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Bird SA, Pope NS, McGrady CM, Fleischer SJ, López-Uribe MM. Mating frequency estimation and its importance for colony abundance analyses in eusocial pollinators: a case study of Bombus impatiens (Hymenoptera: Apidae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 117:1712-1722. [PMID: 39137237 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toae178] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
The genus Bombus (bumble bees) includes approximately 265 species, many of which are in decline in North America and Europe. To estimate colony abundance of bumble bees in natural and agricultural habitats, sibship relationships are often reconstructed from genetic data with the assumption that colonies have 1 monandrous queen. However, some species such as the North American common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens Cresson) can display low levels of polyandry, which may bias estimates of colony abundance based on monandrous sibship reconstructions. To accurately quantify rates of polyandry in wild and commercially mated queens of this species, we empirically estimated mating frequencies using a novel statistical model and genotypes from 730 bees. To genotype individuals, we used a highly polymorphic set of microsatellites on colonies established from 20 wild-caught gynes and 10 commercial colonies. We found multiple fathers in 3 of the wild colonies and 3 of the commercial colonies. This resulted in average effective mating frequencies of 1.075 ± 0.18 and 1.154 ± 0.25 for wild and commercial colonies, respectively. These findings agree with previous reports of low rates of polyandry for B. impatiens. Using a large empirical dataset, we demonstrate that assuming monandry for colony abundance estimation in species that violate this assumption results in an overestimation of the number of colonies. Our results emphasize the importance of studying mating frequencies in social species of conservation concern and economic importance for the accuracy of colony abundance estimation and for understanding their ecology and sociobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney A Bird
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, 5230 Konnowac Pass Rd, Wapato, WA 98951, USA
| | - Nathaniel S Pope
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Carley M McGrady
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Shelby J Fleischer
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Margarita M López-Uribe
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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2
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Lepeco A, Branstetter MG, Melo GAR, Freitas FV, Tobin KB, Gan J, Jensen J, Almeida EAB. Phylogenomic insights into the worldwide evolutionary relationships of the stingless bees (Apidae, Meliponini). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024:108219. [PMID: 39414098 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2024] [Revised: 10/07/2024] [Accepted: 10/13/2024] [Indexed: 10/18/2024]
Abstract
Stingless bees (tribe Meliponini) are remarkable for their characteristically large social colonies, their capacity to produce honey and other useful products, and their morphological and behavioral diversity. They have a disjunct pan-tropical distribution, primarily occurring in warm and humid environments in the Neotropical, Afrotropical, and Indo-Australasian regions. Even though phylogenetic hypotheses have been proposed for Meliponini based on morphology and molecular data, many questions are still unsolved regarding the evolutionary relationships and systematics of the tribe. In this contribution, we present a large phylogenomic dataset comprising over 2,500 ultra-conserved element (UCE) loci sequenced for 153 species of Meliponini, representing all known genera of stingless bees. The genera Camargoia, Paratrigonoides, Plectoplebeia, Cleptotrigona, Ebaiotrigona, Papuatrigona, Pariotrigona, Platytrigona, and Sahulotrigona were included in molecular phylogenetic analyses for the first time. Concatenated and species-tree analyses were performed using different partitioning strategies and summary methods. We performed gene-genealogy interrogation (GGI) on several recalcitrant nodes to resolve discordances among recovered tree topologies. Results were mostly consistent among analyses, recovering three main lineages of Meliponini congruent with the biogeographic domains to which they are associated. Within major clades, discordances were found in relation to previous works. The genus Frieseomelitta was recovered as paraphyletic in relation to Trichotrigona, and the genus Lepidotrigona was revealed to be composed of two independent lineages. Even though concatenated and weighted ASTRAL analyses were mostly effective in recovering the relationships favored by GGI, they retrieved different results in relation to the phylogenetic placements of Oxytrigona and Cephalotrigona. The most favored hypothesis in GGI analyses was not found in any other analyses, being more congruent with morphological evidence and highlighting the relevance of exploring the support given to alternative hypotheses through topological tests. Recent advances in our capacity to generate molecular sequences from old specimens using modern sequencing methods allowed for unparalleled sampling across genera, yielding a backbone for the phylogenetic relationships of stingless bees, which will further investigations into their systematics and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anderson Lepeco
- Laboratório de Biologia Comparada e Abelhas, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14040-901, Brazil.
| | - Michael G Branstetter
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insects Research Unit, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Gabriel A R Melo
- Laboratório de Biologia Comparada de Hymenoptera, Departamento de Zoologia, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR 19020, Brazil
| | - Felipe V Freitas
- Laboratório de Biologia Comparada e Abelhas, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Kerrigan B Tobin
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insects Research Unit, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Jenny Gan
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insects Research Unit, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Jeremy Jensen
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insects Research Unit, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Eduardo A B Almeida
- Laboratório de Biologia Comparada e Abelhas, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14040-901, Brazil
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3
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Koch JBU, Sim SB, Scheffler B, Lozier JD, Geib SM. Chromosome-scale genome assembly of the hunt bumble bee, Bombus huntii Greene, 1860, a species of agricultural interest. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2024; 14:jkae160. [PMID: 39028118 PMCID: PMC11457055 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The Hunt bumble bee, Bombus huntii, is a widely distributed pollinator in western North America. The species produces large colony sizes in captive rearing conditions, experiences low parasite and pathogen loads, and has been demonstrated to be an effective pollinator of tomatoes grown in controlled environment agriculture systems. These desirable traits have galvanized producer efforts to develop commercial Bombus huntii colonies for growers to deliver pollination services to crops. To better understand Bombus huntii biology and support population genetic studies and breeding decisions, we sequenced and assembled the Bombus huntii genome from a single haploid male. High-fidelity sequencing of the entire genome using PacBio, along with HiC sequencing, led to a comprehensive contig assembly of high continuity. This assembly was further organized into a chromosomal arrangement, successfully identifying 18 chromosomes spread across the 317.4 Mb assembly with a BUSCO score indicating 97.6% completeness. Synteny analysis demonstrates shared chromosome number (n = 18) with Bombus terrestris, a species belonging to a different subgenus, matching the expectation that presence of 18 haploid chromosomes is an ancestral trait at least between the subgenera Pyrobombus and Bombus sensu stricto. In conclusion, the assembly outcome, alongside the minimal tissue sampled destructively, showcases efficient techniques for producing a comprehensive, highly contiguous genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Berenguer Uhuad Koch
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insects Biology, Management, Systematics Research Unit, Logan, UT 84341, USA
| | - Sheina B Sim
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Tropical Pest Genetics and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
| | - Brian Scheffler
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Jamie Whitten Delta States Research Center, Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Lozier
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Scott M Geib
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Tropical Pest Genetics and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
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4
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Sang H, Li Y, Tan S, Gao P, Wang B, Guo S, Luo S, Sun C. Conservation genomics analysis reveals recent population decline and possible causes in bumblebee Bombus opulentus. INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 31:1631-1644. [PMID: 38297451 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Bumblebees are a genus of pollinators (Bombus) that play important roles in natural ecosystem and agricultural production. Several bumblebee species have been recorded as under population decline, and the proportion of species experiencing population decline within subgenus Thoracobombus is higher than average. Bombus opulentus is 1 species in Thoracobombus, but little is known about its recent population dynamics. Here, we employed conservation genomics methods to investigate the population dynamics of B. opulentus during the recent past and identify the likely environmental factors that may cause population decline. Firstly, we placed the scaffold-level of B. opulentus reference genome sequence onto chromosome-level using Hi-C technique. Then, based on this reference genome and whole-genome resequencing data for 51 B. opulentus samples, we reconstructed the population structure and effective population size (Ne) trajectories of B. opulentus and identified genes that were under positive selection. Our results revealed that the collected B. opulentus samples could be divided into 2 populations, and 1 of them experienced a recent population decline; the declining population also exhibited lower genetic diversity and higher inbreeding levels. Genes related to high-temperature tolerance, immune response, and detoxication showed signals of positive selection in the declining population, suggesting that climate warming and pathogen/pesticide exposures may contribute to the decline of this B. opulentus population. Taken together, our study provided insights into the demography of B. opulentus populations and highlighted that populations of the same bumblebee species could have contrasting Ne trajectories and population decline could be caused by a combination of various stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiling Sang
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yancan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- Western Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, Xinjiang, China
| | - Shuxin Tan
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Pu Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Bei Wang
- Yan'an Beekeeping Experimental Station, Yan'an, Shannxi, China
| | - Shengnan Guo
- Hengshui center for Disease Prevention and Control, Hengshui, Hebei, China
| | - Shudong Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- Western Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, Xinjiang, China
| | - Cheng Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
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5
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Zhao X, Jiang J, Pang Z, Ma W, Jiang Y, Fu Y, Liu Y. Tracking Existing Factors Directly Affecting the Reproduction of Bumblebees: Current Knowledge. INSECTS 2024; 15:654. [PMID: 39336622 PMCID: PMC11432074 DOI: 10.3390/insects15090654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2024] [Revised: 08/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
Bumblebees are primary social insects and a vital class of pollinating insects. Their distinctive reproductive mode is characterized by the independent initiation and construction of the nest by the queen and the subsequent production of sufficient workers, males, and gynes following colony development. After successful mating, the queen transitions to the first phase of its annual life cycle. The reproductive processes are directly influenced by environmental factors, including floral resources and pesticides. Moreover, the reproductive level is regulated by biological factors, particularly the role of workers, who participate in egg laying and pass on their genetic material to the next generation of queens. Successful reproduction can only be achieved by maintaining colony development under natural or artificial breeding conditions. Consequently, understanding the known factors that influence bumblebee reproduction is essential for developing conservation strategies for wild bumblebees and for successfully breeding diverse bumblebee species. Breeding various bumblebee species is crucial for in-depth research into known factors and for further exploration of other potential factors, which will also help to meet the demand for pollination in agricultural facilities globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomeng Zhao
- College of Animal Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Jinzhong 030801, China; (X.Z.); (J.J.); (Z.P.); (Y.J.)
| | - Jingxin Jiang
- College of Animal Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Jinzhong 030801, China; (X.Z.); (J.J.); (Z.P.); (Y.J.)
| | - Zilin Pang
- College of Animal Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Jinzhong 030801, China; (X.Z.); (J.J.); (Z.P.); (Y.J.)
| | - Weihua Ma
- College of Horticulture, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 030031, China;
| | - Yusuo Jiang
- College of Animal Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Jinzhong 030801, China; (X.Z.); (J.J.); (Z.P.); (Y.J.)
| | - Yanfang Fu
- HeBei Provincial Animal Husbandry Station, Shijiazhuang 050035, China;
| | - Yanjie Liu
- College of Animal Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Jinzhong 030801, China; (X.Z.); (J.J.); (Z.P.); (Y.J.)
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6
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Pugesek G, Müller U, Williams NM, Crone EE. Resurrecting Historical Observations to Characterize Species-Specific Nesting Traits of Bumblebees. Am Nat 2024; 204:165-180. [PMID: 39008838 DOI: 10.1086/730375] [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] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
AbstractIn recent years, ecological research has become increasingly synthetic, relying on revolutionary changes in data availability and accessibility. In spite of their strengths, these approaches may cause us to overlook natural history knowledge that is not part of the digitized English-language scientific record. Here, we combine historic and modern documents to quantify species-specific nesting habitat associations of bumblebees (Bombus spp. Latreille, 1802 Apidae). We compiled nest location data from 316 documents, of which 81 were non-English and 93 were published before 1950. We tested whether nesting traits show phylogenetic signal, examined relationships between habitat associations at different scales, and compared methodologies used to locate nests. We found no clear phylogenetic signals, but we found that nesting habitat associations were somewhat generalizable within subgenera. Landcover associations were related to nesting substrate associations; for example, surface-nesting species also tended to be associated with grasslands. Methodology was associated with nest locations; community scientists were most likely and researchers using nest boxes were least likely to report nests in human-dominated environments. These patterns were not apparent in past syntheses based only on the modern digital record. Our findings highlight the tremendous value of historic accounts for quantifying species' traits and other basic biological knowledge needed to interpret global-scale patterns.
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7
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Dikmen F, Dabak T, Özgişi BD, Özenirler Ç, Kuralay SC, Çay SB, Çınar YU, Obut O, Balcı MA, Akbaba P, Aksel EG, Zararsız G, Solares E, Eldem V. Transcriptome-wide analysis uncovers regulatory elements of the antennal transcriptome repertoire of bumblebee at different life stages. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38676460 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Bumblebees are crucial pollinators, providing essential ecosystem services and global food production. The success of pollination services relies on the interaction between sensory organs and the environment. The antenna functions as a versatile multi-sensory organ, pivotal in mediating chemosensory/olfactory information, and governs adaptive responses to environmental changes. Despite an increasing number of RNA-sequencing studies on insect antenna, comprehensive antennal transcriptome studies at the different life stages were not elucidated systematically. Here, we quantified the expression profile and dynamics of coding/microRNA genes of larval head and antennal tissues from early- and late-stage pupa to the adult of Bombus terrestris as suitable model organism among pollinators. We further performed Pearson correlation analyses on the gene expression profiles of the antennal transcriptome from larval head tissue to adult stages, exploring both positive and negative expression trends. The positively correlated coding genes were primarily enriched in sensory perception of chemical stimuli, ion transport, transmembrane transport processes and olfactory receptor activity. Negatively correlated genes were mainly enriched in organic substance biosynthesis and regulatory mechanisms underlying larval body patterning and the formation of juvenile antennal structures. As post-transcriptional regulators, miR-1000-5p, miR-13b-3p, miR-263-5p and miR-252-5p showed positive correlations, whereas miR-315-5p, miR-92b-3p, miR-137-3p, miR-11-3p and miR-10-3p exhibited negative correlations in antennal tissue. Notably, based on the inverse expression relationship, positively and negatively correlated microRNA (miRNA)-mRNA target pairs revealed that differentially expressed miRNAs predictively targeted genes involved in antennal development, shaping antennal structures and regulating antenna-specific functions. Our data serve as a foundation for understanding stage-specific antennal transcriptomes and large-scale comparative analysis of transcriptomes in different insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatih Dikmen
- Department of Biology, Istanbul University, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Tunç Dabak
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Onur Obut
- Department of Biology, Istanbul University, İstanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Pınar Akbaba
- Department of Biology, Istanbul University, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Esma Gamze Aksel
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Genetics, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Gökmen Zararsız
- Department of Biostatistics, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
- Drug Application and Research Center (ERFARMA), Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Edwin Solares
- Computer Science & Engineering Department, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Vahap Eldem
- Department of Biology, Istanbul University, İstanbul, Turkey
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Zhou Z, Zhang H, Mashilingi SK, Jie C, Guo B, Guo Y, Hu X, Iqbal S, Wei B, Liu Y, An J. Bombus terrestris Prefer Mixed-Pollen Diets for a Better Colony Performance: A Laboratory Study. INSECTS 2024; 15:285. [PMID: 38667415 PMCID: PMC11049852 DOI: 10.3390/insects15040285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Pollen is a major source of proteins and lipids for bumblebees. The nutritional content of pollen may differ from source plants, ultimately affecting colony development. This study investigated the foraging preferences of Bombus terrestris in regard to four pollen species, i.e., oilseed rape, wild apricot, sunflower, and buckwheat, under laboratory conditions. The results show that B. terrestris diversified their preference for pollens; the bumblebees mostly preferred wild apricot pollen, whereas sunflower pollen was the least preferred. The colonies fed on a mixed four-pollen diet, with a protein-lipid ratio of 4.55-4.86, exhibited better development in terms of the number of offspring, individual body size and colony weight. The colonies fed with buckwheat and sunflower pollens produced a significantly lower number of workers and failed to produce queen and male offspring. Moreover, wild apricot pollen had the richest protein content (23.9 g/100 g) of the four pollen species, whereas oilseed rape pollen had the highest lipid content (6.7 g/100 g), as revealed by the P:L ratios of wild apricot, sunflower, buckwheat, and oilseed rape, which were 6.76, 5.52, 3.50, and 3.37, respectively. Generally, B. terrestris showed feeding preferences regarding different pollens and a mixture of pollens, which ultimately resulted in differences in colony development. The findings of this study provide important baseline information to researchers and developers of nutritive pollen diets for bumblebees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Key Laboratory of Insect-Pollinator Biology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (Z.Z.); (H.Z.); (S.K.M.); (C.J.); (B.G.); (Y.G.); (X.H.); (S.I.); (B.W.)
| | - Hong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Key Laboratory of Insect-Pollinator Biology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (Z.Z.); (H.Z.); (S.K.M.); (C.J.); (B.G.); (Y.G.); (X.H.); (S.I.); (B.W.)
| | - Shibonage K. Mashilingi
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Key Laboratory of Insect-Pollinator Biology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (Z.Z.); (H.Z.); (S.K.M.); (C.J.); (B.G.); (Y.G.); (X.H.); (S.I.); (B.W.)
- Department of Crop Sciences and Beekeeping Technology, College of Agriculture and Food Technology, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O.BOX 35091, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Chunting Jie
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Key Laboratory of Insect-Pollinator Biology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (Z.Z.); (H.Z.); (S.K.M.); (C.J.); (B.G.); (Y.G.); (X.H.); (S.I.); (B.W.)
| | - Baodi Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Key Laboratory of Insect-Pollinator Biology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (Z.Z.); (H.Z.); (S.K.M.); (C.J.); (B.G.); (Y.G.); (X.H.); (S.I.); (B.W.)
| | - Yi Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Key Laboratory of Insect-Pollinator Biology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (Z.Z.); (H.Z.); (S.K.M.); (C.J.); (B.G.); (Y.G.); (X.H.); (S.I.); (B.W.)
| | - Xiao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Key Laboratory of Insect-Pollinator Biology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (Z.Z.); (H.Z.); (S.K.M.); (C.J.); (B.G.); (Y.G.); (X.H.); (S.I.); (B.W.)
| | - Shahid Iqbal
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Key Laboratory of Insect-Pollinator Biology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (Z.Z.); (H.Z.); (S.K.M.); (C.J.); (B.G.); (Y.G.); (X.H.); (S.I.); (B.W.)
| | - Bingshuai Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Key Laboratory of Insect-Pollinator Biology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (Z.Z.); (H.Z.); (S.K.M.); (C.J.); (B.G.); (Y.G.); (X.H.); (S.I.); (B.W.)
| | - Yanjie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Key Laboratory of Insect-Pollinator Biology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (Z.Z.); (H.Z.); (S.K.M.); (C.J.); (B.G.); (Y.G.); (X.H.); (S.I.); (B.W.)
| | - Jiandong An
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Key Laboratory of Insect-Pollinator Biology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (Z.Z.); (H.Z.); (S.K.M.); (C.J.); (B.G.); (Y.G.); (X.H.); (S.I.); (B.W.)
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9
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Han L, Chang ZM, Ren CS, Chen XS, Smagghe G, Yuan YG, Long JK. Colony performance of three native bumblebee species from South China and association with their gut microbiome. INSECT SCIENCE 2024. [PMID: 38516802 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Bumblebees play an important ecological economic role as pollinators in nature and agriculture. For reasons of biosecurity, many countries promote the cultivation of native bumblebee species for crop pollination instead of importing "alien" species. In South China, a few bumblebee species are considered useful in this way, particularly, Bombus atripes, Bombus bicoloratus and Bombus breviceps. However, whether they are suitable for artificial rearing and forming healthy colonies for pollination, remains unknown. In this project, queens from the 3 native species of Guizhou Province were collected and colonies were started under standardized conditions. The colonies were scored based on 19 parameters, including the stage of colony development, number and weight of offspring, and diet consumed. The data revealed that B. breviceps had the best performance, produced more workers and consumed the smallest diet. Next, we performed 16S rDNA sequencing of the bacterial communities found in the guts of offspring workers, and then a correlation analysis between colony performance and gut bacteria was conducted. Here, B. breviceps showed the highest diversity in gut bacterial composition, dominated by the bacteria Gilliamella, Snodgrassella, Enterobacter, and Lactobacillus Firm5. The higher the abundance of Snodgrassella, the better the performance of the colony in the foundation stage, and later Lactobacillus Firm5, Apibacter and Bifidobacterium were beneficial during the stages of rapid growth and colony decline. Although we do not understand all of the interactions yet, these correlations explain why B. breviceps demonstrated better colony performance. Our data provide valuable information for breeding local Bombus species and will contribute to developing strong colonies for crop pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Han
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education/College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Zhi-Min Chang
- Institute of Entomology/Provincial Special Key Laboratory for Developing and Utilization of Insect Resources, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Chang-Shi Ren
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education/College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xiang-Sheng Chen
- Institute of Entomology/Provincial Special Key Laboratory for Developing and Utilization of Insect Resources, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Institute of Entomology/Provincial Special Key Laboratory for Developing and Utilization of Insect Resources, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yi-Ge Yuan
- Institute of Entomology/Provincial Special Key Laboratory for Developing and Utilization of Insect Resources, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jian-Kun Long
- Institute of Entomology/Provincial Special Key Laboratory for Developing and Utilization of Insect Resources, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
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10
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Young MG, Just J, Lee YJ, McMahon T, Gonzalez J, Noh S, Angelini DR. Seasonally increasing parasite load is associated with microbiome dysbiosis in wild bumblebees. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.30.569473. [PMID: 38077090 PMCID: PMC10705496 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.30.569473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The microbiome is increasingly recognized for its complex relationship with host fitness. Bumblebees are host to a characteristic gut microbiome community that is derived and reinforced through social contact between individuals. The bumblebee microbiome is species-poor, and primarily composed from a small number of core taxa that are associated with the greater tribe of corbiculate bees. Experimental findings support a role for the core bumblebee microbiome in resistance to severe infections by a common trypanosomal parasite, Crithidia bombi. However, most studies have been small in scale, often considering just one or two bumblebee species, or making use of commercially-reared bees. To better understand the microbiome diversity of wild populations, we have deeply sampled field populations of ten sympatric species found throughout central and down east Maine in a three-year microbiome field survey. We have used 16S amplicon sequencing to produce microbiome community profiles, and qPCR to screen samples for infections by Crithidia bombi. The breadth of our dataset has enabled us to test for seasonal and interspecific trends in the microbiome community. Controlling for these external sources of variation, we have identified microbial factors associated with infection and parasite load that support the role of the core microbiome in resistance to severe infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G. Young
- Colby College, Department of Biology, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - Josefine Just
- Colby College, Department of Biology, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - Ye Jin Lee
- Colby College, Department of Biology, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - Thomas McMahon
- Colby College, Department of Biology, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - James Gonzalez
- Colby College, Department of Biology, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - Suegene Noh
- Colby College, Department of Biology, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - David R. Angelini
- Colby College, Department of Biology, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
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11
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Yang W, Cui J, Chen Y, Wang C, Yin Y, Zhang W, Liu S, Sun C, Li H, Duan Y, Song F, Cai W, Hines HM, Tian L. Genetic Modification of a Hox Locus Drives Mimetic Color Pattern Variation in a Highly Polymorphic Bumble Bee. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad261. [PMID: 38039153 PMCID: PMC10724181 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Müllerian mimicry provides natural replicates ideal for exploring mechanisms underlying adaptive phenotypic divergence and convergence, yet the genetic mechanisms underlying mimetic variation remain largely unknown. The current study investigates the genetic basis of mimetic color pattern variation in a highly polymorphic bumble bee, Bombus breviceps (Hymenoptera, Apidae). In South Asia, this species and multiple comimetic species converge onto local Müllerian mimicry patterns by shifting the abdominal setal color from orange to black. Genetic crossing between the orange and black phenotypes suggested the color dimorphism being controlled by a single Mendelian locus, with the orange allele being dominant over black. Genome-wide association suggests that a locus at the intergenic region between 2 abdominal fate-determining Hox genes, abd-A and Abd-B, is associated with the color change. This locus is therefore in the same intergenic region but not the same exact locus as found to drive red black midabdominal variation in a distantly related bumble bee species, Bombus melanopygus. Gene expression analysis and RNA interferences suggest that differential expression of an intergenic long noncoding RNA between abd-A and Abd-B at the onset setal color differentiation may drive the orange black color variation by causing a homeotic shift late in development. Analysis of this same color locus in comimetic species reveals no sequence association with the same color shift, suggesting that mimetic convergence is achieved through distinct genetic routes. Our study establishes Hox regions as genomic hotspots for color pattern evolution in bumble bees and demonstrates how pleiotropic developmental loci can drive adaptive radiations in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanhu Yang
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jixiang Cui
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yuxin Chen
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yuanzhi Yin
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shanlin Liu
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Cheng Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Hu Li
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yuange Duan
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Fan Song
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Wanzhi Cai
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Heather M Hines
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Li Tian
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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12
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Sun C, Zhang A, Chen J, Schaack S. 'Junk' that matters: the role of transposable elements in bumblebee genome evolution. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 59:101103. [PMID: 37604302 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA sequences that are widely distributed in eukaryotic genomes, where they are known to serve as a major force in genome evolution. The phenotypic impacts of TEs, while less well-studied, have also been discovered. Bumblebees are globally important pollinators in natural ecosystems and agriculture. Although TEs comprise a small fraction of bumblebee genomes, emerging evidence suggests that TEs are the major contributor of genome size variation across species and are involved in the formation of new coding and regulatory sequences. We review recent discoveries related to TEs in bumblebees, as well as outlining three key questions for the future of the field. In the future, we argue long-read sequencing technologies and genome editing techniques will help us identify TEs in bumblebees, unveil mechanisms that could account for their silencing and limited abundance, and uncover their contributions to phenotypic diversification, ecological adaptation, and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China.
| | - Aibing Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Jinfeng Chen
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Sarah Schaack
- Department of Biology, Reed College, Portland, OR 97202, USA
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13
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Gratton EM, McNeil DJ, Grozinger CM, Hines HM. Local habitat type influences bumble bee pathogen loads and bee species distributions. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023:7150786. [PMID: 37133965 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvad027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Bumble bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Bombus Latreille) perform important ecological services in both managed and natural ecosystems. Anthropogenically induced change has altered floral resources, climate, and insecticide exposure, factors that impact health and disease levels in these bees. Habitat management presents a solution for improving bee health and biodiversity, but this requires better understanding of how different pathogens and bee species respond to habitat conditions. We take advantage of the washboard of repeated ridges (forested) and valleys (mostly developed) in central Pennsylvania to examine whether local variation in habitat type and other landscape factors influence bumble bee community composition and levels of 4 leading pathogens in the common eastern bumble bee, Bombus impatiens Cresson. Loads of viruses (DWV and BQCV) were found to be lowest in forest habitats, whereas loads of a gut parasite, Crithidia bombi, were highest in forests. Ridgetop forests hosted the most diverse bumble bee communities, including several habitat specialists. B. impatiens was most abundant in valleys, and showed higher incidence in areas of greater disturbance, including more developed, unforested, and lower floral resource sites, a pattern which mirrors its success in the face of anthropogenic change. Additionally, DNA barcoding revealed that B. sandersoni is much more common than is apparent from databases. Our results provide evidence that habitat type can play a large role in pathogen load dynamics, but in ways that differ by pathogen type, and point to a need for consideration of habitat at both macro-ecological and local spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena M Gratton
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Darin J McNeil
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Heather M Hines
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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14
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Maihoff F, Sahler S, Schoger S, Brenzinger K, Kallnik K, Sauer N, Bofinger L, Schmitt T, Nooten SS, Classen A. Cuticular hydrocarbons of alpine bumble bees (Hymenoptera: Bombus) are species-specific, but show little evidence of elevation-related climate adaptation. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1082559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Alpine bumble bees are the most important pollinators in temperate mountain ecosystems. Although they are used to encounter small-scale successions of very different climates in the mountains, many species respond sensitively to climatic changes, reflected in spatial range shifts and declining populations worldwide. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) mediate climate adaptation in some insects. However, whether they predict the elevational niche of bumble bees or their responses to climatic changes remains poorly understood. Here, we used three different approaches to study the role of bumble bees’ CHCs in the context of climate adaptation: using a 1,300 m elevational gradient, we first investigated whether the overall composition of CHCs, and two potentially climate-associated chemical traits (proportion of saturated components, mean chain length) on the cuticle of six bumble bee species were linked to the species’ elevational niches. We then analyzed intraspecific variation in CHCs of Bombus pascuorum along the elevational gradient and tested whether these traits respond to temperature. Finally, we used a field translocation experiment to test whether CHCs of Bombus lucorum workers change, when translocated from the foothill of a cool and wet mountain region to (a) higher elevations, and (b) a warm and dry region. Overall, the six species showed distinctive, species-specific CHC profiles. We found inter- and intraspecific variation in the composition of CHCs and in chemical traits along the elevational gradient, but no link to the elevational distribution of species and individuals. According to our expectations, bumble bees translocated to a warm and dry region tended to express longer CHC chains than bumble bees translocated to cool and wet foothills, which could reflect an acclimatization to regional climate. However, chain lengths did not further decrease systematically along the elevational gradient, suggesting that other factors than temperature also shape chain lengths in CHC profiles. We conclude that in alpine bumble bees, CHC profiles and traits respond at best secondarily to the climate conditions tested in this study. While the functional role of species-specific CHC profiles in bumble bees remains elusive, limited plasticity in this trait could restrict species’ ability to adapt to climatic changes.
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15
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Williams PH, Françoso E, Martinet B, Orr MC, Ren Z, Júnior JS, Thanoosing C, Vandame R. When did bumblebees reach South America? Unexpectedly old montane species may be explained by Mexican stopover (Hymenoptera: Apidae). SYST BIODIVERS 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2022.2092229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Elaine Françoso
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Baptiste Martinet
- Avenue F.D, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Roosevelt 50, Brussels, B-1050, Belgium
| | - Michael C. Orr
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Zongxin Ren
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - José Santos Júnior
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Rémy Vandame
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, 29290, México
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16
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Kline O, Phan NT, Porras MF, Chavana J, Little CZ, Stemet L, Acharya RS, Biddinger DJ, Reddy GVP, Rajotte EG, Joshi NK. Biology, Genetic Diversity, and Conservation of Wild Bees in Tree Fruit Orchards. BIOLOGY 2022; 12:31. [PMID: 36671724 PMCID: PMC9854918 DOI: 10.3390/biology12010031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Different species of bees provide essential ecosystem services by pollinating various agricultural crops, including tree fruits. Many fruits and nuts depend on insect pollination, primarily by wild and managed bees. In different geographical regions where orchard crops are grown, fruit growers rely on wild bees in the farmscape and use orchard bees as alternative pollinators. Orchard crops such as apples, pears, plums, apricots, etc., are mass-flowering crops and attract many different bee species during their bloom period. Many bee species found in orchards emerge from overwintering as the fruit trees start flowering in spring, and the active duration of these bees aligns very closely with the blooming time of fruit trees. In addition, most of the bees in orchards are short-range foragers and tend to stay close to the fruit crops. However, the importance of orchard bee communities is not well understood, and many challenges in maintaining their populations remain. This comprehensive review paper summarizes the different types of bees commonly found in tree fruit orchards in the fruit-growing regions of the United States, their bio-ecology, and genetic diversity. Additionally, recommendations for the management of orchard bees, different strategies for protecting them from multiple stressors, and providing suitable on-farm nesting and floral resource habitats for propagation and conservation are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Kline
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Ngoc T. Phan
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
- Research Center for Tropical Bees and Beekeeping, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Gia Lam, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
| | - Mitzy F. Porras
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Joshua Chavana
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Coleman Z. Little
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR 72035, USA
| | - Lilia Stemet
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Roshani S. Acharya
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - David J. Biddinger
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center, Biglerville, PA 17307, USA
| | - Gadi V. P. Reddy
- USDA-ARS-Southern Insect Management Research Unite, 141 Experiment Station Rd., P.O. Box 346, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA
| | - Edwin G. Rajotte
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Neelendra K. Joshi
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
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17
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Beche M, Arnemann JA, Silva J, Pozebon H, Valmorbida I, Brondani L, Camatti G, Aita L, Smagghe G, Stacke RS, Maebe K, Guedes JVC. High Genetic Diversity and Gene Flow Detected in Populations of Bombus morio from South Brazil. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 51:809-820. [PMID: 36315395 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-022-00995-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Bumblebees are essential insects for the preservation of biodiversity in many ecosystems, as they can pollinate a wide variety of wild and cultivated plants. Knowledge of the genetic diversity of bumblebees can be used to understand and predict the health status of bee populations, enabling the development of strategies for crop management and conservation of this important group of pollinators. Here, we characterized the genetic diversity of B. morio populations from the Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, by amplification of the partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene. The resulting data were then compared with genetic parameters of Bombus morio (Swederus 1787) obtained in populations from this species' full geographic range in South America. Our results revealed the presence of nine mitochondrial haplotypes in Rio Grande do Sul, three of which were novel haplotypes, and of significant genetic divergence among bumblebee populations from Brazil and South America. The mitochondrial haplotype BM01 was the most common and is probably the ancestral haplotype from which the others originated. There is also evidence that strong gene flow has taken place among Brazilian B. morio populations, explaining the sharing of haplotypes between distant populations. The populations of B. morio from Rio Grande do Sul present significant genetic diversity as the species is native to Southern/Southeastern Brazil and adapted to the ecological conditions in this wide range. Having well-connected populations with a large genetic potential will help this species to remain well adapted to the different environmental conditions within its native range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoela Beche
- Departament of Crop Protection, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Jonas Andre Arnemann
- Departament of Crop Protection, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
| | - Jocélia Silva
- Departament of Crop Protection, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Henrique Pozebon
- Departament of Crop Protection, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Lauren Brondani
- Departament of Crop Protection, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Camatti
- Departament of Crop Protection, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Lorenzo Aita
- Departament of Crop Protection, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Regina Sonete Stacke
- Departament of Crop Protection, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Kevin Maebe
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
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18
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Hart AF, Verbeeck J, Ariza D, Cejas D, Ghisbain G, Honchar H, Radchenko VG, Straka J, Ljubomirov T, Lecocq T, Dániel-Ferreira J, Flaminio S, Bortolotti L, Karise R, Meeus I, Smagghe G, Vereecken N, Vandamme P, Michez D, Maebe K. Signals of adaptation to agricultural stress in the genomes of two European bumblebees. Front Genet 2022; 13:993416. [PMID: 36276969 PMCID: PMC9579324 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.993416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-induced environmental impacts on wildlife are widespread, causing major biodiversity losses. One major threat is agricultural intensification, typically characterised by large areas of monoculture, mechanical tillage, and the use of agrochemicals. Intensification leads to the fragmentation and loss of natural habitats, native vegetation, and nesting and breeding sites. Understanding the adaptability of insects to these changing environmental conditions is critical to predicting their survival. Bumblebees, key pollinators of wild and cultivated plants, are used as model species to assess insect adaptation to anthropogenic stressors. We investigated the effects of agricultural pressures on two common European bumblebees, Bombus pascuorum and B. lapidarius. Restriction-site Associated DNA Sequencing was used to identify loci under selective pressure across agricultural-natural gradients over 97 locations in Europe. 191 unique loci in B. pascuorum and 260 in B. lapidarius were identified as under selective pressure, and associated with agricultural stressors. Further investigation suggested several candidate proteins including several neurodevelopment, muscle, and detoxification proteins, but these have yet to be validated. These results provide insights into agriculture as a stressor for bumblebees, and signal for conservation action in light of ongoing anthropogenic changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex F. Hart
- Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Plants and Crops, Lab of Agrozoology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jaro Verbeeck
- Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Plants and Crops, Lab of Agrozoology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Daniel Ariza
- Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Plants and Crops, Lab of Agrozoology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Diego Cejas
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Guillaume Ghisbain
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
| | - Hanna Honchar
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Vladimir G. Radchenko
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Jakub Straka
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Toshko Ljubomirov
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research—Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Thomas Lecocq
- Université de Lorraine, INRAE, URAFPA, Nancy, France
| | | | - Simone Flaminio
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Bortolotti
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Bologna, Italy
| | - Reet Karise
- Estonian University of Life Sciences, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ivan Meeus
- Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Plants and Crops, Lab of Agrozoology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Plants and Crops, Lab of Agrozoology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Vereecken
- Agroecology Lab, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Peter Vandamme
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Denis Michez
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Kevin Maebe
- Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Plants and Crops, Lab of Agrozoology, Ghent, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Kevin Maebe,
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19
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Zhang ZJ, Zheng H. Bumblebees with the socially transmitted microbiome: A novel model organism for gut microbiota research. INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 29:958-976. [PMID: 35567381 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Eusocial bumble and honey bees are important pollinators for global ecology and the agricultural economy. Although both the bumble and honey bees possess similar and host-restricted gut microbiota, they differ in aspects of morphology, autonomy, physiology, behavior, and life cycle. The social bee gut bacteria exhibit host specificity that is likely a result of long-term co-evolution. The unique life cycle of bumblebees is key for the acquisition and development of their gut microbiota, and affects the strain-level diversity of the core bacterial species. Studies on bumblebee gut bacteria show that they retain less functional capacity for carbohydrate metabolism compared with that of the honeybee. We discuss the potential roles of the bumblebee gut microbiota against pathogenic threats and the application of host-specific probiotics for bumblebees. Given the advantages of the bumblebee microbiome, including the simple structure and host specificity, and the ease of manipulating bumblebee colonies, we propose that bumblebees may provide a valuable system for understanding the general principles of host-microbe interactions, gut-brain axis, and vertical transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Jing Zhang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Zheng
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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20
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Biogeography and Diversification of Bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae), with Emphasis on Neotropical Species. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14040238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A detailed phylogeny of bumblebees is urgently needed to understand speciation and biogeographic diversification in the Neotropical region. We sequenced autosomal and mtDNA loci from nine Brazilian bumblebee species and compiled it with the data already available to obtain highly resolved phylogenetic trees with fossil-calibrated dates. The ancestral Bombus lineage was estimated to diversify between 47.08 and 34.27 million years ago (Ma) in the Holarctic region, but largely restricted to the eastern Old World. The Neotropical region was initially colonized in the Late Miocene, where bumblebee diversification was shown to be consistent with geologic and climatic events of the Late Cenozoic. Neotropical bumblebees likely originated from Nearctic lineages, which dispersed towards South America after 29 Ma.
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21
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Williams PH, Sung IH, Lin YJ, Lu SS. Discovering endemic species among the bumblebees of Taiwan (Apidae, genus Bombus). J NAT HIST 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2022.2052991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - I-Hsin Sung
- Department of Plant Medicine, College of Agriculture, National Chiayi University, Chiayi City Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jing Lin
- Department of Plant Medicine, College of Agriculture, National Chiayi University, Chiayi City Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Shan Lu
- Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, Taipei City Taiwan
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22
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Keaveny EC, Waybright SA, Rusch TW, Dillon ME. Supercooling points of freeze-avoiding bumble bees vary with caste and queen life stage. J Therm Biol 2022; 104:103196. [PMID: 35180973 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2022.103196] [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: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Bumble bees thrive in cold climates including high latitude and high altitude regions around the world, yet cold tolerance strategies are largely unknown for most species. To determine bumble bee cold tolerance strategy, we exposed bumble bees to a range of low temperatures and measured survival 72 h post-exposure. All bees that froze died within 72 h while only one bee died without freezing, suggesting that bumble bees are generally freeze-avoiding insects and may be slightly chill susceptible. We then assessed whether temperatures that cause internal ice formation (supercooling points, SCP) varied among bumble bee castes (drones, workers, and queens), or across queen life stages, collection elevation, species, or season. Males froze at significantly lower temperatures than workers or queens. Queens in pre-overwintering or overwintering states froze at significantly lower temperatures than queens stimulated to initiate ovary development by CO2 narcosis (i.e., "spring" queens). We also tested whether the presence of water (i.e., wet or dry) or ramping rate affected SCP. As expected, queens inoculated with water froze at significantly higher temperatures than dry queens. SCP tended to be lower, but not significantly so, at faster ramping rates (0.5 °C/min vs 0.25 °C/min). We also found no differences in SCP between queen bumble bees collected in spring and fall, between queens collected at two sites differing in elevation by 1100 m, or between three field-caught bumble bee species. Bumble bees appear to have relatively high, invariable SCPs, likely making them highly susceptible to freezing across all seasons. As bumble bees are not freeze-tolerant and appear to lack the ability to prevent freezing at temperatures much below 0 °C, they may rely on season- and caste-specific micro-habitat selection to thrive in cold climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen C Keaveny
- Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA.
| | - Sarah A Waybright
- Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA.
| | - Travis W Rusch
- Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - Michael E Dillon
- Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
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23
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OUP accepted manuscript. Zool J Linn Soc 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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24
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Silva JD. The Extension of Foundress Lifespan and the Evolution of Eusociality in the Hymenoptera. Am Nat 2021; 199:E140-E155. [DOI: 10.1086/718594] [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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25
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Abstract
Although indirect selection through relatives (kin selection) can explain the evolution of effectively sterile offspring that act as helpers at the nest (eusociality) in the ants, bees, and stinging wasps (aculeate Hymenoptera), the genetic, ecological, and life history conditions that favor transitions to eusociality are poorly understood. In this study, ancestral state reconstruction on recently published phylogenies was used to identify the independent transitions to eusociality in each of the taxonomic families that exhibit eusociality. Semisociality, in which a single nest co-foundress monopolizes reproduction, often precedes eusociality outside the vespid wasps. Such a route to eusociality, which is consistent with groups consisting of a mother and her daughters (subsocial) at some stage and ancestral monogamy, is favored by the haplodiploid genetic sex determination of the Hymenoptera (diploid females and haploid males) and thus may explain why eusociality is common in the Hymenoptera. Ancestral states were also reconstructed for life history characters that have been implicated in the origins of eusociality. A loss of larval diapause during unfavorable seasons or conditions precedes, or coincides with, all but one transition to eusociality. This pattern is confirmed using phylogenetic tests of associations between state transition rates for sweat bees and apid bees. A loss of larval diapause may simply reflect the subsocial route to eusociality since subsociality is defined as females interacting with their adult daughters. A loss of larval diapause and a gain of subsociality may be associated with an extended breeding season that permits the production of at least two broods, which is necessary for helpers to evolve. Adult diapause may also lower the selective barrier to a first-brood daughter becoming a helper. Obligate eusociality meets the definition of a major evolutionary transition, and such transitions have occurred five times in the Hymenoptera.
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26
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Wham BE, Rahman SR, Martinez‐Correa M, Hines HM. Mito-nuclear discordance at a mimicry color transition zone in bumble bee Bombus melanopygus. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:18151-18168. [PMID: 35003664 PMCID: PMC8717287 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
As hybrid zones exhibit selective patterns of gene flow between otherwise distinct lineages, they can be especially valuable for informing processes of microevolution and speciation. The bumble bee, Bombus melanopygus, displays two distinct color forms generated by Müllerian mimicry: a northern "Rocky Mountain'' color form with ferruginous mid-abdominal segments (B. m. melanopygus) and a southern "Pacific'' form with black mid-abdominal segments (B. m. edwardsii). These morphs meet in a mimetic transition zone in northern California and southern Oregon that is more narrow and transitions further west than comimetic bumble bee species. To understand the historical formation of this mimicry zone, we assessed color distribution data for B. melanopygus from the last 100 years. We then examined gene flow among the color forms in the transition zone by comparing sequences from mitochondrial COI barcode sequences, color-controlling loci, and the rest of the nuclear genome. These data support two geographically distinct mitochondrial haplogroups aligned to the ancestrally ferruginous and black forms that meet within the color transition zone. This clustering is also supported by the nuclear genome, which, while showing strong admixture across individuals, distinguishes individuals most by their mitochondrial haplotype, followed by geography. These data suggest the two lineages most likely were historically isolated, acquired fixed color differences, and then came into secondary contact with ongoing gene flow. The transition zone, however, exhibits asymmetries: mitochondrial haplotypes transition further south than color pattern, and both transition over shorter distances in the south. This system thus demonstrates alternative patterns of gene flow that occur in contact zones, presenting another example of mito-nuclear discordance. Discordant gene flow is inferred to most likely be driven by a combination of mimetic selection, dominance effects, and assortative mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana E. Wham
- Department of EntomologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- The Pennsylvania State University LibrariesUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Sarthok Rasique Rahman
- Department of BiologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Biological SciencesThe University of AlabamaTuscaloosaAlabamaUSA
| | | | - Heather M. Hines
- Department of EntomologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of BiologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
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27
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Zhao H, Liu Y, Zhang H, Breeze TD, An J. Worker-Born Males Are Smaller but Have Similar Reproduction Ability to Queen-Born Males in Bumblebees. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12111008. [PMID: 34821809 PMCID: PMC8622041 DOI: 10.3390/insects12111008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Queen-worker conflict over the reproduction of males exists in the majority of haplodiplioidy hymenpteran species such as bees, wasps, and ants, whose workers lose mating ability but can produce haploid males in colony. Bumblebee is one of the representatives of primitively eusocial insects with plastic division labor and belongs to monandrous and facultative low polyandry species that have reproductive totipotent workers, which are capable of competing with mother queen to produce haploid males in the queenright colony compared to higher eusocial species, e.g., honeybees. So, bumblebees should be a better material to study worker reproduction, but the reproductive characteristics of worker-born males (WMs) remain unclear. Here, we choose the best-studied bumblebee Bombus terrestris to evaluate the morphological characteristics and reproductive ability of WMs from the queenless micro-colonies. The sexually matured WMs showed smaller in forewing length and weight, relatively less sperm counts but equally high sperm viability in comparison with the queen-born males (QMs) of the queenright colony. Despite with smaller size, the WMs are able to successfully mate with the virgin queens in competition with the QMs under laboratory conditions, which is quite different from the honeybees reported. In addition, there was no difference in the colony development, including the traits such as egg-laying rate, colony establishment rate, and populations of offspring, between the WM- and the QM-mated queens. Our study highlights the equivalent reproductive ability of worker-born males compared to that of queens, which might exhibit a positive application or special use of bumblebee rearing, especially for species whose males are not enough for copulation. Further, our finding contributes new evidence to the kin selection theory and suggests worker reproduction might relate to the evolution of sociality in bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyue Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Insect-Pollinator Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100093, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (H.Z.)
| | - Yanjie Liu
- Key Laboratory for Insect-Pollinator Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100093, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (H.Z.)
| | - Hong Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Insect-Pollinator Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100093, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (H.Z.)
| | - Tom D. Breeze
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, Reading University, Reading RG6 6AH, UK;
| | - Jiandong An
- Key Laboratory for Insect-Pollinator Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100093, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (H.Z.)
- Correspondence:
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28
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Ding L, Sang H, Sun C. Genus-Wide Characterization of Nuclear Mitochondrial DNAs in Bumblebee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Genomes. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12110963. [PMID: 34821764 PMCID: PMC8625877 DOI: 10.3390/insects12110963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The DNA of mitochondria can be transferred into the nucleus and form nuclear mitochondrial DNAs (NUMTs). In this study, we identified and characterized NUMTs in genus-wide bumblebee species. The number of NUMTs in bumblebee is much lower than those in its closely related taxon, honeybee. The insertion sites of NUMTs in bumblebee are not random, with AT-rich regions harboring more NUMTs. In addition, NUMTs derived from the mitochondrial COX1 gene are most abundant in the nuclear genome. While the majority of NUMTs seem unfunctional in the bumblebee, some NUMTs show functional clues, which could fuse with their flanking sequences to form novel proteins. Our results shed light on the molecular features of NUMTs and uncover their contribution to genome innovation in the bumblebee. Abstract In eukaryotes, DNA of mitochondria is transferred into the nucleus and forms nuclear mitochondrial DNAs (NUMTs). Taking advantage of the abundant genomic resources for bumblebees, in this study, we de novo generated mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) for 11 bumblebee species. Then, we identified and characterized NUMTs in genus-wide bumblebee species. The number of identified NUMTs varies across those species, with numbers ranging from 32 to 72, and nuclear genome size is not positively related to NUMT number. The insertion sites of NUMTs in the nuclear genome are not random, with AT-rich regions harboring more NUMTs. In addition, our results suggest that NUMTs derived from the mitochondrial COX1 gene are most abundant in the bumblebee nuclear genome. Although the majority of NUMTs are found within intergenic regions, some NUMTs do reside within genic regions. Transcripts that contain both the NUMT sequence and its flanking non-NUMT sequences could be found in the bumblebee transcriptome, suggesting a potential domestication of NUMTs in the bumblebee. Taken together, our results shed light on the molecular features of NUMTs in the bumblebee and uncover their contribution to genome innovation.
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29
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Martinet B, Dellicour S, Ghisbain G, Przybyla K, Zambra E, Lecocq T, Boustani M, Baghirov R, Michez D, Rasmont P. Global effects of extreme temperatures on wild bumblebees. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1507-1518. [PMID: 33319368 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate plays a key role in shaping population trends and determining the geographic distribution of species because of limits in species' thermal tolerance. An evaluation of species tolerance to temperature change can therefore help predict their potential spatial shifts and population trends triggered by ongoing global warming. We assessed inter- and intraspecific variations in heat resistance in relation to body mass, local mean temperatures, and evolutionary relationships in 39 bumblebee species, a major group of pollinators in temperate and cold ecosystems, across 3 continents, 6 biomes, and 20 regions (2386 male specimens). Based on experimental bioassays, we measured the time before heat stupor of bumblebee males at a heatwave temperature of 40 °C. Interspecific variability was significant, in contrast to interpopulational variability, which was consistent with heat resistance being a species-specific trait. Moreover, cold-adapted species are much more sensitive to heat stress than temperate and Mediterranean species. Relative to their sensitivity to extreme temperatures, our results help explain recent population declines and range shifts in bumblebees following climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Martinet
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons (UMons), Place du Parc 20, Mons, 7000, Belgium
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue Paul Héger - CP 160/12, Brussels, 1000, Belgium
| | - Simon Dellicour
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab. (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP160/12 50, av. FD Roosevelt, Brussels, 1050, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Guillaume Ghisbain
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons (UMons), Place du Parc 20, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Kimberly Przybyla
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons (UMons), Place du Parc 20, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Ella Zambra
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons (UMons), Place du Parc 20, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Thomas Lecocq
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons (UMons), Place du Parc 20, Mons, 7000, Belgium
- INRAE, URAFPA, University of Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Mira Boustani
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons (UMons), Place du Parc 20, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Ruslan Baghirov
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Tomsk State University, Leninast 36, Tomsk, 634050, Russia
- Department of Biology and Genetics, Siberian State Medical University, Moskovskiy Trakt, 2, Tomsk, 634050, Russia
| | - Denis Michez
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons (UMons), Place du Parc 20, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Pierre Rasmont
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons (UMons), Place du Parc 20, Mons, 7000, Belgium
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30
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Koch JBU, McCabe LM, Love BG, Cox-Foster D. Genetic and Usurpation Data Support High Incidence of Bumble Bee Nest Invasion by Socially Parasitic Bumble Bee, Bombus insularis. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2021; 21:6363718. [PMID: 34477874 PMCID: PMC8415179 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Cuckoo bumble bees (Psithyrus) (Lepeletier, 1832) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) are a unique lineage of bees that depend exclusively on a host bumble bee species to provide nesting material, nutritional resources, and labor to rear offspring. In this study, we document usurpation incidence and population genetic data of Bombus insularis (Smith, 1861) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), a bumble bee species in the Psithyrus subgenus, on field-deployed B. huntii colonies in northern Utah, United States. Within 12 d of deploying B. huntii Greene, 1860 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies at two field sites, 13 of the 16 colonies contained at least one established B. insularis female. Although our results demonstrate that field-deployed bumble bee colonies are highly susceptible to B. insularis usurpation, applying a fabricated excluder to prevent the inquiline from invading a colony was 100% effective. Sibship analysis using microsatellite genotype data of 59 B. insularis females estimates that they originated from at least 49 unique colonies. Furthermore, sibship analysis found siblings distributed between the field sites that were 7.04 km apart. Our result suggests that B. insularis females have the capacity to disperse across the landscape in search of host colonies at distances of at least 3.52 km and up to 7.04 km. Our study underscores the detrimental impact B. insularis usurpation has on the host bumble bee colony. As B. insularis significantly impacts the success of bumble bee colonies, we briefly discuss how the utilization of excluders may be useful for commercial bumble bee colonies that are used to pollinate open field crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Berenguer Uhuad Koch
- Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insect–Biology, Management, Systematics Research Unit, Logan, UT 84341, USA
| | - Lindsie M McCabe
- Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insect–Biology, Management, Systematics Research Unit, Logan, UT 84341, USA
| | - Byron G Love
- Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insect–Biology, Management, Systematics Research Unit, Logan, UT 84341, USA
| | - Diana Cox-Foster
- Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insect–Biology, Management, Systematics Research Unit, Logan, UT 84341, USA
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31
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Phased contests allow rapid hierarchy formation in paired bumble bee workers. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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32
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Maebe K, Hart AF, Marshall L, Vandamme P, Vereecken NJ, Michez D, Smagghe G. Bumblebee resilience to climate change, through plastic and adaptive responses. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4223-4237. [PMID: 34118096 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Bumblebees are ubiquitous, cold-adapted eusocial bees found worldwide from subarctic to tropical regions of the world. They are key pollinators in most temperate and boreal ecosystems, and both wild and managed populations are significant contributors to agricultural pollination services. Despite their broad ecological niche at the genus level, bumblebee species are threatened by climate change, particularly by rising average temperatures, intensifying seasonality and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. While some temperature extremes may be offset at the individual or colony level through temperature regulation, most bumblebees are expected to exhibit specific plastic responses, selection in various key traits, and/or range contractions under even the mildest climate change. In this review, we provide an in-depth and up-to-date review on the various ways by which bumblebees overcome the threats associated with current and future global change. We use examples relevant to the fields of bumblebee physiology, morphology, behaviour, phenology, and dispersal to illustrate and discuss the contours of this new theoretical framework. Furthermore, we speculate on the extent to which adaptive responses to climate change may be influenced by bumblebees' capacity to disperse and track suitable climate conditions. Closing the knowledge gap and improving our understanding of bumblebees' adaptability or avoidance behaviour to different climatic circumstances will be necessary to improve current species climate response models. These models are essential to make correct predictions of species vulnerability in the face of future climate change and human-induced environmental changes to unfold appropriate future conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Maebe
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Alex F Hart
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Leon Marshall
- Agroecology Lab, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Vandamme
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Denis Michez
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Liang H, Zhao Y, Rafferty NE, Ren Z, Zhong L, Li H, Li D, Wang H. Evolutionary and ecological factors structure a plant–bumblebee network in a biodiversity hotspot, the Himalaya–Hengduan Mountains. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Huan Liang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia Kunming Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming PR China
| | - Yan‐Hui Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia Kunming Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming PR China
| | - Nicole E. Rafferty
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology University of California Riverside CA USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Lab Crested Butte CO USA
| | - Zong‐Xin Ren
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia Kunming Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming PR China
| | - Li Zhong
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia Kunming Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming PR China
| | - Hai‐Dong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing PR China
| | - De‐Zhu Li
- Plant Germplasm and Genomics Center Germplasm Bank of Wild SpeciesKunming Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming PR China
| | - Hong Wang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia Kunming Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming PR China
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34
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Pamminger T. Extrapolating Acute Contact Bee Sensitivity to Insecticides Based on Body Weight Using a Phylogenetically Informed Interspecies Scaling Framework. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2021; 40:2044-2052. [PMID: 33749874 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Plant protection products, including insecticides, are important for global food production but can have adverse effects on nontarget organisms including bees. Historically, research investigating such effects has focused mainly on the honeybee (Apis mellifera), whereas less information is available for non-Apis bees. Consequently, a comprehensive hazard (sensitivity) assessment for the majority of bees is lacking, which in turn hinders accurate risk characterization and consequently bee protection. Interspecies sensitivity extrapolation based on body weight might be a way to improve the situation, but in the past such approaches often ignored the phylogenetic background of the species used, which in turn potentially reduces the robustness of such results. Published acute contact sensitivity data (median lethal dose per bee) of bees to insecticides, their body weight, and their phylogenetic background were used to build interspecies scaling models to predict bee sensitivity based on their weight. The results indicate that 1) bee body weight is a predictor of acute contact bee sensitivity to a range of insecticides, and 2) phylogeny (nonindependence of data points) needs to be considered in cross-species analysis, although it does not always confound the observed effects. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:2044-2052. © 2021 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Pamminger
- BASF SE, Limburgerhof, Germany
- BAYER Crop Science, Monheim am Rhein, Germany
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35
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Zhao F, Morandin C, Jiang K, Su T, He B, Lin G, Huang Z. Molecular evolution of bumble bee vitellogenin and vitellogenin-like genes. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8983-8992. [PMID: 34257940 PMCID: PMC8258195 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Vitellogenin (Vg), a storage protein, has been significantly studied for its egg yolk precursor role in oviparous animals. Recent studies found that vitellogenin and its Vg-like homologs were fundamentally involved in many other biological processes in social insects such as female caste differences and oxidative stress resilience. In this study, we conducted the first large-scale molecular evolutionary analyses of vitellogenin coding genes (Vg) and Vg-like genes of bumble bees, a primitively eusocial insect belonging to the genus Bombus. We obtained sequences for each of the four genes (Vg, Vg-like-A, Vg-like-B, and Vg-like-C) from 27 bumble bee genomes (nine were newly sequenced in this study), and sequences from the two closest clades of Bombus, including five Apis species and five Tetragonula species. Our molecular evolutionary analyses show that in bumble bee, the conventional Vg experienced strong positive selection, while the Vg-like genes showed overall relaxation of purifying selection. In Apis and Tetragonula; however, all four genes were found under purifying selection. Furthermore, the conventional Vg showed signs of strong positive selection in most subgenera in Bombus, apart from the obligate parasitic subgenus Psithyrus which has no caste differentiation. Together, these results indicate that the conventional Vg, a key pleiotropic gene in social insects, is the most rapidly evolving copy, potentially due to its multiple known social functions for both worker and queen castes. This study shows that concerted evolution and purifying selection shaped the evolution of the Vg gene family following their ancient gene duplication and may be the leading forces behind the evolution of new potential protein function enabling functional social pleiotropy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Zhao
- School of Life SciencesJinggangshan UniversityJi’anChina
| | - Claire Morandin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, BiophoreUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Kai Jiang
- School of Life SciencesJinggangshan UniversityJi’anChina
| | - Tianjuan Su
- School of Life SciencesJinggangshan UniversityJi’anChina
| | - Bo He
- School of Life SciencesJinggangshan UniversityJi’anChina
| | - Gonghua Lin
- School of Life SciencesJinggangshan UniversityJi’anChina
| | - Zuhao Huang
- School of Life SciencesJinggangshan UniversityJi’anChina
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36
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Potapov GS, Berezin MV, Kolosova YS, Kondakov AV, Tomilova AA, Spitsyn VM, Zheludkova AA, Zubrii NA, Filippov BY, Bolotov IN. The last refugia for a polar relict pollinator: isolates of Bombus glacialis on Novaya Zemlya and Wrangel Island indicate its broader former range in the Pleistocene. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02912-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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37
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Sun C, Huang J, Wang Y, Zhao X, Su L, Thomas GWC, Zhao M, Zhang X, Jungreis I, Kellis M, Vicario S, Sharakhov IV, Bondarenko SM, Hasselmann M, Kim CN, Paten B, Penso-Dolfin L, Wang L, Chang Y, Gao Q, Ma L, Ma L, Zhang Z, Zhang H, Zhang H, Ruzzante L, Robertson HM, Zhu Y, Liu Y, Yang H, Ding L, Wang Q, Ma D, Xu W, Liang C, Itgen MW, Mee L, Cao G, Zhang Z, Sadd BM, Hahn MW, Schaack S, Barribeau SM, Williams PH, Waterhouse RM, Mueller RL. Genus-Wide Characterization of Bumblebee Genomes Provides Insights into Their Evolution and Variation in Ecological and Behavioral Traits. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:486-501. [PMID: 32946576 PMCID: PMC7826183 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bumblebees are a diverse group of globally important pollinators in natural ecosystems and for agricultural food production. With both eusocial and solitary life-cycle phases, and some social parasite species, they are especially interesting models to understand social evolution, behavior, and ecology. Reports of many species in decline point to pathogen transmission, habitat loss, pesticide usage, and global climate change, as interconnected causes. These threats to bumblebee diversity make our reliance on a handful of well-studied species for agricultural pollination particularly precarious. To broadly sample bumblebee genomic and phenotypic diversity, we de novo sequenced and assembled the genomes of 17 species, representing all 15 subgenera, producing the first genus-wide quantification of genetic and genomic variation potentially underlying key ecological and behavioral traits. The species phylogeny resolves subgenera relationships, whereas incomplete lineage sorting likely drives high levels of gene tree discordance. Five chromosome-level assemblies show a stable 18-chromosome karyotype, with major rearrangements creating 25 chromosomes in social parasites. Differential transposable element activity drives changes in genome sizes, with putative domestications of repetitive sequences influencing gene coding and regulatory potential. Dynamically evolving gene families and signatures of positive selection point to genus-wide variation in processes linked to foraging, diet and metabolism, immunity and detoxification, as well as adaptations for life at high altitudes. Our study reveals how bumblebee genes and genomes have evolved across the Bombus phylogeny and identifies variations potentially linked to key ecological and behavioral traits of these important pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Sun
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaxing Huang
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaomeng Zhao
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Long Su
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gregg W C Thomas
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
| | - Mengya Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xingtan Zhang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Irwin Jungreis
- MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Cambridge, MA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Manolis Kellis
- MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Cambridge, MA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Saverio Vicario
- Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research-Italian National Research Council C/O Department of Physics, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Igor V Sharakhov
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA.,Department of Cytology and Genetics, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russian Federation
| | - Semen M Bondarenko
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, VA
| | - Martin Hasselmann
- Department of Livestock Population Genomics, Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Chang N Kim
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
| | - Benedict Paten
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
| | | | - Li Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuxiao Chang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiang Gao
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ling Ma
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lina Ma
- China National Center for Bioinformation & Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhang Zhang
- China National Center for Bioinformation & Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongbo Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Huahao Zhang
- College of Pharmacy and Life Science, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, China
| | - Livio Ruzzante
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hugh M Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
| | - Yihui Zhu
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Genome Center, and MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA
| | - Yanjie Liu
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huipeng Yang
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lele Ding
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Quangui Wang
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dongna Ma
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Weilin Xu
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Liang
- Institute of Sericultural and Apiculture, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Mengzi, China
| | - Michael W Itgen
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Lauren Mee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Gang Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ze Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ben M Sadd
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL
| | - Matthew W Hahn
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.,Department of Computer Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
| | | | - Seth M Barribeau
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Paul H Williams
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert M Waterhouse
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
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38
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Fourcade Y, Åström S, Öckinger E. Decline of parasitic and habitat-specialist species drives taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional homogenization of sub-alpine bumblebee communities. Oecologia 2021; 196:905-917. [PMID: 34129123 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04970-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The ongoing biodiversity crisis is characterised not only by an elevated extinction rate but also can lead to an increasing similarity of species assemblages. This is an issue of major concern, as it can reduce ecosystem resilience and functionality. Changes in the composition of pollinator communities have mainly been described in intensive agricultural lowland areas. In this context, using a replicated survey of historical and recent bumblebee diversity, we aimed here to test how documented changes in climate and land use influenced the potential homogenization of sub-alpine bumblebee communities in southern Norway. We assessed the change in community composition in terms of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional (β-)diversity, and estimated the impact of various species traits in probabilities of species gains and losses. Overall, we found a strong reduction in functional diversity, but no change in phylogenetic diversity over time. The β-diversity decreased, especially at high elevations, and this pattern was consistent for taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional β-diversity. The spatial distribution, measured as the average site occupancy, decreased in habitat-specialist species. This was explained by both a higher risk of species loss and a lower probability of species gain for habitat-specialist and parasitic species than for generalist and social species. These findings demonstrate that a narrow niche breadth may contribute to a higher extinction risk in bumblebee species. This non-random impact of disturbance on species may lead to large-scale biotic homogenisation of communities, a pattern that can be detected by investigating biodiversity changes at different scales and across its multiple facets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoan Fourcade
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7044, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden. .,Univ Paris Est Creteil, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Sorbonne Université, Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement, IEES, 94010, Creteil, France.
| | - Sandra Åström
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Torgarden, Box 5685, 7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Erik Öckinger
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7044, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
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39
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Wood TJ, Ghisbain G, Rasmont P, Kleijn D, Raemakers I, Praz C, Killewald M, Gibbs J, Bobiwash K, Boustani M, Martinet B, Michez D. Global patterns in bumble bee pollen collection show phylogenetic conservation of diet. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2421-2430. [PMID: 34096055 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bumble bees (Bombus) are a group of eusocial bees with a strongly generalised feeding pattern, collecting pollen from many different botanical families. Though predominantly generalists, some bumble bee species seem to have restricted dietary choices. It is unclear whether restricted diets in bumble bees are inherent or a function of local conditions due to a lack of data for many species across different regions. The objective of this study was to determine whether bumble bee species displayed specific patterns of pollen collection, and whether patterns were influenced by phylogenetic relatedness or tongue length, a trait known to be associated with structuring floral visitation. Bumble bee pollen collection patterns were quantified from 4,132 pollen loads taken from 58 bumble bee species, representing 24% of the pollen-collecting diversity of this genus. Phylogenetic trait mapping showed a conserved pattern of dietary dissimilarity across species, but not for dietary breadth. Dietary dissimilarity was driven by collection of Fabaceae, with the most similar species collecting around 50%-60% of their diet from this botanical family. The proportion of the diet collected from Fabaceae also showed a conserved phylogenetic signal. Greater collection of Fabaceae was associated with longer tongue lengths, with shorter tongued species focusing on alternative botanical families. However, this result was largely driven by phylogenetic relatedness, not tongue length per se. These results demonstrate that, though generalists, bumble bees are still subject to dietary restrictions that constrain their foraging choices. These dietary constraints have implications for their persistence should their core resources decline in abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Wood
- Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | | | - Pierre Rasmont
- Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - David Kleijn
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ivo Raemakers
- Van Caldenborghstraat 26, Gronsveld, The Netherlands
| | - Christophe Praz
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,InfoFauna, Swiss Zoological Records Centre, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | | | - Jason Gibbs
- Department of Entomology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Kyle Bobiwash
- Department of Entomology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Mira Boustani
- Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Baptiste Martinet
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Denis Michez
- Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
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40
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Biella P, Ćetković A, Gogala A, Neumayer J, Sárospataki M, Šima P, Smetana V. Northwestward range expansion of the bumblebee Bombus haematurus into Central Europe is associated with warmer winters and niche conservatism. INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 28:861-872. [PMID: 32401399 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Species range expansions are crucial for understanding niche formation and the interaction with the environment. Here, we studied the bumblebee Bombus haematurus Kriechbaumer, 1870, a species historically distributed from northern Serbia through northern Iran which has very recently started expanding northwestward into Central Europe without human-mediated dispersal (i.e., it is a natural spread). After updating the global distribution of this species, we investigated if niche shifts took place during this range expansion between newly colonized and historical areas. In addition, we have explored which climatic factors may have favored the natural range expansion of the species. Our results indicated that Bombus haematurus has colonized large territories in 7 European countries outside the historical area in the period from the 1980s to 2018, a natural expansion over an area that equals 20% of the historical distribution. In addition, this bumblebee performs generalism in flower visitation and it occurs in different habitats, although a preference for forested areas clearly emerges. The land-use associated with the species in the colonized areas is similar to the historical distribution, indicating that no major niche shifts occurred during the spread. Furthermore, in recently colonized localities, the range expansion was associated with warming temperatures during the winter and also during both queen overwintering and emergence phases. These findings document a case of natural range expansion due to environmental change rather than due to niche shifts, and specifically they suggest that warmer winters could be linked to the process of natural colonization of new areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Biella
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Andrej Gogala
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Slovenian Museum of Natural History, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Miklós Sárospataki
- Department of Zoology and Ecology, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Peter Šima
- Department of Research and Development, Koppert s.r.o., Nové Zámky, Slovakia
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41
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Rahman SR, Terranova T, Tian L, Hines HM. Developmental Transcriptomics Reveals a Gene Network Driving Mimetic Color Variation in a Bumble Bee. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6244266. [PMID: 33881508 PMCID: PMC8220310 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A major goal of evolutionary genetics and evo-devo is to understand how changes in genotype manifest as changes in phenotype. Bumble bees display remarkable color pattern diversity while converging onto numerous regional Müllerian mimicry patterns, thus enabling exploration of the genetic mechanisms underlying convergent phenotypic evolution. In western North America, multiple bumble bee species converge onto local mimicry patterns through parallel shifts of midabdominal segments from red to black. It was previously demonstrated that a Hox gene, Abd-B, is the key regulator of the phenotypic switch in one of these species, Bombus melanopygus, however, the mechanism by which Abd-B regulates color differentiation remains unclear. Using tissue/stage-specific transcriptomic analysis followed by qRT–PCR validation, this study reveals a suite of genes potentially involved downstream of Abd-B during color pattern differentiation. The data support differential genes expression of not only the first switch gene Abd-B, but also an intermediate developmental gene nubbin, and a whole suite of downstream melanin and redox genes that together reinforce the observed eumelanin (black)-pheomelanin (red) ratios. These include potential genes involved in the production of insect pheomelanins, a pigment until recently not thought to occur in insects and thus lacking known regulatory enzymes. The results enhance understanding of pigmentation gene networks involved in bumble bee color pattern development and diversification, while providing insights into how upstream regulators such as Hox genes interact with downstream morphogenic players to facilitate this adaptive phenotypic radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarthok Rasique Rahman
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Tatiana Terranova
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Li Tian
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Heather M Hines
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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42
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Rahman SR, Cnaani J, Kinch LN, Grishin NV, Hines HM. A combined RAD-Seq and WGS approach reveals the genomic basis of yellow color variation in bumble bee Bombus terrestris. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7996. [PMID: 33846496 PMCID: PMC8042027 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87194-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bumble bees exhibit exceptional diversity in their segmental body coloration largely as a result of mimicry. In this study we sought to discover genes involved in this variation through studying a lab-generated mutant in bumble bee Bombus terrestris, in which the typical black coloration of the pleuron, scutellum, and first metasomal tergite is replaced by yellow, a color variant also found in sister lineages to B. terrestris. Utilizing a combination of RAD-Seq and whole-genome re-sequencing, we localized the color-generating variant to a single SNP in the protein-coding sequence of transcription factor cut. This mutation generates an amino acid change that modifies the conformation of a coiled-coil structure outside DNA-binding domains. We found that all sequenced Hymenoptera, including sister lineages, possess the non-mutant allele, indicating different mechanisms are involved in the same color transition in nature. Cut is important for multiple facets of development, yet this mutation generated no noticeable external phenotypic effects outside of setal characteristics. Reproductive capacity was reduced, however, as queens were less likely to mate and produce female offspring, exhibiting behavior similar to that of workers. Our research implicates a novel developmental player in pigmentation, and potentially caste, thus contributing to a better understanding of the evolution of diversity in both of these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarthok Rasique Rahman
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Labs, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA
| | | | - Lisa N Kinch
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Nick V Grishin
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Heather M Hines
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Labs, University Park, PA, USA.
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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43
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Christmas MJ, Jones JC, Olsson A, Wallerman O, Bunikis I, Kierczak M, Peona V, Whitley KM, Larva T, Suh A, Miller-Struttmann NE, Geib JC, Webster MT. Genetic Barriers to Historical Gene Flow between Cryptic Species of Alpine Bumblebees Revealed by Comparative Population Genomics. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:3126-3143. [PMID: 33823537 PMCID: PMC8321533 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence is accumulating that gene flow commonly occurs between recently diverged species, despite the existence of barriers to gene flow in their genomes. However, we still know little about what regions of the genome become barriers to gene flow and how such barriers form. Here, we compare genetic differentiation across the genomes of bumblebee species living in sympatry and allopatry to reveal the potential impact of gene flow during species divergence and uncover genetic barrier loci. We first compared the genomes of the alpine bumblebee Bombus sylvicola and a previously unidentified sister species living in sympatry in the Rocky Mountains, revealing prominent islands of elevated genetic divergence in the genome that colocalize with centromeres and regions of low recombination. This same pattern is observed between the genomes of another pair of closely related species living in allopatry (B. bifarius and B. vancouverensis). Strikingly however, the genomic islands exhibit significantly elevated absolute divergence (dXY) in the sympatric, but not the allopatric, comparison indicating that they contain loci that have acted as barriers to historical gene flow in sympatry. Our results suggest that intrinsic barriers to gene flow between species may often accumulate in regions of low recombination and near centromeres through processes such as genetic hitchhiking, and that divergence in these regions is accentuated in the presence of gene flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Christmas
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Julia C Jones
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Anna Olsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ola Wallerman
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ignas Bunikis
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marcin Kierczak
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Valentina Peona
- Department of Organismal Biology-Systematic Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kaitlyn M Whitley
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, USA.,U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Tuuli Larva
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alexander Suh
- Department of Organismal Biology-Systematic Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jennifer C Geib
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, USA
| | - Matthew T Webster
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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44
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Brasero N, Ghisbain G, Lecocq T, Michez D, Valterová I, Biella P, Monfared A, Williams PH, Rasmont P, Martinet B. Resolving the species status of overlooked West‐Palaearctic bumblebees. ZOOL SCR 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Brasero
- Laboratory of Zoology Research institute for Biosciences, University of Mons MonsBelgium
| | - Guillaume Ghisbain
- Laboratory of Zoology Research institute for Biosciences, University of Mons MonsBelgium
| | - Thomas Lecocq
- Laboratory of Zoology Research institute for Biosciences, University of Mons MonsBelgium
- Université de Lorraine, INRAE, URAFPA Nancy France
| | - Denis Michez
- Laboratory of Zoology Research institute for Biosciences, University of Mons MonsBelgium
| | - Irena Valterová
- Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry Prague Czech Republic
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Czech Republic
| | - Paolo Biella
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences University of Milano‐Bicocca Milano Italy
| | - Alireza Monfared
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture Yasouj University Yasouj Iran
| | | | - Pierre Rasmont
- Laboratory of Zoology Research institute for Biosciences, University of Mons MonsBelgium
| | - Baptiste Martinet
- Laboratory of Zoology Research institute for Biosciences, University of Mons MonsBelgium
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology Université Libre de Bruxelles Bruxelles Belgium
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45
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Wang LH, Liu S, Tang YJ, Chen YP, Wu J, Li JL. Using the combined gene approach and multiple analytical methods to improve the phylogeny and classification of Bombus (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in China. Zookeys 2021; 1007:1-21. [PMID: 33505180 PMCID: PMC7788072 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1007.34105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bumble bees are vital to our agro-ecological system, with approximately 250 species reported around the world in the single genus Bombus. However, the health of bumble bees is threatened by multiple factors: habitat loss, climate change, pesticide use, and disease caused by pathogens and parasites. It is therefore vitally important to have a fully developed phylogeny for bumble bee species as part of our conservation efforts. The purpose of this study was to explore the phylogenetic relationships of the dominant bumble bees on the Tibetan plateau and in northern China as well as their placement and classification within the genus Bombus. The study used combined gene analysis consisting of sequence fragments from six genes, 16S rRNA, COI, EF-1α, Argk, Opsin and PEPCK, and the phylogenetic relationships of 209 Bombus species were explored. Twenty-six species, including 152 gene sequences, were collected from different regions throughout China, and 1037 gene sequences representing 183 species were obtained from GenBank or BOLD. The results suggest that the 209 analyzed species belong to fifteen subgenera and that most of the subgenera in Bombus are monophyletic, which is in accordance with conventional morphology-based classifications. The phylogenetic trees also show that nearly all subgenera easily fall into two distinct clades: short-faced and long-faced. The study is the first to investigate the phylogenetic placement of Bombus turneri (Richards), Bombus opulentus Smith, Bombus pyrosoma Morawitz, Bombus longipennis Friese, Bombus minshanensis Bischoff, and Bombus lantschouensis Vogt, all of which are widely distributed throughout different regions of China. The knowledge and understanding gained from the findings can provide a molecular basis to accurately classify Bombus in China and to define strategies to conserve biodiversity and promote pollinator populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu-Hao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Beijing China.,College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, China Henan Institute of Science and Technology Xinxiang China
| | - Shan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Beijing China
| | - Yu-Jie Tang
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Beijing China
| | - Yan-Ping Chen
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, USA Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture Beltsville United States of America
| | - Jie Wu
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Beijing China
| | - Ji-Lian Li
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Beijing China
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Linear infrastructure habitats increase landscape-scale diversity of plants but not of flower-visiting insects. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21374. [PMID: 33288770 PMCID: PMC7721902 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78090-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitats along linear infrastructure, such as roads and electrical transmission lines, can have high local biodiversity. To determine whether these habitats also contribute to landscape-scale biodiversity, we estimated species richness, evenness and phylogenetic diversity of plant, butterfly and bumblebee communities in 32 km2 landscapes with or without power line corridors, and with contrasting areas of road verges. Landscapes with power line corridors had on average six more plant species than landscapes without power lines, but there was no such effect for butterflies and bumblebees. Plant communities displayed considerable evenness in species abundances both in landscapes with and without power lines and high and low road verge densities. We hypothesize that the higher number of plant species in landscapes with power line corridors is due to these landscapes having a higher extinction debt than the landscapes without power line corridors, such that plant diversity is declining slower in landscapes with power lines. This calls for targeted conservation actions in semi-natural grasslands within landscapes with power line corridors to maintain biodiversity and prevent imminent population extinctions.
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Kerr JT. Racing against change: understanding dispersal and persistence to improve species' conservation prospects. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202061. [PMID: 33234075 PMCID: PMC7739496 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is contributing to the widespread redistribution, and increasingly the loss, of species. Geographical range shifts among many species were detected rapidly after predictions of the potential importance of climate change were specified 35 years ago: species are shifting their ranges towards the poles and often to higher elevations in mountainous areas. Early tests of these predictions were largely qualitative, though extraordinarily rapid and broadly based, and statistical tests distinguishing between climate change and other global change drivers provided quantitative evidence that climate change had already begun to cause species’ geographical ranges to shift. I review two mechanisms enabling this process, namely development of approaches for accounting for dispersal that contributes to range expansion, and identification of factors that alter persistence and lead to range loss. Dispersal in the context of range expansion depends on an array of processes, like population growth rates in novel environments, rates of individual species movements to new locations, and how quickly areas of climatically tolerable habitat shift. These factors can be tied together in well-understood mathematical frameworks or modelled statistically, leading to better prediction of extinction risk as climate changes. Yet, species' increasing exposures to novel climate conditions can exceed their tolerances and raise the likelihood of local extinction and consequent range losses. Such losses are the consequence of processes acting on individuals, driven by factors, such as the growing frequency and severity of extreme weather, that contribute local extinction risks for populations and species. Many mechanisms can govern how species respond to climate change, and rapid progress in global change research creates many opportunities to inform policy and improve conservation outcomes in the early stages of the sixth mass extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy T Kerr
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
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48
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Pimsler ML, Oyen KJ, Herndon JD, Jackson JM, Strange JP, Dillon ME, Lozier JD. Biogeographic parallels in thermal tolerance and gene expression variation under temperature stress in a widespread bumble bee. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17063. [PMID: 33051510 PMCID: PMC7553916 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73391-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Global temperature changes have emphasized the need to understand how species adapt to thermal stress across their ranges. Genetic mechanisms may contribute to variation in thermal tolerance, providing evidence for how organisms adapt to local environments. We determine physiological thermal limits and characterize genome-wide transcriptional changes at these limits in bumble bees using laboratory-reared Bombus vosnesenskii workers. We analyze bees reared from latitudinal (35.7-45.7°N) and altitudinal (7-2154 m) extremes of the species' range to correlate thermal tolerance and gene expression among populations from different climates. We find that critical thermal minima (CTMIN) exhibit strong associations with local minimums at the location of queen origin, while critical thermal maximum (CTMAX) was invariant among populations. Concordant patterns are apparent in gene expression data, with regional differentiation following cold exposure, and expression shifts invariant among populations under high temperatures. Furthermore, we identify several modules of co-expressed genes that tightly correlate with critical thermal limits and temperature at the region of origin. Our results reveal that local adaptation in thermal limits and gene expression may facilitate cold tolerance across a species range, whereas high temperature responses are likely constrained, both of which may have implications for climate change responses of bumble bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan L Pimsler
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA.
| | - Kennan J Oyen
- Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - James D Herndon
- USDA-ARS Pollinating Insects Research Unit, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Jason M Jackson
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA
| | - James P Strange
- USDA-ARS Pollinating Insects Research Unit, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 44691, USA
| | - Michael E Dillon
- Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Lozier
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA.
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49
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Ghisbain G, Michez D, Marshall L, Rasmont P, Dellicour S. Wildlife conservation strategies should incorporate both taxon identity and geographical context ‐ further evidence with bumblebees. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Ghisbain
- Laboratory of Zoology Research Institute of Biosciences University of Mons Mons Belgium
| | - Denis Michez
- Laboratory of Zoology Research Institute of Biosciences University of Mons Mons Belgium
| | - Leon Marshall
- Agroecology Lab Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) Brussels Belgium
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Pierre Rasmont
- Laboratory of Zoology Research Institute of Biosciences University of Mons Mons Belgium
| | - Simon Dellicour
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab. (SpELL) Université Libre de Bruxelles Bruxelles Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory for Clinical and Epidemiological Virology KU Leuven ‐ University of Leuven Leuven Belgium
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50
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Ghisbain G, Williams PH, Michez D, Branstetter MG, Rasmont P. Contribution to the knowledge of the bumblebee fauna of Afghanistan (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Bombus Latreille). Zookeys 2020; 973:69-87. [PMID: 33110373 PMCID: PMC7550395 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.973.54796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: genus Bombus Latreille, 1802) constitute an important group of pollinators for many wild plants and crops in north temperate regions and South America. Although knowledge of these insects has been increasing over the last decades, some geographic areas remain poorly studied and additions to the knowledge of their faunas are infrequent. Afghanistan is one example of a country that is currently underrepresented in the scientific literature despite its high species diversity. For this study, more than 420 new occurrence records were gathered for 17 bumblebee species belonging to all eight subgenera recorded in the country, including the first record of a species closely related to the Blongipennis group. Additionally, the first standardized database for Afghan bees is launched, which we hope will be enriched in the future to allow further assessments of population trends for the bumblebees of Afghanistan. Finally, the previously published species records for the country are discussed considering the most recent taxonomic revisions of the genus and key perspectives are highlighted for further work in this understudied country and neighboring regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Ghisbain
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons (UMONS), Mons, Belgium University of Mons Mons Belgium
| | - Paul H Williams
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK Natural History Museum London United Kingdom
| | - Denis Michez
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons (UMONS), Mons, Belgium University of Mons Mons Belgium
| | - Michael G Branstetter
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insects Research Unit, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA Utah State University Logan United States of America
| | - Pierre Rasmont
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons (UMONS), Mons, Belgium University of Mons Mons Belgium
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