1
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Mattila ALK, Opedal ØH, Hällfors MH, Pietikäinen L, Koivusaari SHM, Hyvärinen MT. The potential for evolutionary rescue in an Arctic seashore plant threatened by climate change. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20241351. [PMID: 39355964 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.1351] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 10/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The impacts of climate change may be particularly severe for geographically isolated populations, which must adjust through plastic responses or evolve. Here, we study an endangered Arctic plant, Primula nutans ssp. finmarchica, confined to Fennoscandian seashores and showing indications of maladaptation to warming climate. We evaluate the potential of these populations to evolve to facilitate survival in the rapidly warming Arctic (i.e. evolutionary rescue) by utilizing manual crossing experiments in a nested half-sibling breeding design. We estimate G-matrices, evolvability and genetic constraints in traits with potentially conflicting selection pressures. To explicitly evaluate the potential for climate change adaptation, we infer the expected time to evolve from a northern to a southern phenotype under different selection scenarios, using demographic and climatic data to relate expected evolutionary rates to projected rates of climate change. Our results indicate that, given the nearly 10-fold greater evolvability of vegetative than of floral traits, adaptation in these traits may take place nearly in concert with changing climate, given effective climate mitigation. However, the comparatively slow expected evolutionary modification of floral traits may hamper the evolution of floral traits to track climate-induced changes in pollination environment, compromising sexual reproduction and thus reducing the likelihood of evolutionary rescue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anniina L K Mattila
- Botany and Mycology Unit, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki , Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Maria H Hällfors
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki , Helsinki, Finland
- Nature Solutions, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) , Helsinki, Finland
| | - Laura Pietikäinen
- Botany and Mycology Unit, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki , Helsinki, Finland
| | - Susanna H M Koivusaari
- Botany and Mycology Unit, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki , Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki , Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marko-Tapio Hyvärinen
- Botany and Mycology Unit, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki , Helsinki, Finland
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2
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Varga-Szilay Z, Szövényi G, Pozsgai G. Flower Visitation through the Lens: Exploring the Foraging Behaviour of Bombus terrestris with a Computer Vision-Based Application. INSECTS 2024; 15:729. [PMID: 39336697 PMCID: PMC11432343 DOI: 10.3390/insects15090729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2024] [Revised: 09/06/2024] [Accepted: 09/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
To understand the processes behind pollinator declines and for the conservation of pollination services, we need to understand fundamental drivers influencing pollinator behaviour. Here, we aimed to elucidate how wild bumblebees interact with three plant species and investigated their foraging behaviour with varying flower densities. We video-recorded Bombus terrestris in 60 × 60 cm quadrats of Lotus creticus, Persicaria capitata, and Trifolium pratense in urban areas of Terceira (Azores, Portugal). For the automated bumblebee detection and counting, we created deep learning-based computer vision models with custom datasets. We achieved high model accuracy of 0.88 for Lotus and Persicaria and 0.95 for Trifolium, indicating accurate bumblebee detection. In our study, flower cover was the only factor that influenced the attractiveness of flower patches, and plant species did not have an effect. We detected a significant positive effect of flower cover on the attractiveness of flower patches for flower-visiting bumblebees. The time spent per unit of inflorescence surface area was longer on the Trifolium than those on the Lotus and Persicaria. However, our result did not indicate significant differences in the time bumblebees spent on inflorescences among the three plant species. Here, we also justify computer vision-based analysis as a reliable tool for studying pollinator behavioural ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsófia Varga-Szilay
- Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergely Szövényi
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Pozsgai
- Ce3C-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE–Global Change and Sustainability Institute, University of the Azores, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
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3
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Nash WJ, Man A, McTaggart S, Baker K, Barker T, Catchpole L, Durrant A, Gharbi K, Irish N, Kaithakottil G, Ku D, Providence A, Shaw F, Swarbreck D, Watkins C, McCartney AM, Formenti G, Mouton A, Vella N, von Reumont BM, Vella A, Haerty W. The genome sequence of the Violet Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa violacea (Linnaeus, 1785): a hymenopteran species undergoing range expansion. Heredity (Edinb) 2024:10.1038/s41437-024-00720-2. [PMID: 39278996 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-024-00720-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
We present a reference genome assembly from an individual male Violet Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa violacea, Linnaeus 1758). The assembly is 1.02 gigabases in span. 48% of the assembly is scaffolded into 17 pseudo-chromosomal units. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 21.8 kilobases in length. The genome is highly repetitive, likely representing a highly heterochromatic architecture expected of bees from the genus Xylocopa. We also use an evidence-based methodology to annotate 10,152 high confidence coding genes. This genome was sequenced as part of the pilot project of the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) and represents an important addition to the genomic resources available for Hymenoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will J Nash
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK.
| | - Angela Man
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Seanna McTaggart
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Kendall Baker
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Tom Barker
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Leah Catchpole
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Alex Durrant
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Karim Gharbi
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Naomi Irish
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Gemy Kaithakottil
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Debby Ku
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Aaliyah Providence
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Felix Shaw
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - David Swarbreck
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Chris Watkins
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Ann M McCartney
- Genomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Giulio Formenti
- The Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, 1240 York Ave, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Alice Mouton
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- InBios - Conservation Genetics Laboratory, University of Liege, Chemin de la Vallee 4, 4000, Liege, Belgium
- SEED - Departement des sciences et gestion de l'environnement, University of Liege, Chemin de la Vallee 4, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Noel Vella
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Biology Department, University of Malta, Msida, MSD 2080, Malta
| | - Björn M von Reumont
- LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt, Germany
- Applied Bioinformatics Group, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Adriana Vella
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Biology Department, University of Malta, Msida, MSD 2080, Malta.
| | - Wilfried Haerty
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK.
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
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4
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Ostwald MM, da Silva CRB, Seltmann KC. How does climate change impact social bees and bee sociality? J Anim Ecol 2024. [PMID: 39101348 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Climatic factors are known to shape the expression of social behaviours. Likewise, variation in social behaviour can dictate climate responses. Understanding interactions between climate and sociality is crucial for forecasting vulnerability and resilience to climate change across animal taxa. These interactions are particularly relevant for taxa like bees that exhibit a broad diversity of social states. An emerging body of literature aims to quantify bee responses to environmental change with respect to variation in key functional traits, including sociality. Additionally, decades of research on environmental drivers of social evolution may prove fruitful for predicting shifts in the costs and benefits of social strategies under climate change. In this review, we explore these findings to ask two interconnected questions: (a) how does sociality mediate vulnerability to climate change, and (b) how might climate change impact social organisation in bees? We highlight traits that intersect with bee sociality that may confer resilience to climate change (e.g. extended activity periods, diet breadth, behavioural thermoregulation) and we generate predictions about the impacts of climate change on the expression and distribution of social phenotypes in bees. The social evolutionary consequences of climate change will be complex and heterogeneous, depending on such factors as local climate and plasticity of social traits. Many contexts will see an increase in the frequency of eusocial nesting as warming temperatures accelerate development and expand the temporal window for rearing a worker brood. More broadly, climate-mediated shifts in the abiotic and biotic selective environments will alter the costs and benefits of social living in different contexts, with cascading impacts at the population, community and ecosystem levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine M Ostwald
- Cheadle Center for Biodiversity & Ecological Restoration, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Carmen R B da Silva
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katja C Seltmann
- Cheadle Center for Biodiversity & Ecological Restoration, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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5
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Nooten SS, Korten H, Schmitt T, Kárpáti Z. The heat is on: reduced detection of floral scents after heatwaves in bumblebees. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240352. [PMID: 39191280 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0352] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Global climate change disrupts key ecological processes and biotic interactions. The recent increase in heatwave frequency and severity prompts the evaluation of physiological processes that ensure the maintenance of vital ecosystem services such as pollination. We used experimental heatwaves to determine how high temperatures affect the bumblebees' ability to detect floral scents. Heatwaves induced strong reductions in antennal responses to floral scents in both tested bumblebee species (Bombus terrestris and Bombus pascuorum). These reductions were generally stronger in workers than in males. Bumblebees showed no consistent pattern of recovery 24 h after heat events. Our results suggest that the projected increased frequency and severity of heatwaves may jeopardize bumblebee-mediated pollination services by disrupting the chemical communication between plants and pollinators. The reduced chemosensitivity can decrease the bumblebees' abilities to locate food sources and lead to declines in colonies and populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine S Nooten
- Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg , Würzburg, Germany
| | - Hanno Korten
- Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg , Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg , Würzburg, Germany
| | - Zsolt Kárpáti
- Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg , Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Chemical Ecology, Plant Protection Institute, Centre of Agricultural Research, HUN-REN , Budapest, Hungary
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6
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Ran W, Chen J, Zhao Y, Zhang N, Luo G, Zhao Z, Song Y. Global climate change-driven impacts on the Asian distribution of Limassolla leafhoppers, with implications for biological and environmental conservation. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70003. [PMID: 39026963 PMCID: PMC11257772 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Knowing the impacts of global climate change on the habitat suitability distribution of Limassolla leafhoppers contributes to understanding the feedback of organisms on climate change from a macroecological perspective, and provides important scientific basis for protecting the ecological environment and biodiversity. However, there is limited knowledge on this aspect. Thus, our study aimed to address this gap by analyzing Asian habitat suitability and centroid shifts of Limassolla based on 19 bioclimatic variables and occurrence records. Selecting five ecological niche models with the outstanding predictive performance (Maxlike, generalized linear model, generalized additive model, random forest, and maximum entropy) along with their ensemble model from 12 models, the current habitat suitability of Limassolla and its future habitat suitability under two Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5) in the 2050s and 2090s were predicted. The results showed that the prediction results of the five models are generally consistent. Based on ensemble model, 11 potential biodiversity hotspots with high suitability were identified. With climate change, the suitable range of Limassolla will experience both expansion and contraction. In SSP5-8.52050s, the expansion area is 118.56 × 104 km2, while the contraction area is 25.40 × 104 km2; in SSP1-2.62090s, the expansion area is 91.71 × 104 km2, and the contraction area is 26.54 × 104 km2. Furthermore, the distribution core of Limassolla will shift toward higher latitudes in the northeast direction, and the precipitation of warmest quarter was found to have the greatest impact on the distribution of Limassolla. Our research results supported our four hypotheses. Finally, this research suggests establishing ecological reserves in identified contraction to prevent habitat loss, enhancing the protection of biodiversity hotspots, and pursuing a sustainable development path with reduced emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Ran
- School of Karst ScienceGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
- State Engineering Technology Institute for Karst Desertification ControlGuiyangChina
| | - Jiajia Chen
- School of Karst ScienceGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
- State Engineering Technology Institute for Karst Desertification ControlGuiyangChina
| | - Yuanqi Zhao
- School of Karst ScienceGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
- State Engineering Technology Institute for Karst Desertification ControlGuiyangChina
| | - Ni Zhang
- School of Karst ScienceGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
- State Engineering Technology Institute for Karst Desertification ControlGuiyangChina
| | - Guimei Luo
- School of Karst ScienceGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
- State Engineering Technology Institute for Karst Desertification ControlGuiyangChina
| | - Zhibing Zhao
- School of Karst ScienceGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
- State Engineering Technology Institute for Karst Desertification ControlGuiyangChina
- School of Food Science and EngineeringGuiyang UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Yuehua Song
- School of Karst ScienceGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
- State Engineering Technology Institute for Karst Desertification ControlGuiyangChina
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7
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Botsch JC, Daniels JD, Bujan J, Roeder KA. Temperature influences desiccation resistance of bumble bees. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 155:104647. [PMID: 38710384 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104647] [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: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Ongoing climate change has increased temperatures and the frequency of droughts in many parts of the world, potentially intensifying the desiccation risk for insects. Because resisting desiccation becomes more difficult at higher temperatures and lower humidity, avoiding water loss is a key challenge facing terrestrial insects. However, few studies have examined the interactive effects of temperature and environmental humidity on desiccation resistance in insects. Such studies on bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) are especially rare, despite their ecological and economic importance. Here, we crossed temperature (20, 25, and 30 °C) with humidity (<5, 50, >95 % RH) manipulations and measured time to mortality, water loss rates, and the water content at mortality of bumble bees (Bombus impatiens). We found that both higher temperature and lower humidity increased water loss rates, while warmer temperatures reduced survival time and lower humidity decreased water content at mortality. Additionally, we observed large intraspecific variation in water balance traits between colonies, and larger individuals survived longer and could tolerate more water loss before mortality. This study raises important questions about the mechanisms underpinning water loss in bumble bees and suggests that frequent access to nectar may be especially important for bumble bees' water balance and survival in a warming and drying climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamieson C Botsch
- North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Brookings, SD 57006, USA; Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
| | - Jesse D Daniels
- North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Brookings, SD 57006, USA
| | - Jelena Bujan
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Karl A Roeder
- North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Brookings, SD 57006, USA
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8
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Christman ME, Spears LR, Burchfield EK, Pearse WD, Strange JP, Ramirez RA. Bumble bee responses to climate and landscapes: Investigating habitat associations and species assemblages across geographic regions in the United States of America. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17380. [PMID: 38925582 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17380] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Bumble bees are integral pollinators of native and cultivated plant communities, but species are undergoing significant changes in range and abundance on a global scale. Climate change and land cover alteration are key drivers in pollinator declines; however, limited research has evaluated the cumulative effects of these factors on bumble bee assemblages. This study tests bumble bee assemblage (calculated as richness and abundance) responses to climate and land use by modeling species-specific habitat requirements, and assemblage-level responses across geographic regions. We integrated species richness, abundance, and distribution data for 18 bumble bee species with site-specific bioclimatic, landscape composition, and landscape configuration data to evaluate the effects of multiple environmental stressors on bumble bee assemblages throughout 433 agricultural fields in Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia from 2018 to 2020. Distinct east versus west groupings emerged when evaluating species-specific habitat associations, prompting a detailed evaluation of bumble bee assemblages by geographic region. Maximum temperature of warmest month and precipitation of driest month had a positive impact on bumble bee assemblages in the Corn Belt/Appalachian/northeast, southeast, and northern plains regions, but a negative impact on the mountain region. Further, forest land cover surrounding agricultural fields was highlighted as supporting more rich and abundant bumble bee assemblages. Overall, climate and land use combine to drive bumble bee assemblages, but how those processes operate is idiosyncratic and spatially contingent across regions. From these findings, we suggested regionally specific management practices to best support rich and abundant bumble bee assemblages in agroecosystems. Results from this study contribute to a better understanding of climate and landscape factors affecting bumble bees and their habitats throughout the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan E Christman
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Emily K Burchfield
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - William D Pearse
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire, UK
| | - James P Strange
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Ricardo A Ramirez
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
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9
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MacPhail VJ, Hatfield R, Colla SR. Bumble Bee Watch community science program increases scientific understanding of an important pollinator group across Canada and the USA. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303335. [PMID: 38776282 PMCID: PMC11111064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
In a time of increasing threats to bumble bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus), it is important to understand their ecology and distribution. As experts are limited in resources to conduct field surveys, there is potential for community scientists to help. The Bumble Bee Watch (BBW) community science program involves volunteers taking photos of bumble bees in Canada and the USA and submitting them, along with geographic and optional plant information, to a website or through an app. Taxon experts then verify the bee species identification. The Bumble Bees of North America database (BBNA) stores data (no photographs) collected and identified by more traditional scientific methods over the same range. Here we compared BBW data to BBNA data over all years and just 2010-2020 to understand the scientific contribution of community scientists to the state of the knowledge about native bumble bees. We found that BBW had similar geographic and species coverage as BBNA. It had records from all 63 provinces, states, and territories where bumble bees occur (including four more than BBNA in 2010-2020), and represented 41 of the 48 species in BBNA (with ten more species than BBNA in 2010-2020). While BBW contributed only 8.50% of records overall, it contributed 25.06% of all records over 2010-2020. BBW confirmed the persistence of species and identified new locations of species, both inside and outside of the previously known extent of occurrences. BBW also contributed a wealth of ecological information, such as unique plant genera and species data for almost all the bee species. Thus, while BBW had fewer bee records than the BBNA database overall, it helped to fill in data gaps and provided novel information, complementing the traditional methods. This community science program is valuable in helping to inform conservation management for bumble bee species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria J MacPhail
- Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard Hatfield
- The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Portland, Oregan, United States of America
| | - Sheila R Colla
- Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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10
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Harman RR, Morrison WR, Ludwick D, Gerken AR. Predicted range expansion of Prostephanus truncatus (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) under projected climate change scenarios. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2024:toae085. [PMID: 38753664 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toae085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The larger grain borer (Prostephanus truncatus [Horn] [Coleoptera: Bostrichidae]) is a wood-boring insect native to Central America and adapted to stored maize and cassava. It was accidentally introduced to Tanzania and became a pest across central Africa. Unlike many grain pests, P. truncatus populations can establish and move within forests. Consequently, novel infestations can occur without human influence. The objectives of our study were to (i) develop an updated current suitability projection for P. truncatus, (ii) assess its potential future distribution under different climate change scenarios, and (iii) identify climate variables that best inform the model. We used WALLACE and MaxEnt to predict potential global distribution by incorporating bioclimatic variables and occurrence records. Future models were projected for 2050 and 2070 with Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 2.6 (low change) and 8.5 (high change). Distribution was most limited by high precipitation and cold temperatures. Globally, highly suitable areas (> 75%) primarily occurred along coastal and equatorial regions with novel areas in northern South America, India, southeastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, totaling 7% under current conditions. Highly suitable areas at RCPs 2.6 and 8.5 are estimated to increase to 12% and 15%, respectively, by 2050 and increase to 19% in 2070 under RCP 8.5. Centroids of highly suitable areas show distribution centers moving more inshore and away from the equator. Notably, the result is a range expansion, not a shift. Results can be used to decrease biosecurity risks through more spatially explicit and timely surveillance programs for targeting the exclusion of this pest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel R Harman
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, 1515 College Ave, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
| | - William R Morrison
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, 1515 College Ave, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
| | - Dalton Ludwick
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife, 10345 Highway 44, Corpus Christi, TX, 78406, USA
- Plant Genetics Research Unit, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, 205 Curtis Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Alison R Gerken
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, 1515 College Ave, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
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11
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Paraskevopoulos AW, Sanders NJ, Resasco J. Temperature-driven homogenization of an ant community over 60 years in a montane ecosystem. Ecology 2024; 105:e4302. [PMID: 38594213 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Identifying the mechanisms underlying the changes in the distribution of species is critical to accurately predict how species have responded and will respond to climate change. Here, we take advantage of a late-1950s study on ant assemblages in a canyon near Boulder, Colorado, USA, to understand how and why species distributions have changed over a 60-year period. Community composition changed over 60 years with increasing compositional similarity among ant assemblages. Community composition differed significantly between the periods, with aspect and tree cover influencing composition. Species that foraged in broader temperature ranges became more widespread over the 60-year period. Our work highlights that shifts in community composition and biotic homogenization can occur even in undisturbed areas without strong habitat degradation. We also show the power of pairing historical and contemporary data and encourage more mechanistic studies to predict species changes under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna W Paraskevopoulos
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Nathan J Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Julian Resasco
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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12
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Ghisbain G, Thiery W, Massonnet F, Erazo D, Rasmont P, Michez D, Dellicour S. Projected decline in European bumblebee populations in the twenty-first century. Nature 2024; 628:337-341. [PMID: 37704726 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06471-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Habitat degradation and climate change are globally acting as pivotal drivers of wildlife collapse, with mounting evidence that this erosion of biodiversity will accelerate in the following decades1-3. Here, we quantify the past, present and future ecological suitability of Europe for bumblebees, a threatened group of pollinators ranked among the highest contributors to crop production value in the northern hemisphere4-8. We demonstrate coherent declines of bumblebee populations since 1900 over most of Europe and identify future large-scale range contractions and species extirpations under all future climate and land use change scenarios. Around 38-76% of studied European bumblebee species currently classified as 'Least Concern' are projected to undergo losses of at least 30% of ecologically suitable territory by 2061-2080 compared to 2000-2014. All scenarios highlight that parts of Scandinavia will become potential refugia for European bumblebees; it is however uncertain whether these areas will remain clear of additional anthropogenic stressors not accounted for in present models. Our results underline the critical role of global change mitigation policies as effective levers to protect bumblebees from manmade transformation of the biosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Ghisbain
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium.
| | - Wim Thiery
- Department of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - François Massonnet
- Earth and Climate Research Center, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Diana Erazo
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pierre Rasmont
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Denis Michez
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Simon Dellicour
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
- Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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13
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Filazzola A, Johnson MTJ, Barrett K, Hayes S, Shrestha N, Timms L, MacIvor JS. The great urban shift: Climate change is predicted to drive mass species turnover in cities. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299217. [PMID: 38536797 PMCID: PMC10971775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Human experiences with nature are important for our culture, economy, and health. Anthropogenically-driven climate change is causing widespread shifts in biodiversity and resident urban wildlife are no exception. We modelled over 2,000 animal species to predict how climate change will impact terrestrial wildlife within 60 Canadian and American cities. We found evidence of an impending great urban shift where thousands of species will disappear across the selected cities, being replaced by new species, or not replaced at all. Effects were largely species-specific, with the most negatively impacted taxa being amphibians, canines, and loons. These predicted shifts were consistent across scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions, but our results show that the severity of change will be defined by our action or inaction to mitigate climate change. An impending massive shift in urban wildlife will impact the cultural experiences of human residents, the delivery of ecosystem services, and our relationship with nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Filazzola
- Centre for Urban Environments, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Apex Resource Management Solutions, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marc T. J. Johnson
- Centre for Urban Environments, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Sue Hayes
- Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Concord, ON, Canada
| | | | - Laura Timms
- Department of Watershed Knowledge, Credit Valley Conservation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - James Scott MacIvor
- Centre for Urban Environments, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario Canada
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14
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Narah J, Streinzer M, Chakravorty J, Megu K, Spaethe J, Brockmann A, Schmitt T. Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiles of Himalayan Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Bombus Latreille) are Species-Specific and Show Elevational Variation. J Chem Ecol 2024:10.1007/s10886-024-01486-x. [PMID: 38470528 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-024-01486-x] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Bumble bees are important pollinators in natural environments and agricultural farmlands, and they are in particular adapted to harsh environments like high mountain habitats. In these environments, animals are exposed to low temperature and face the risk of desiccation. The Eastern Himalayas are one of the recognized biodiversity hotspots worldwide. The area covers subtropical rainforest with warm temperature and high precipitation as well as high mountain ranges with peaks reaching up to 7,000 m, shaping a diverse floral and faunal community at the different elevational zones. To identify possible adaptation strategies, we investigated the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of four bumble bee species occurring at different elevational ranges in Arunachal Pradesh, the northeastern most state in India. At 17 locations along an elevational gradient, we collected workers of two species from lower elevations (B. albopleuralis and B. breviceps; ~ 100 m - 3,000 m asl) and two species from higher elevations (B. prshewalskyi and B. mirus; ~ 2,800 m - 4,500 m asl). The CHC profiles of all four species showed a significant degree of variation in the composition of hydrocarbons, indicating species specificity. We also found clear correlation with elevation. The weighted mean chain length of the hydrocarbons significantly differed between the low and high elevation species, and the proportion of saturated hydrocarbons in CHC profiles significantly increased with the elevational range of the bumble bee species. Our results indicate that bumble bees living at high elevations reduce the risk of water loss by adapting their CHC composition on their cuticle, a phenomenon that has also been found in other insects like ants and fruit flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaya Narah
- Rajiv Gandhi University, Papum Pare, Arunachal Pradesh, India
- National Centre for Biological Sciences - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | | | | | - Karsing Megu
- Rajiv Gandhi University, Papum Pare, Arunachal Pradesh, India
- Dera Natung Government College, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India
| | - Johannes Spaethe
- Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Axel Brockmann
- National Centre for Biological Sciences - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
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15
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Tiritelli R, Flaminio S, Zavatta L, Ranalli R, Giovanetti M, Grasso DA, Leonardi S, Bonforte M, Boni CB, Cargnus E, Catania R, Coppola F, Di Santo M, Pusceddu M, Quaranta M, Bortolotti L, Nanetti A, Cilia G. Ecological and social factors influence interspecific pathogens occurrence among bees. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5136. [PMID: 38429345 PMCID: PMC10907577 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55718-x] [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: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The interspecific transmission of pathogens can occur frequently in the environment. Among wild bees, the main spillover cases are caused by pathogens associated with Apis mellifera, whose colonies can act as reservoirs. Due to the limited availability of data in Italy, it is challenging to accurately assess the impact and implications of this phenomenon on the wild bee populations. In this study, a total of 3372 bees were sampled from 11 Italian regions within the BeeNet project, evaluating the prevalence and the abundance of the major honey bee pathogens (DWV, BQCV, ABPV, CBPV, KBV, Nosema ceranae, Ascosphaera apis, Crithidia mellificae, Lotmaria passim, Crithidia bombi). The 68.4% of samples were positive for at least one pathogen. DWV, BQCV, N. ceranae and CBPV showed the highest prevalence and abundance values, confirming them as the most prevalent pathogens spread in the environment. For these pathogens, Andrena, Bombus, Eucera and Seladonia showed the highest mean prevalence and abundance values. Generally, time trends showed a prevalence and abundance decrease from April to July. In order to predict the risk of infection among wild bees, statistical models were developed. A low influence of apiary density on pathogen occurrence was observed, while meteorological conditions and agricultural management showed a greater impact on pathogen persistence in the environment. Social and biological traits of wild bees also contributed to defining a higher risk of infection for bivoltine, communal, mining and oligolectic bees. Out of all the samples tested, 40.5% were co-infected with two or more pathogens. In some cases, individuals were simultaneously infected with up to five different pathogens. It is essential to increase knowledge about the transmission of pathogens among wild bees to understand dynamics, impact and effects on pollinator populations. Implementing concrete plans for the conservation of wild bee species is important to ensure the health of wild and human-managed bees within a One-Health perspective.
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Grants
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
- project BeeNet (Italian National Fund under FEASR 2014-2020) Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Tiritelli
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Simone Flaminio
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Av. Champ de Mars 6, 7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Laura Zavatta
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy.
- Departement of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Giuseppe Fanin 42, 40127, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Rosa Ranalli
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy
- ZooPlantLab, Department of Biotecnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Giovanetti
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy
| | - Donato Antonio Grasso
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Stefano Leonardi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Marta Bonforte
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 100, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Chiara Benedetta Boni
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Elena Cargnus
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via Delle Scienze 206, 31000, Udine, Italy
| | - Roberto Catania
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 100, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Francesca Coppola
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Di Santo
- Maiella National Park, Via Badia 28, 67039, Sulmona, Italy
| | - Michelina Pusceddu
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale Italia 39A, 07100, Sassari, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Marino Quaranta
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Bortolotti
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy
| | - Antonio Nanetti
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cilia
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy
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16
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Gonzalez VH, Herbison N, Robles Perez G, Panganiban T, Haefner L, Tscheulin T, Petanidou T, Hranitz J. Bees display limited acclimation capacity for heat tolerance. Biol Open 2024; 13:bio060179. [PMID: 38427330 PMCID: PMC10979511 DOI: 10.1242/bio.060179] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Bees are essential pollinators and understanding their ability to cope with extreme temperature changes is crucial for predicting their resilience to climate change, but studies are limited. We measured the response of the critical thermal maximum (CTMax) to short-term acclimation in foragers of six bee species from the Greek island of Lesvos, which differ in body size, nesting habit, and level of sociality. We calculated the acclimation response ratio as a metric to assess acclimation capacity and tested whether bees' acclimation capacity was influenced by body size and/or CTMax. We also assessed whether CTMax increases following acute heat exposure simulating a heat wave. Average estimate of CTMax varied among species and increased with body size but did not significantly shift in response to acclimation treatment except in the sweat bee Lasioglossum malachurum. Acclimation capacity averaged 9% among species and it was not significantly associated with body size or CTMax. Similarly, the average CTMax did not increase following acute heat exposure. These results indicate that bees might have limited capacity to enhance heat tolerance via acclimation or in response to prior heat exposure, rendering them physiologically sensitive to rapid temperature changes during extreme weather events. These findings reinforce the idea that insects, like other ectotherms, generally express weak plasticity in CTMax, underscoring the critical role of behavioral thermoregulation for avoidance of extreme temperatures. Conserving and restoring native vegetation can provide bees temporary thermal refuges during extreme weather events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor H. Gonzalez
- Undergraduate Biology Program and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Natalie Herbison
- Undergraduate Biology Program and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | | | - Trisha Panganiban
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, 35229, USA
| | - Laura Haefner
- Biology Department, Waynesburg University, PA, 47243, USA
| | - Thomas Tscheulin
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Mytilene, 81100, Greece
| | - Theodora Petanidou
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Mytilene, 81100, Greece
| | - John Hranitz
- Department of Biology, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, 17815 PA, USA
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17
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Rahimi E, Jung C. Global Trends in Climate Suitability of Bees: Ups and Downs in a Warming World. INSECTS 2024; 15:127. [PMID: 38392546 PMCID: PMC10889774 DOI: 10.3390/insects15020127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Bees represent vital natural assets contributing significantly to global food production and the maintenance of ecosystems. While studies on climate change effects impacting major pollinators like honeybees and bumblebees raise concerns about global diversity and crop productivity, comprehensive global-scale analyses remain limited. This study explores the repercussions of global warming on 1365 bees across seven families of bees worldwide. To compile a robust global bee occurrence dataset, we utilized the innovative 'BeeBDC' R package that amalgamated over 18.3 million bee occurrence records sourced from various repositories. Through species distribution models under the SSP585 scenario in the year 2070, we assessed how climate change influences the climate suitability of bees on a global scale, examining the impacts across continents. Our findings suggested that approximately 65% of bees are likely to witness a decrease in their distribution, with reductions averaging between 28% in Australia and 56% in Europe. Moreover, our analysis indicated that climate change's impact on bees is projected to be more severe in Africa and Europe, while North America is expected to witness a higher number (336) of bees expanding their distribution. Climate change's anticipated effects on bee distributions could potentially disrupt existing pollinator-plant networks, posing ecological challenges that emphasize the importance of pollinator diversity, synchrony between plants and bees, and the necessity for focused conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Rahimi
- Agricultural Science and Technology Institute, Andong National University, Andong 36729, Republic of Korea
| | - Chuleui Jung
- Agricultural Science and Technology Institute, Andong National University, Andong 36729, Republic of Korea
- Department of Plant Medicals, Andong National University, Andong 36729, Republic of Korea
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18
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Bretzlaff T, Kerr JT, Darveau CA. Handling heatwaves: balancing thermoregulation, foraging and bumblebee colony success. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coae006. [PMID: 38332907 PMCID: PMC10853005 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coae006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Climate changes pose risks for bumblebee populations, which have declined relative to the growing frequency and severity of warmer temperature extremes. Bumblebees might mitigate the effects of such extreme weather through colonial behaviours. In particular, fanning behaviour to dissipate heat is an important mechanism that could reduce exposure of thermally sensitive offspring to detrimental nest temperatures (Tn). The allocation of workers towards fanning over prolonged periods could impact foraging activity that is essential for colony-sustaining resource gathering. Colony maintenance and growth could suffer as a result of nutritional and high ambient temperature (Ta) thermal stress. It remains uncertain whether a compromise occurs between thermoregulation and foraging under chronic, sublethal heat events and how colony success is impacted as a result. This study held colonies of Bombus impatiens at constant high Ta (25°C, 30°C or 35°C) for 2 weeks while quantifying the percentage of foragers, fanning incidence, nest temperature (Tn) and other metrics of colony success such as the percentage of adult emergence and offspring production. We found that foraging and adult emergence were not significantly affected by Ta, but that thermoregulation was unsuccessful at maintaining Tn despite increased fanning at 35°C. Furthermore, 35°C resulted in workers abandoning the colony and fewer offspring being produced. Our findings imply that heatwave events that exceed 30°C can negatively impact colony success through failed thermoregulation and reduced workforce production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany Bretzlaff
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Jeremy T Kerr
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Charles-A Darveau
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5
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19
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Tobin KB, Mandes R, Martinez A, Sadd BM. A simulated natural heatwave perturbs bumblebee immunity and resistance to infection. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:171-182. [PMID: 38180280 PMCID: PMC10922385 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14041] [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: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
As a consequence of ongoing climate change, heatwaves are predicted to increase in frequency, intensity, and duration in many regions. Such extreme events can shift organisms from thermal optima for physiology and behaviour, with the thermal stress hypothesis predicting reduced performance at temperatures where the maintenance of biological functions is energetically costly. Performance includes the ability to resist biotic stressors, including infectious diseases, with increased exposure to extreme temperatures having the potential to synergise with parasite infection. Climate change is a proposed threat to native bee pollinators, directly and through indirect effects on floral resources, but the thermal stress hypothesis, particularly pertaining to infectious disease resistance, has received limited attention. We exposed adult Bombus impatiens bumblebee workers to simulated, ecologically relevant heatwave or control thermal regimes and assessed longevity, immunity, and resistance to concurrent or future parasite infections. We demonstrate that survival and induced antibacterial immunity are reduced following heatwaves. Supporting that heatwave exposure compromised immunity, the cost of immune activation was thermal regime dependent, with survival costs in control but not heatwave exposed bees. However, in the face of real infections, an inability to mount an optimal immune response will be detrimental, which was reflected by increased trypanosomatid parasite infections following heatwave exposure. These results demonstrate interactions between heatwave exposure and bumblebee performance, including immune and infection outcomes. Thus, the health of bumblebee pollinator populations may be affected through altered interactions with parasites and pathogens, in addition to other effects of extreme manifestations of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerrigan B. Tobin
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790, United States of America
| | - Rachel Mandes
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790, United States of America
| | - Abraham Martinez
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790, United States of America
| | - Ben M. Sadd
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790, United States of America
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20
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Liu Y, Olsson A, Larva T, Cantwell-Jones A, Gill RJ, Cederberg B, Webster MT. Genomic variation in montane bumblebees in Scandinavia: High levels of intraspecific diversity despite population vulnerability. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17251. [PMID: 38112228 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17251] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Populations of many bumblebee species are declining, with distributions shifting northwards to track suitable climates. Climate change is considered a major contributing factor. Arctic species are particularly vulnerable as they cannot shift further north, making assessment of their population viability important. Analysis of levels of whole-genome variation is a powerful way to analyse population declines and fragmentation. Here, we use genome sequencing to analyse genetic variation in seven species of bumblebee from the Scandinavian mountains, including two classified as vulnerable. We sequenced 333 samples from across the ranges of these species in Sweden. Estimates of effective population size (NE ) vary from ~55,000 for species with restricted high alpine distributions to 220,000 for more widespread species. Population fragmentation is generally very low or undetectable over large distances in the mountains, suggesting an absence of barriers to gene flow. The relatively high NE and low population structure indicate that none of the species are at immediate risk of negative genetic effects caused by high levels of genetic drift. However, reconstruction of historical fluctuations in NE indicates that the arctic specialist species Bombus hyperboreus has experienced population declines since the last ice age and we detected one highly inbred diploid male of this species close to the southern limit of its range, potentially indicating elevated genetic load. Although the levels of genetic variation in montane bumblebee populations are currently relatively high, their ranges are predicted to shrink drastically due to the effects of climate change and monitoring is essential to detect future population declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanzhen Liu
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Olsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tuuli Larva
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Aoife Cantwell-Jones
- Department of Life Sciences, Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Richard J Gill
- Department of Life Sciences, Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Björn Cederberg
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Swedish Species Information Centre, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Matthew T Webster
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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21
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Suetsugu K, Hirota SK, Shitara T, Ishida K, Nakato N, Hayakawa H, Suyama Y. The absence of bumblebees on an oceanic island blurs the species boundary of two closely related orchids. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:1321-1333. [PMID: 37847353 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Oceanic islands offer valuable natural laboratories for studying evolution. The Izu Islands, with their recent geological origin, provide an exceptional opportunity to explore the initial evolution on oceanic islands. Another noteworthy aspect is the absence of bumblebee species on most Izu Islands. We used ecological, morphological, and molecular data to investigate the impact of bumblebee absence on the evolution of two closely related orchid species, Goodyera henryi and Goodyera similis, focusing on Kozu Island, the Izu Islands. Our investigation revealed that while G. henryi exclusively relies on a bumblebee species for pollination on the mainland, G. similis is pollinated by scoliid wasps on both the mainland and the island. Intriguingly, all specimens initially categorized as G. henryi on Kozu Island are hybrids of G. henryi and G. similis, leading to the absence of pure G. henryi distribution on the island. These hybrids are pollinated by the scoliid wasp species that also pollinates G. similis on the island. The absence of bumblebees might result in sporadic and inefficient pollination of G. henryi by scoliid wasps, consequently promoting hybrid proliferation on the island. Our findings suggest that the absence of bumblebees can blur plant species boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Suetsugu
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Research, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan
| | - Shun K Hirota
- Field Science Center, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan
- Botanical Gardens, Osaka Metropolitan University, 2000 Kisaichi, Katano City, Osaka, 576-0004, Japan
| | - Takuto Shitara
- Tama Forest Science Garden, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1833-81 Todori-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo, 193-0843, Japan
| | | | - Narumi Nakato
- Narahashi 1-363, Higashiyamato-shi, Tokyo, 207-0031, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Hayakawa
- Museum of Natural and Environmental History, Shizuoka, 5762 Oya, Suruga, Shizuoka, Shizuoka, 422-8017, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Suyama
- Field Science Center, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan
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22
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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. [PMID: 38297451 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [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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23
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Cantwell-Jones A, Tylianakis JM, Larson K, Gill RJ. Using individual-based trait frequency distributions to forecast plant-pollinator network responses to environmental change. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14368. [PMID: 38247047 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14368] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Determining how and why organisms interact is fundamental to understanding ecosystem responses to future environmental change. To assess the impact on plant-pollinator interactions, recent studies have examined how the effects of environmental change on individual interactions accumulate to generate species-level responses. Here, we review recent developments in using plant-pollinator networks of interacting individuals along with their functional traits, where individuals are nested within species nodes. We highlight how these individual-level, trait-based networks connect intraspecific trait variation (as frequency distributions of multiple traits) with dynamic responses within plant-pollinator communities. This approach can better explain interaction plasticity, and changes to interaction probabilities and network structure over spatiotemporal or other environmental gradients. We argue that only through appreciating such trait-based interaction plasticity can we accurately forecast the potential vulnerability of interactions to future environmental change. We follow this with general guidance on how future studies can collect and analyse high-resolution interaction and trait data, with the hope of improving predictions of future plant-pollinator network responses for targeted and effective conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoife Cantwell-Jones
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, Private Bag 4800, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Keith Larson
- Climate Impacts Research Centre, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Richard J Gill
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
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24
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Ruzi SA, Youngsteadt E, Cherveny AH, Kettenbach J, Levenson HK, Carley DS, Collazo JA, Irwin RE. Bee species richness through time in an urbanizing landscape of the southeastern United States. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17060. [PMID: 38273538 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Compared to non-urban environments, cities host ecological communities with altered taxonomic diversity and functional trait composition. However, we know little about how these urban changes take shape over time. Using historical bee (Apoidea: Anthophila) museum specimens supplemented with online repositories and researcher collections, we investigated whether bee species richness tracked urban and human population growth over the past 118 years. We also determined which species were no longer collected, whether those species shared certain traits, and if collector behavior changed over time. We focused on Wake County, North Carolina, United States where human population size has increased over 16 times over the last century along with the urban area within its largest city, Raleigh, which has increased over four times. We estimated bee species richness with occupancy models, and rarefaction and extrapolation curves to account for imperfect detection and sample coverage. To determine if bee traits correlated with when species were collected, we compiled information on native status, nesting habits, diet breadth, and sociality. We used non-metric multidimensional scaling to determine if individual collectors contributed different bee assemblages over time. In total, there were 328 species collected in Wake County. We found that although bee species richness varied, there was no clear trend in bee species richness over time. However, recent collections (since 2003) were missing 195 species, and there was a shift in trait composition, particularly lost species were below-ground nesters. The top collectors in the dataset differed in how often they collected bee species, but this was not consistent between historic and contemporary time periods; some contemporary collectors grouped closer together than others, potentially due to focusing on urban habitats. Use of historical collections and complimentary analyses can fill knowledge gaps to help understand temporal patterns of species richness in taxonomic groups that may not have planned long-term data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selina A Ruzi
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Elsa Youngsteadt
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Geospatial Analytics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - April Hamblin Cherveny
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jessica Kettenbach
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Hannah K Levenson
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Danesha Seth Carley
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jaime A Collazo
- U.S. Geological Survey, North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rebecca E Irwin
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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25
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Villabona N, Moran N, Hammer T, Reyes A. Conserved, yet disruption-prone, gut microbiomes in neotropical bumblebees. mSphere 2023; 8:e0013923. [PMID: 37855643 PMCID: PMC10732019 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00139-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Social bees are an important model for the ecology and evolution of gut microbiomes. These bees harbor ancient, specific, and beneficial gut microbiomes and are crucial pollinators. However, most of the research has concentrated on managed honeybees and bumblebees in the temperate zone. Here we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize gut microbiomes in wild neotropical bumblebee communities from Colombia. We also analyzed drivers of microbiome structure across our data and previously published data from temperate bumblebees. Our results show that lineages of neotropical bumblebees not only retained their ancient gut bacterial symbionts during dispersal from North America but also are prone to major disruption, a shift that is strongly associated with parasite infection. Finally, we also found that microbiomes are much more strongly structured by host phylogeny than by geography, despite the very different environmental conditions and plant communities in the two regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nickole Villabona
- Research Group on Computational Biology and Microbial Ecology, Max Planck Tandem Group in Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Nancy Moran
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Tobin Hammer
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Alejandro Reyes
- Research Group on Computational Biology and Microbial Ecology, Max Planck Tandem Group in Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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26
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Gonzalez VH, Manweiler R, Smith AR, Oyen K, Cardona D, Wcislo WT. Low heat tolerance and high desiccation resistance in nocturnal bees and the implications for nocturnal pollination under climate change. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22320. [PMID: 38102400 PMCID: PMC10724170 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49815-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Predicting insect responses to climate change is essential for preserving ecosystem services and biodiversity. Due to high daytime temperatures and low humidity levels, nocturnal insects are expected to have lower heat and desiccation tolerance compared to diurnal species. We estimated the lower (CTMin) and upper (CTMax) thermal limits of Megalopta, a group of neotropical, forest-dwelling bees. We calculated warming tolerance (WT) as a metric to assess vulnerability to global warming and measured survival rates during simulated heatwaves and desiccation stress events. We also assessed the impact of body size and reproductive status (ovary area) on bees' thermal limits. Megalopta displayed lower CTMin, CTMax, and WTs than diurnal bees (stingless bees, orchid bees, and carpenter bees), but exhibited similar mortality during simulated heatwave and higher desiccation tolerance. CTMin increased with increasing body size across all bees but decreased with increasing body size and ovary area in Megalopta, suggesting a reproductive cost or differences in thermal environments. CTMax did not increase with increasing body size or ovary area. These results indicate a greater sensitivity of Megalopta to temperature than humidity and reinforce the idea that nocturnal insects are thermally constrained, which might threaten pollination services in nocturnal contexts during global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor H Gonzalez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA.
| | - Rachel Manweiler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Adam R Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Kennan Oyen
- Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - David Cardona
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Republic of Panama
| | - William T Wcislo
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Republic of Panama
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27
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Fischer LR, Ramesh D, Weidenmüller A. Sub-lethal but potentially devastating - The novel insecticide flupyradifurone impairs collective brood care in bumblebees. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166097. [PMID: 37562619 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
The worldwide decline in pollinating insects is alarming. One of the main anthropogenic drivers is the massive use of pesticides in agriculture. Risk assessment procedures test pesticides for mortality rates of well-fed, parasite free individuals of a few non-target species. Sublethal and synergistic effects of co-occurring stressors are usually not addressed. Here, we present a simple, wildly applicable bio-essay to assess such effects. Using brood thermoregulation in bumblebee microcolonies as readout, we investigate how this collective ability is affected by long-term feeding exposure to the herbicide glyphosate (5 mg/l), the insecticide flupyradifurone (0.4 mg/l) and the combination of both, when co-occurring with the natural stressor of resource limitation. Documenting brood temperature and development in 53 microcolonies we find no significant effect of glyphosate, while flupyradifurone significantly impaired the collective ability to maintain the necessary brood temperatures, resulting in prolonged developmental times and a decrease in colony growth by over 50 %. This reduction in colony growth has the potential to significantly curtail the reproductive chances of colonies in the field. Our findings highlight the potentially devastating consequences of flupyradifurone use in agriculture even at sub-lethal doses and underline the urgent need for improved risk assessment procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana R Fischer
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, Konstanz, Germany; School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, UK.
| | - Divya Ramesh
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, Konstanz, Germany; University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Anja Weidenmüller
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, Konstanz, Germany; University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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28
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Moradinour Z, Wiklund C, Miettinen A, Gérard M, Baird E. Exposure to elevated temperature during development affects eclosion and morphology in the temperate Pieris napi butterfly (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). J Therm Biol 2023; 118:103721. [PMID: 38016229 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Global warming has been identified as one of the main drivers of population decline in insect pollinators. One aspect of the insect life cycle that would be particularly sensitive to elevated temperatures is the developmental transition from larva to adult. Temperature-induced modifications to the development of body parts and sensory organs likely have functional consequences for adult behaviour. To date, we have little knowledge about the effect of sub-optimal temperature on the development and functional morphology of different body parts, particularly sensory organs, in ectothermic solitary pollinators such as butterflies. To address this knowledge gap, we exposed the pupae of the butterfly Pieris napi to either 23 °C or 32 °C and measured the subsequent effects on eclosion, body size and the development of the wings, proboscis, eyes and antennae. In comparison to individuals that developed at 23 °C, we found that exposure to 32 °C during the pupal stage increased mortality and decreased time to eclose. Furthermore, both female and male butterflies that developed at 32 °C were smaller and had shorter proboscides, while males had shorter antennae. In contrast, we found no significant effect of rearing temperature on wing and eye size or wing deformity. Our findings suggest that increasing global temperatures and its corresponding co-stressors, such as humidity, will impact the survival of butterflies by impairing eclosion and the proper development of body and sensory organs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Arttu Miettinen
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland; Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5234, Villigen, Switzerland; Department of Physics, University of Jyvaskyla, 40014, Jyvaskyla, Finland
| | - Maxence Gérard
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emily Baird
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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29
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Albacete S, Sancho G, Azpiazu C, Rodrigo A, Molowny-Horas R, Sgolastra F, Bosch J. Bees exposed to climate change are more sensitive to pesticides. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:6248-6260. [PMID: 37656005 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Bee populations are exposed to multiple stressors, including land-use change, biological invasions, climate change, and pesticide exposure, that may interact synergistically. We analyze the combined effects of climate warming and sublethal insecticide exposure in the solitary bee Osmia cornuta. Previous Osmia studies show that warm wintering temperatures cause body weight loss, lipid consumption, and fat body depletion. Because the fat body plays a key role in xenobiotic detoxification, we expected that bees exposed to climate warming scenarios would be more sensitive to pesticides. We exposed O. cornuta females to three wintering treatments: current scenario (2007-2012 temperatures), near-future (2021-2050 projected temperatures), and distant-future (2051-2080). Upon emergence in spring, bees were orally exposed to three sublethal doses of an insecticide (Closer, a.i. sulfoxaflor; 0, 4.55 and 11.64 ng a.i./bee). We measured the combined effects of wintering and insecticide exposure on phototactic response, syrup consumption, and longevity. Wintering treatment by itself did not affect winter mortality, but body weight loss increased with increasing wintering temperatures. Similarly, wintering treatment by itself hardly influenced phototactic response or syrup consumption. However, bees wintered at the warmest temperatures had shorter longevity, a strong fecundity predictor in Osmia. Insecticide exposure, especially at the high dose, impaired the ability of bees to respond to light, and resulted in reduced syrup consumption and longevity. The combination of the warmest winter and the high insecticide dose resulted in a 70% longevity decrease. Smaller bees, resulting from smaller pollen-nectar provisions, had shorter longevity suggesting nutritional stress may further compromise fecundity in O. cornuta. Our results show a synergistic interaction between two major drivers of bee declines, and indicate that bees will become more sensitive to pesticides under the current global warming scenario. Our findings have important implications for pesticide regulation and underscore the need to consider multiple stressors to understand bee declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Albacete
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Sancho
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Celeste Azpiazu
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anselm Rodrigo
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Roberto Molowny-Horas
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Fabio Sgolastra
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-Alimentari, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Jordi Bosch
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Bellaterra, Spain
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30
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Farnan H, Yeeles P, Lach L. Sublethal doses of insecticide reduce thermal tolerance of a stingless bee and are not avoided in a resource choice test. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230949. [PMID: 38026031 PMCID: PMC10663796 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Insecticides and climate change are among the multiple stressors that bees face, but little is known about their synergistic effects, especially for non-Apis bee species. In laboratory experiments, we tested whether the stingless bee Tetragonula hockingsi avoids insecticide in sucrose solutions and how T. hockingsi responds to insecticide and heat stress combined. We found that T. hockingsi neither preferred nor avoided sucrose solutions with either low (2.5 × 10-4 ng µl-1 imidacloprid or 1.0 × 10-4 ng µl-1 fipronil) or high (2.5 × 10-3 ng µl-1 imidacloprid or 1.0 × 10-3 ng µl-1 fipronil) insecticide concentrations when offered alongside sucrose without insecticide. In our combined stress experiment, the smallest dose of imidacloprid (7.5 × 10-4 ng) did not significantly affect thermal tolerance (CTmax). However, CTmax significantly reduced by 0.8°C (±0.16 SE) and by 0.5°C (±0.16 SE) when bees were fed as little as 7.5 × 10-3 ng of imidacloprid or 3.0 × 10-4 ng of fipronil, respectively, and as much as 1.5°C (±0.16 SE) and 1.2°C (±0.16 SE) when bees were fed 7.5 × 10-2 ng of imidacloprid or 3.0 × 10-2 ng of fipronil, respectively. Predictions of temperature increase, and increased insecticide use in the tropics suggest that T. hockingsi will be at increased risk of the effects of both stressors in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Farnan
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
| | - Peter Yeeles
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
| | - Lori Lach
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
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31
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Feuerborn C, Quinlan G, Shippee R, Strausser TL, Terranova T, Grozinger CM, Hines HM. Variance in heat tolerance in bumble bees correlates with species geographic range and is associated with several environmental and biological factors. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10730. [PMID: 38034342 PMCID: PMC10682878 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Globally, insects have been impacted by climate change, with bumble bees in particular showing range shifts and declining species diversity with global warming. This suggests heat tolerance is a likely factor limiting the distribution and success of these bees. Studies have shown high intraspecific variance in bumble bee thermal tolerance, suggesting biological and environmental factors may be impacting heat resilience. Understanding these factors is important for assessing vulnerability and finding environmental solutions to mitigate effects of climate change. In this study, we assess whether geographic range variation in bumble bees in the eastern United States is associated with heat tolerance and further dissect which other biological and environmental factors explain variation in heat sensitivity in these bees. We examine heat tolerance by caste, sex, and rearing condition (wild/lab) across six eastern US bumble bee species, and assess the role of age, reproductive status, body size, and interactive effects of humidity and temperature on thermal tolerance in Bombus impatiens. We found marked differences in heat tolerance by species that correlate with each species' latitudinal range, habitat, and climatic niche, and we found significant variation in thermal sensitivity by caste and sex. Queens had considerably lower heat tolerance than workers and males, with greater tolerance when queens would first be leaving their natal nest, and lower tolerance after ovary activation. Wild bees tended to have higher heat tolerance than lab reared bees, and body size was associated with heat tolerance only in wild-caught foragers. Humidity showed a strong interaction with heat effects, pointing to the need to regulate relative humidity in thermal assays and consider its role in nature. Altogether, we found most tested biological conditions impact thermal tolerance and highlight the stages of these bees that will be most sensitive to future climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody Feuerborn
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Gabriela Quinlan
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life SciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, State CollegePennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Rachael Shippee
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Tori L. Strausser
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of BiologyUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Tatiana Terranova
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and MicrobiologyDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Christina M. Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life SciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, State CollegePennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Heather M. Hines
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life SciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, State CollegePennsylvaniaUSA
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Prudic KL, Zylstra ER, Melkonoff NA, Laura RE, Hutchinson RA. Community scientists produce open data for understanding insects and climate change. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 59:101081. [PMID: 37393063 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Insect species are responding to human-caused global changes, sparking an urgent need for more conservation and management. Recent publications indicate the speed and scale of these changes to be both fast and large, impacting ecosystem function and human health. Community scientists are contributing vast amounts of data on insect occurrence and abundance to publicly available biodiversity platforms. These data are then used by ecologists to estimate insect diversity and distributions and forecast species' responses to the stressors of the Anthropocene. Yet, challenges remain with taxonomy, species identification, and sampling, some of which can be improved by new tools and approaches. Here we review the open, global community science programs providing the majority of publicly available insect data. We explore the advantages, challenges, and next steps with these large-scale community science ventures, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between professionals and community scientists to jointly address the conservation of insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- K L Prudic
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Arizona Institute for Resilient Environments and Societies, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - E R Zylstra
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Tucson Audubon Society, Tucson, AZ 85705 USA
| | - N A Melkonoff
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ 85008 USA
| | - R E Laura
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; US Fish and Wildlife Service, Flagstaff, AZ, 86001, USA
| | - R A Hutchinson
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA; Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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Bretzlaff T, Kerr JT, Darveau CA. High temperature sensitivity of bumblebee castes and the colony-level costs of thermoregulation in Bombus impatiens. J Therm Biol 2023; 117:103710. [PMID: 37716225 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Physiological thermal limits often reflect species distribution, but the role that ambient temperature (Ta) plays in limiting species within their thermal environment remains unclear. Climate change-linked declines in bumblebees, an important pollinator group, leave questions regarding which aspect of their physiology is hindered under high Ta. As a eusocial species, bumblebees utilize their ability to thermoregulate as a superorganism to maintain nest temperature (Tn) within a narrow thermal window to buffer developing larvae from developmental defects. Thermoregulatory behaviours, such as thermogenesis to warm up and fanning to cool down the nest, are energetically expensive and it is uncertain how successful large colonies are at maintaining Tn within its optimal range. Using a common bumblebee species, Bombus impatiens, our study first established the critical thermal limits (CTmax) of workers, queens, drones and larvae to determine which caste is most thermally sensitive to heat. We found that larvae had significantly lower heat tolerance than adults, highlighting the importance of colonial thermoregulation. We then measured the energy expenditure of large colonies under acute thermal stress (5-40 °C) using flow-through respirometry while simultaneously quantifying Tn. Colonies that experienced Ta at or below optimal Tn (≤30 °C) were successful at thermoregulation. At 35 °C and above, however, Tn increased despite high energetic costs to the colony. Together our results demonstrate that high Ta poses a risk to colonies that fail to buffer thermally sensitive larvae from changes in Tn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany Bretzlaff
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | - Jeremy T Kerr
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | - Charles-A Darveau
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada.
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Vaca-Sánchez MS, Cuevas-Reyes P, Munck I, Oki Y, Moia N, Freitas T, Almeida A, Castelan K, Fernandes GW. Patterns in Wing Morphology and Fluctuating Asymmetry in Eulaema nigrita along an Altitudinal Gradient in the Brazilian Rupestrian Grassland. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:837-847. [PMID: 37552457 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-023-01069-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Mountain ecosystems experience abrupt abiotic changes that represent environmental filters for many organisms, shaping their phenotypic expressions. However, little is known about the morphological and symmetric adjustments of native bees along altitudinal gradients. We evaluated the changes on wing morphology, wing size, and vein fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier (Apidae: Euglossini) associated with climatic variables along an altitudinal gradient in the rupestrian grassland (known also as campo rupestre or rupestrian field) of Serra do Cipó, Brazil. Seven sampling points along the altitudinal gradient were selected and distributed among 800 and 1400 m.a.s.l., and then, 40 individuals of E. nigrita were collected per each altitudinal point to determine the FA levels and the morphological changes using geometric morphometric techniques. We found that the wing size of E. nigrita decreased with increasing altitude. At the highest altitudes, the levels of FA of the wing veins were greater compared to bees from lower altitudes. We detected significant changes in wing morphology along the altitudinal gradient; bees of lower altitudes showed longer and wider wings than bees of higher altitudes, which had narrower and less elongated wings. Our results show a set of morphological adjustments and phenotypic expressions in E. nigrita associated with the variation in environmental conditions along the altitudinal gradient. We highlight the importance of environmental variables as insect-stressor factors, and that FA and geometric morphometric can be excellent tools for monitoring and evaluating environmental stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Sofía Vaca-Sánchez
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Pablo Cuevas-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Interacciones Bióticas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Israel Munck
- Laboratório de Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia & Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Yumi Oki
- Laboratório de Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia & Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Natalia Moia
- Laboratório de Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia & Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thamires Freitas
- Laboratório de Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia & Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Aline Almeida
- Laboratório de Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia & Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Kamilla Castelan
- Laboratório de Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia & Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Geraldo Wilson Fernandes
- Laboratório de Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia & Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Heraghty SD, Jackson JM, Lozier JD. Whole genome analyses reveal weak signatures of population structure and environmentally associated local adaptation in an important North American pollinator, the bumble bee Bombus vosnesenskii. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:5479-5497. [PMID: 37702957 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Studies of species that experience environmental heterogeneity across their distributions have become an important tool for understanding mechanisms of adaptation and predicting responses to climate change. We examine population structure, demographic history and environmentally associated genomic variation in Bombus vosnesenskii, a common bumble bee in the western USA, using whole genome resequencing of populations distributed across a broad range of latitudes and elevations. We find that B. vosnesenskii exhibits minimal population structure and weak isolation by distance, confirming results from previous studies using other molecular marker types. Similarly, demographic analyses with Sequentially Markovian Coalescent models suggest that minimal population structure may have persisted since the last interglacial period, with genomes from different parts of the species range showing similar historical effective population size trajectories and relatively small fluctuations through time. Redundancy analysis revealed a small amount of genomic variation explained by bioclimatic variables. Environmental association analysis with latent factor mixed modelling (LFMM2) identified few outlier loci that were sparsely distributed throughout the genome and although a few putative signatures of selective sweeps were identified, none encompassed particularly large numbers of loci. Some outlier loci were in genes with known regulatory relationships, suggesting the possibility of weak selection, although compared with other species examined with similar approaches, evidence for extensive local adaptation signatures in the genome was relatively weak. Overall, results indicate B. vosnesenskii is an example of a generalist with a high degree of flexibility in its environmental requirements that may ultimately benefit the species under periods of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam D Heraghty
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Jason M Jackson
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Lozier
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
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Hemberger J, Bernauer OM, Gaines-Day HR, Gratton C. Landscape-scale floral resource discontinuity decreases bumble bee occurrence and alters community composition. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2907. [PMID: 37602909 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural practices and intensification during the past two centuries have dramatically altered the abundance and temporal continuity of floral resources that support pollinating insects such as bumble bees. Long-term trends among bumble bees within agricultural regions suggest that intensive agricultural conditions have created inhospitable conditions for some species, while other species have maintained their relative abundances despite landscape-level changes in flower availability. Bumble bee responses to spatiotemporal resource heterogeneity have been explored at the colony and behavioral level, but we have yet to understand whether these conditions drive community structure and ultimately explain the diverging patterns in long-term species trends. To explore the relationship between landscape-level floral resource continuity and the likelihood of bumble bee occurrence, we mapped the relative spatial and temporal availability of floral resources within an intensive agricultural region in the US Upper Midwest and related this resource availability with bumble bee species relative abundance. Across the bee community, we found that relative bumble bee occurrence increases in landscapes containing more abundant and more temporally continuous floral resources. Declining species, such as Bombus terricola, exhibited the strongest, positive responses to resource abundance and continuity whereas common, stable species, such as Bombus impatiens, showed no statistical relationship to either. Together with existing experimental evidence, this work suggests that efforts to increase spatiotemporal flower availability, along with overall flower abundance at landscape scales may have positive effects on bumble bee communities in the US Upper Midwest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Hemberger
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Olivia M Bernauer
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Hannah R Gaines-Day
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Claudio Gratton
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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37
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Straw EA, Cini E, Gold H, Linguadoca A, Mayne C, Rockx J, Brown MJF, Garratt MPD, Potts SG, Senapathi D. Neither sulfoxaflor, Crithidia bombi, nor their combination impact bumble bee colony development or field bean pollination. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16462. [PMID: 37777537 PMCID: PMC10542809 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43215-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Many pollinators, including bumble bees, are in decline. Such declines are known to be driven by a number of interacting factors. Decreases in bee populations may also negatively impact the key ecosystem service, pollination, that they provide. Pesticides and parasites are often cited as two of the drivers of bee declines, particularly as they have previously been found to interact with one another to the detriment of bee health. Here we test the effects of an insecticide, sulfoxaflor, and a highly prevalent bumble bee parasite, Crithidia bombi, on the bumble bee Bombus terrestris. After exposing colonies to realistic doses of either sulfoxaflor and/or Crithidia bombi in a fully crossed experiment, colonies were allowed to forage on field beans in outdoor exclusion cages. Foraging performance was monitored, and the impacts on fruit set were recorded. We found no effect of either stressor, or their interaction, on the pollination services they provide to field beans, either at an individual level or a whole colony level. Further, there was no impact of any treatment, in any metric, on colony development. Our results contrast with prior findings that similar insecticides (neonicotinoids) impact pollination services, and that sulfoxaflor impacts colony development, potentially suggesting that sulfoxaflor is a less harmful compound to bee health than neonicotinoids insecticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward A Straw
- Department of Botany, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Elena Cini
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK.
| | - Harriet Gold
- The School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AB, UK
| | - Alberto Linguadoca
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
- Pesticides Peer Review Unit, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Via Carlo Magno 1A, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Chloe Mayne
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AS, UK
| | - Joris Rockx
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK
| | - Mark J F Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Michael P D Garratt
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK
| | - Simon G Potts
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK
| | - Deepa Senapathi
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK.
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Rahman SR, Lozier JD. Genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) populations from spatial-environmental range extremes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14901. [PMID: 37689750 PMCID: PMC10492822 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41896-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Unraveling molecular mechanisms of adaptation to complex environments is crucial to understanding tolerance of abiotic pressures and responses to climatic change. Epigenetic variation is increasingly recognized as a mechanism that can facilitate rapid responses to changing environmental cues. To investigate variation in genetic and epigenetic diversity at spatial and thermal extremes, we use whole genome and methylome sequencing to generate a high-resolution map of DNA methylation in the bumble bee Bombus vosnesenskii. We sample two populations representing spatial and environmental range extremes (a warm southern low-elevation site and a cold northern high-elevation site) previously shown to exhibit differences in thermal tolerance and determine positions in the genome that are consistently and variably methylated across samples. Bisulfite sequencing reveals methylation characteristics similar to other arthropods, with low global CpG methylation but high methylation concentrated in gene bodies and in genome regions with low nucleotide diversity. Differentially methylated sites (n = 2066) were largely hypomethylated in the northern high-elevation population but not related to local sequence differentiation. The concentration of methylated and differentially methylated sites in exons and putative promoter regions suggests a possible role in gene regulation, and this high-resolution analysis of intraspecific epigenetic variation in wild Bombus suggests that the function of methylation in niche adaptation would be worth further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeffrey D Lozier
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
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Zhuang M, Colgan TJ, Guo Y, Zhang Z, Liu F, Xia Z, Dai X, Zhang Z, Li Y, Wang L, Xu J, Guo Y, Qu Y, Yao J, Yang H, Yang F, Li X, Guo J, Brown MJF, Li J. Unexpected worker mating and colony-founding in a superorganism. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5499. [PMID: 37679330 PMCID: PMC10484907 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41198-6] [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: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of caste-differentiated colonies, which have been defined as 'superorganisms', in ants, bees, and wasps represents a major transition in evolution. Lifetime mating commitment by queens, pre-imaginal caste determination and lifetime unmatedness of workers are key features of these animal societies. Workers in superorganismal species like honey bees and many ants have consequently lost, or retain only vestigial spermathecal structures. However, bumble bee workers retain complete spermathecae despite 25-40 million years since their origin of superorganismality, which remains an evolutionary mystery. Here, we show (i) that bumble bee workers retain queen-like reproductive traits, being able to mate and produce colonies, underlain by queen-like gene expression, (ii) the social conditions required for worker mating, and (iii) that these abilities may be selected for by early queen-loss in these annual species. These results challenge the idea of lifetime worker unmatedness in superorganisms, and provide an exciting new tool for the conservation of endangered bumble bee species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingsheng Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
- Shanghai Suosheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 201700, China
| | - Thomas J Colgan
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Yulong Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengyi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Fugang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Zhongyan Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Xueyan Dai
- Shanghai Suosheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 201700, China
| | - Zhihao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanjian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Liuhao Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan, 453003, China
| | - Jin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Yueqin Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Yingping Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Huipeng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Guo
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Mark J F Brown
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK.
| | - Jilian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China.
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Quinlan GM, Feuerborn C, Hines HM, Grozinger CM. Beat the heat: thermal respites and access to food associated with increased bumble bee heat tolerance. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245924. [PMID: 37578032 PMCID: PMC10508702 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Climate change poses a threat to organisms across the world, with cold-adapted species such as bumble bees (Bombus spp.) at particularly high risk. Understanding how organisms respond to extreme heat events associated with climate change as well as the factors that increase resilience or prime organisms for future stress can inform conservation actions. We investigated the effects of heat stress within different contexts (duration, periodicity, with and without access to food, and in the laboratory versus field) on bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) survival and heat tolerance. We found that both prolonged (5 h) heat stress and nutrition limitation were negatively correlated with worker bee survival and thermal tolerance. However, the effects of these acute stressors were not long lasting (no difference in thermal tolerance among treatment groups after 24 h). Additionally, intermittent heat stress, which more closely simulates the forager behavior of leaving and returning to the nest, was not negatively correlated with worker thermal tolerance. Thus, short respites may allow foragers to recover from thermal stress. Moreover, these results suggest there is no priming effect resulting from short- or long-duration exposure to heat - bees remained equally sensitive to heat in subsequent exposures. In field-caught bumble bees, foragers collected during warmer versus cooler conditions exhibited similar thermal tolerance after being allowed to recover in the lab for 16 h. These studies offer insight into the impacts of a key bumble bee stressor and highlight the importance of recovery duration, stressor periodicity and context on bumble bee thermal tolerance outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela M. Quinlan
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Cody Feuerborn
- Department of Biology, Center for Pollinator Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Heather M. Hines
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biology, Center for Pollinator Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Christina M. Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA
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Rumohr Q, Baden CU, Bergtold M, Marx MT, Oellers J, Schade M, Toschki A, Maus C. Drivers and pressures behind insect decline in Central and Western Europe based on long-term monitoring data. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289565. [PMID: 37611013 PMCID: PMC10446172 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Insect declines have been discussed intensively among experts, policymakers, and the public. Albeit, decreasing trends have been reported for a long time for various regions in Europe and North America, but the controversial discussion over the role of specific drivers and pressures still remains. A reason for these uncertainties lies within the complex networks of inter-dependent biotic and abiotic factors as well as anthropogenic activities that influence habitats, communities, populations, and individual organisms. Many recent publications aim to identify both the extent of the observed declines and potential drivers. With this literature analysis, we provide an overview of the drivers and pressures and their inter-relationships, which were concluded in the scientific literature, using some of the best-studied insect groups as examples. We conducted a detailed literature evaluation of publications on Carabidae (Coleoptera) and Lepidoptera trends with data for at least 6 years in countries of Central and Western Europe, with a focus on agricultural landscapes. From the 82 publications identified as relevant, we extracted all reported trends and classified the respective factors described according to the DPSIR model. Further, we analysed the level of scientific verification (presumed vs correlated vs examined) within these papers for these cited stressors. The extracted trends for both species groups underline the reported overall declining trend. Whether negative or positive trends were reported in the papers, our semi-quantitative analysis shows that changes in insect populations are primarily anthropogenically driven by agriculture, climate change, nature conservation activities, urbanisation, and other anthropogenic activities. Most of the identified pressures were found to act on habitat level, only a fraction attributed to direct effects to the insects. While our analysis gives an overview of existing research concerning abundance and biodiversity trends of carabids and lepidopterans, it also shows gaps in scientific data in this area, in particular in monitoring the pressures along with the monitoring of abundance trends. The scientific basis for assessing biodiversity changes in the landscape is essential to help all stakeholders involved to shape, e.g. agriculture and other human activities, in a more sustainable way, balancing human needs such as food production with conservation of nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quintana Rumohr
- gaiac, Research Institute for Ecosystem Analysis and Assessment, Aachen, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Johanna Oellers
- gaiac, Research Institute for Ecosystem Analysis and Assessment, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Andreas Toschki
- gaiac, Research Institute for Ecosystem Analysis and Assessment, Aachen, Germany
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Martín-Blázquez R, Calhoun AC, Sadd BM, Cameron SA. Gene expression in bumble bee larvae differs qualitatively between high and low concentration imidacloprid exposure levels. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9415. [PMID: 37296299 PMCID: PMC10256756 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36232-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Neonicotinoid pesticides negatively impact bumble bee health, even at sublethal concentrations. Responses to the neonicotinoid imidacloprid have been studied largely at individual adult and colony levels, focusing mostly on behavioral and physiological effects. Data from developing larvae, whose health is critical for colony success, are deficient, particularly at the molecular level where transcriptomes can reveal disruption of fundamental biological pathways. We investigated gene expression of Bombus impatiens larvae exposed through food provisions to two field-realistic imidacloprid concentrations (0.7 and 7.0 ppb). We hypothesized both concentrations would alter gene expression, but the higher concentration would have greater qualitative and quantitative effects. We found 678 genes differentially expressed under both imidacloprid exposures relative to controls, including mitochondrial activity, development, and DNA replication genes. However, more genes were differentially expressed with higher imidacloprid exposure; uniquely differentially expressed genes included starvation response and cuticle genes. The former may partially result from reduced pollen use, monitored to verify food provision use and provide additional context to results. A smaller differentially expressed set only in lower concentration larvae, included neural development and cell growth genes. Our findings show varying molecular consequences under different field-realistic neonicotinoid concentrations, and that even low concentrations may affect fundamental biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Martín-Blázquez
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Isla de la Cartuja, Seville, Spain.
| | - Austin C Calhoun
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Ben M Sadd
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Sydney A Cameron
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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43
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Pérez-Marcos M, Ortiz-Sánchez F, Ibáñez H, Carrasco A, Sanchez J. Managed and unmanaged floral margins for the conservation of bee communities in intensive agricultural areas. J Nat Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2023.126396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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44
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Kenna D, Graystock P, Gill RJ. Toxic temperatures: Bee behaviours exhibit divergent pesticide toxicity relationships with warming. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:2981-2998. [PMID: 36944569 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Climate change and agricultural intensification are exposing insect pollinators to temperature extremes and increasing pesticide usage. Yet, we lack good quantification of how temperature modulates the sublethal effects of pesticides on behaviours vital for fitness and pollination performance. Consequently, we are uncertain if warming decreases or increases the severity of different pesticide impacts, and whether separate behaviours vary in the direction of response. Quantifying these interactive effects is vital in forecasting pesticide risk across climate regions and informing pesticide application strategies and pollinator conservation. This multi-stressor study investigated the responses of six functional behaviours of bumblebees when exposed to either a neonicotinoid (imidacloprid) or a sulfoximine (sulfoxaflor) across a standardised low, mid, and high temperature. We found the neonicotinoid had a significant effect on five of the six behaviours, with a greater effect at the lower temperature(s) when measuring responsiveness, the likelihood of movement, walking rate, and food consumption rate. In contrast, the neonicotinoid had a greater impact on flight distance at the higher temperature. Our findings show that different organismal functions can exhibit divergent thermal responses, with some pesticide-affected behaviours showing greater impact as temperatures dropped, and others as temperatures rose. We must therefore account for environmental context when determining pesticide risk. Moreover, we found evidence of synergistic effects, with just a 3°C increase causing a sudden drop in flight performance, despite seeing no effect of pesticide at the two lower temperatures. Our findings highlight the importance of multi-stressor studies to quantify threats to insects, which will help to improve dynamic evaluations of population tipping points and spatiotemporal risks to biodiversity across different climate regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kenna
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Berkshire, UK
| | - Peter Graystock
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Berkshire, UK
| | - Richard J Gill
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Berkshire, UK
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45
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Sheffield C, Palmier KM. Range expansion of Bombus (Pyrobombus) bimaculatus Cresson in Canada (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Biodivers Data J 2023; 11:e104657. [PMID: 37305447 PMCID: PMC10248724 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.11.e104657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The two-spotted bumble bee, Bombusbimaculatus Cresson, 1863 (Hymenoptera, Apidae), is a common species in central North America, with few published records of this species in Canada west of Ontario or east of Quebec. New information Based on recently collected specimens from Saskatchewan and confirmed records posted to iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/) in the past 10 years (i.e. since 2013), we provide evidence that this species has only recently expanded its range in Canada, westwards into the Prairies Ecozone (Manitoba, Saskatchewan) and east into the Maritime Provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island).
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory Sheffield
- Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina, CanadaRoyal Saskatchewan MuseumReginaCanada
| | - Kirsten M. Palmier
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, CanadaDepartment of Biology, University of ReginaReginaCanada
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46
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Landaverde R, Rodriguez MT, Parrella JA. Honey Production and Climate Change: Beekeepers' Perceptions, Farm Adaptation Strategies, and Information Needs. INSECTS 2023; 14:493. [PMID: 37367309 DOI: 10.3390/insects14060493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Because climate change has severely impacted global bee populations by depleting their habitats and food sources, beekeepers must implement management practices to adapt to changing climates. However, beekeepers in El Salvador lack information about necessary climate change adaptation strategies. This study explored Salvadoran beekeepers' experiences adapting to climate change. The researchers used a phenomenological case study approach and conducted semi-structured interviews with nine Salvadoran beekeepers who were members of The Cooperative Association for Marketing, Production, Savings, and Credit of Beekeepers of Chalatenango (ACCOPIDECHA). The beekeepers perceived water and food scarcity, as well as extreme weather events (e.g., increasing temperature, rain, winds), as the leading climate change-induced challenges to their production. Such challenges have augmented their honey bees' physiological need for water, limited their movement patterns, decreased apiary safety, and increased the incidence of pests and diseases, all of which have led to honey bee mortality. The beekeepers shared adaptation strategies, including box modification, apiary relocation, and food supplementation. Although most beekeepers accessed climate change information using the internet, they struggled to understand and apply pertinent information unless they received it from trusted ACCOPIDECHA personnel. Salvadoran beekeepers require information and demonstrations to improve their climate change adaptation strategies and implement new ones to address the challenges they experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Landaverde
- Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Mary T Rodriguez
- Department of Agricultural Communication, Education and Leadership, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jean A Parrella
- Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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47
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Pugesek G, Thuma JA, Crone EE. First field-based estimates of bumblebee diapause survival rates showcase high survivorship in the wild. JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION 2023; 27:1-10. [PMID: 37360646 PMCID: PMC10164617 DOI: 10.1007/s10841-023-00478-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Abstract Bumblebee (Bombus spp.) queens overwintered in artificial settings tend to have low survival rates, raising concerns that diapause may be a particularly sensitive life cycle stage for this ecologically and economically valuable group of pollinators. However, it remains unclear whether lab-based estimates of diapause survival are comparable to survival rates of natural populations. In this study, we monitored the survival of Bombus impatiens queens overwintering in the field in Ipswich, MA, and conducted a meta-analysis of studies that estimate queen diapause survival in the lab to compare our field-based estimates of survival to those of lab-based studies. We found that queen B. impatiens had relatively high rates of overwintering survival after about six months (> 60%), especially when compared to estimates of six-month survival from lab studies (< 10%). We also observed a trend that broadly corroborates many lab studies of bumblebees, in that overwinter survival of queens was related to colony origin. In addition to providing the first estimate of diapause survival for bumblebee queens in nature, our study emphasizes the need to verify patterns observed in the lab to field-based studies. Implications for insect conservation Although protecting target species during sensitive life cycle stages is a fundamental goal of conservation ecology, it is first necessary to identify at what stages of the life cycle populations are most vulnerable. Our results suggest that, at least in some study systems, diapause survival of queen bumblebees in the field may be higher than suggested by lab studies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10841-023-00478-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Pugesek
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA USA
| | | | - Elizabeth E. Crone
- The Department of Evolution and Ecology, Univeristy of California, Davis, CA, USA
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48
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Kuo Y, Lu YH, Lin YH, Lin YC, Wu YL. Elevated temperature affects energy metabolism and behavior of bumblebees. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 155:103932. [PMID: 36921734 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.103932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Bumblebees (Bombus eximius) are one of the most prominent pollinators in the agricultural industry because of their adaptation to temperate climates and pollination behavior (buzz pollination). Several studies have explained the need to increase conservation efforts for bumblebees due to climate change, but studies on the impact of climate change on pollination behavior of bumblebees have been limited. The present study investigated the effect of elevated temperatures on the survival and physiology of bumblebees. The behavioral changes in flight ability and pollen collection were also determined. We found that elevated temperature affects the survival rate and appetite of bumblebees. Gene expression analysis suggested that the energy metabolic pathway tends to involve anaerobic respiration during heat stress. The energy produced is mainly used to maintain essential physiological functions, such as expression of heat shock proteins and conversion of peroxides to harmless molecules. Energy distributed to flight muscles is reduced during heat stress, resulting in lower wing beating frequency. In addition, the flight path of bumblebees is shortened during heat stress, thereby further contributing to reduced pollen collection. These results demonstrate that elevated temperatures cause detrimental effects to bumblebees and can also potentially reduce crop production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Kuo
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Heng Lu
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsien Lin
- Department of Plant Physiology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Yu-Chun Lin
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Lung Wu
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
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49
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Campion C, Rajamohan A, Dillon ME. Sperm can't take the heat: Short-term temperature exposures compromise fertility of male bumble bees (Bombus impatiens). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 146:104491. [PMID: 36773841 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2023.104491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Bumble bee (genus Bombus) populations are increasingly under threat from habitat fragmentation, pesticides, pathogens, and climate change. Climate change is likely a prime driver of bumble bee declines but the mechanisms by which changing climates alter local abundance, leading to shifts in geographic range are unclear. Heat tolerance is quite high in worker bumble bees (CTmax ∼ 48-55 °C), making it unlikely for them to experience these high temperatures, even with climate warming. However, the thermal tolerance of whole organisms often exceeds that of their gametes; many insects can be sterilized by exposure to temperatures well below their upper thermal tolerance. Male bumble bees are independent from the colony and may encounter more frequent temperature extremes, but whether these exposures compromise spermatozoa is still unclear. Using commercially-reared Bombus impatiens colonies, males were reared in the lab and spermatozoa were exposed (in vivo and isolated in vitro) to sublethal temperatures near lower and upper thermal tolerance (CTmin and CTmax, respectively). Heat exposure (45 °C for up to 85 min) reduced spermatozoa viability both for whole males (in vivo; control = 79.5 %, heat exposed = 58 %, heat stupor = 57.7 %) and isolated seminal vesicles (in vitro; control = 85.5 %, heat exposed = 62.9 %). Whole males exposed to 4 °C for 85 min (in vivo; control = 79.2 %, cold = 72.4 %), isolated seminal vesicles exposed to 4 °C for 85 min (in vitro; control = 85.5 %, cold = 85.1 %), and whole males exposed to for 4 °C for 48 h (in vivo; control = 88.7 %, cold = 84.3 %) did not differ significantly in spermatozoa viability. After<85 min at 45 °C, males had significantly reduced spermatozoa viability, suggesting that short-term heat waves below CTmax could strongly reduce the fertility of male bumble bees with potential population-level impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Campion
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.
| | - Arun Rajamohan
- Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, 1616 Fargo, ND 58102, USA
| | - Michael E Dillon
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
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50
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Hordley LA, Fox R, Suggitt AJ, Bourn NAD. Precipitation buffers temperature-driven local extinctions of moths at warm range margins. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:805-815. [PMID: 36946283 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Species' distributions are moving polewards in response to climate change, and although range expansions of relatively warm-adapted species are widely reported, reports of range retractions in cool-adapted species are less common. Here, we analysed species' distribution shifts for 76 cool-adapted moths in Great Britain using citizen science occurrence records from the National Moth Recording Scheme over a 40-year period. Although we find evidence for trailing edge shifts to higher latitudes, shifts in species' range centroids are oriented towards the north-west, and are more closely correlated with directional changes in total precipitation than average temperature. We also found that species' local extinction risk is higher in areas where temperature is high and precipitation is low, but this risk diminishes as precipitation increases. Adaptation efforts should therefore focus on maintaining or increasing water availability as the climate continues to change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Fox
- Butterfly Conservation, Manor Yard, Wareham, UK
| | - Andrew J Suggitt
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
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