinator response to plant disease and plant spatial aggregation. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2020.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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46
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Eilers EJ, Kleine S, Eckert S, Waldherr S, Müller C. Flower Production, Headspace Volatiles, Pollen Nutrients, and Florivory in Tanacetum vulgare Chemotypes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 11:611877. [PMID: 33552105 PMCID: PMC7855176 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.611877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Floral volatiles and reward traits are major drivers for the behavior of mutualistic as well as antagonistic flower visitors, i.e., pollinators and florivores. These floral traits differ tremendously between species, but intraspecific differences and their consequences on organism interactions remain largely unknown. Floral volatile compounds, such as terpenoids, function as cues to advertise rewards to pollinators, but should at the same time also repel florivores. The reward composition, e.g., protein and lipid contents in pollen, differs between individuals of distinct plant families. Whether the nutritional value of rewards within the same plant species is linked to their chemotypes, which differ in their pattern of specialized metabolites, has yet not been investigated. In the present study, we compared Tanacetum vulgare plants of five terpenoid chemotypes with regard to flower production, floral headspace volatiles, pollen macronutrient and terpenoid content, and floral attractiveness to florivorous beetles. Our analyses revealed remarkable differences between the chemotypes in the amount and diameter of flower heads, duration of bloom period, and pollen nutritional quality. The floral headspace composition of pollen-producing mature flowers, but not of premature flowers, was correlated to that of pollen and leaves in the same plant individual. For two chemotypes, florivorous beetles discriminated between the scent of mature and premature flower heads and preferred the latter. In semi-field experiments, the abundance of florivorous beetles and flower tissue miners differed between T. vulgare chemotypes. Moreover, the scent environment affected the choice and beetles were more abundant in homogenous plots composed of one single chemotype than in plots with different neighboring chemotypes. In conclusion, flower production, floral metabolic composition and pollen quality varied to a remarkable extend within the species T. vulgare, and the attractiveness of floral scent differed also intra-individually with floral ontogeny. We found evidence for a trade-off between pollen lipid content and pollen amount on a per-plant-level. Our study highlights that chemotypes which are more susceptible to florivory are less attacked when they grow in the neighborhood of other chemotypes and thus gain a benefit from high overall chemodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandra Kleine
- Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Silvia Eckert
- Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Simon Waldherr
- Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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47
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McNeil DJ, McCormick E, Heimann AC, Kammerer M, Douglas MR, Goslee SC, Grozinger CM, Hines HM. Bumble bees in landscapes with abundant floral resources have lower pathogen loads. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22306. [PMID: 33339846 PMCID: PMC7749142 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78119-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The pollination services provided by bees are essential for supporting natural and agricultural ecosystems. However, bee population declines have been documented across the world. Many of the factors known to undermine bee health (e.g., poor nutrition) can decrease immunocompetence and, thereby, increase bees’ susceptibility to diseases. Given the myriad of stressors that can exacerbate disease in wild bee populations, assessments of the relative impact of landscape habitat conditions on bee pathogen prevalence are needed to effectively conserve pollinator populations. Herein, we assess how landscape-level conditions, including various metrics of floral/nesting resources, insecticides, weather, and honey bee (Apis mellifera) abundance, drive variation in wild bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) pathogen loads. Specifically, we screened 890 bumble bee workers from varied habitats in Pennsylvania, USA for three pathogens (deformed wing virus, black queen cell virus, and Vairimorpha (= Nosema) bombi), Defensin expression, and body size. Bumble bees collected within low-quality landscapes exhibited the highest pathogen loads, with spring floral resources and nesting habitat availability serving as the main drivers. We also found higher loads of pathogens where honey bee apiaries are more abundant, a positive relationship between Vairimorpha loads and rainfall, and differences in pathogens by geographic region. Collectively, our results highlight the need to support high-quality landscapes (i.e., those with abundant floral/nesting resources) to maintain healthy wild bee populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darin J McNeil
- Department of Entomology, Insect Biodiversity Center, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - Elyse McCormick
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Ashley C Heimann
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Melanie Kammerer
- Department of Entomology, Insect Biodiversity Center, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Margaret R Douglas
- Department of Environmental Studies and Environmental Science, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA, 17013, USA
| | - Sarah C Goslee
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Insect Biodiversity Center, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Heather M Hines
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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48
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Worsley-Tonks KEL, Escobar LE, Biek R, Castaneda-Guzman M, Craft ME, Streicker DG, White LA, Fountain-Jones NM. Using host traits to predict reservoir host species of rabies virus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008940. [PMID: 33290391 PMCID: PMC7748407 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife are important reservoirs for many pathogens, yet the role that different species play in pathogen maintenance frequently remains unknown. This is the case for rabies, a viral disease of mammals. While Carnivora (carnivores) and Chiroptera (bats) are the canonical mammalian orders known to be responsible for the maintenance and onward transmission of rabies Lyssavirus (RABV), the role of most species within these orders remains unknown and is continually changing as a result of contemporary host shifting. We combined a trait-based analytical approach with gradient boosting machine learning models to identify physiological and ecological host features associated with being a reservoir for RABV. We then used a cooperative game theory approach to determine species-specific traits associated with known RABV reservoirs. Being a carnivore reservoir for RABV was associated with phylogenetic similarity to known RABV reservoirs, along with other traits such as having larger litters and earlier sexual maturity. For bats, location in the Americas and geographic range were the most important predictors of RABV reservoir status, along with having a large litter. Our models identified 44 carnivore and 34 bat species that are currently not recognized as RABV reservoirs, but that have trait profiles suggesting their capacity to be or become reservoirs. Further, our findings suggest that potential reservoir species among bats and carnivores occur both within and outside of areas with current RABV circulation. These results show the ability of a trait-based approach to detect potential reservoirs of infection and could inform rabies control programs and surveillance efforts by identifying the types of species and traits that facilitate RABV maintenance and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E. L. Worsley-Tonks
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Luis E. Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Roman Biek
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Mariana Castaneda-Guzman
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Meggan E. Craft
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Daniel G. Streicker
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Lauren A. White
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center, University of Maryland, Annapolis, Maryland, United States of America
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49
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OneHealth implications of infectious diseases of wild and managed bees. J Invertebr Pathol 2020; 186:107506. [PMID: 33249062 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2020.107506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The OneHealth approach aims to further our understanding of the drivers of human, animal and environmental health, and, ultimately, to improve them by combining approaches and knowledge from medicine, biology and fields beyond. Wild and managed bees are essential pollinators of crops and wild flowers. Their health thus directly impacts on human and environmental health. At the same time, these bee species represent highly amenable and relevant model organisms for a OneHealth approach that aims to study fundamental epidemiological questions. In this review, we focus on how infectious diseases of wild and managed bees can be used as a OneHealth model system, informing fundamental questions on ecological immunology and disease transmission, while addressing how this knowledge can be used to tackle the issues facing pollinator health.
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50
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Vannette RL. The Floral Microbiome: Plant, Pollinator, and Microbial Perspectives. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-011720-013401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Flowers at times host abundant and specialized communities of bacteria and fungi that influence floral phenotypes and interactions with pollinators. Ecological processes drive variation in microbial abundance and composition at multiple scales, including among plant species, among flower tissues, and among flowers on the same plant. Variation in microbial effects on floral phenotype suggests that microbial metabolites could cue the presence or quality of rewards for pollinators, but most plants are unlikely to rely on microbes for pollinator attraction or reproduction. From a microbial perspective, flowers offer opportunities to disperse between habitats, but microbial species differ in requirements for and benefits received from such dispersal. The extent to which floral microbes shape the evolution of floral traits, influence fitness of floral visitors, and respond to anthropogenic change is unclear. A deeper understanding of these phenomena could illuminate the ecological and evolutionary importance of floral microbiomes and their role in the conservation of plant–pollinator interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L. Vannette
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
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