Observations of native bumble bees inside of commercial colonies ofBombus impatiens(Hymenoptera: Apidae) and the potential for pathogen spillover

2018 ◽  
Vol 150 (4) ◽  
pp. 520-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.J. Hicks ◽  
B.L. Pilgrim ◽  
E. Perry ◽  
H.D. Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Newfoundland And Labrador ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Native Bees ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Nosema Bombi ◽  
Crithidia Bombi ◽  
Native Bee ◽  
Bee Diversity ◽  
Polymerase Chain

AbstractMany fruit producers use commercial colonies ofBombus impatiensCresson (Hymenoptera: Apidae) to supplement crop pollination by native bees. A small number of Newfoundland (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) farmers forego purchasing new colonies and, instead, purchase previously used colonies from crops in other provinces. This practice has potentially dangerous implications that may adversely affect future native bee diversity in Newfoundland. This study is the first to record the presence of native bumble bee species inside the colonies of new and pre-used commercialB. impatiensand the first to look at diseases in native bumble bees from Newfoundland. Polymerase chain reaction and taxon-specific oligonucleotides were used to screen the commercial and native bumble bee species for pathogens.Crithidia bombi(Lipa and Triggiani), Apicystis bombi(Liu, Macfarlane, and Pengelly),Nosema bombiFantham and Porter, Nosema ceranaeFrieset al., and species ofAscosphaeraOlive and Spiltoir, were detected in native bumble bees that were collected from inside the new and pre-used commercialB. impatiens.Crithidia bombi,A. bombi, andN. bombiwere also detected among native bees that were collected away from the commercial colonies.Nosema apis(Zander) andMelissococcus plutonius(White) were not detected in any of the bees tested. The mixing of native bumble bees inB. impatienscolonies increases the potential for pathogen spillover and spillback that may threaten the small and vulnerable island bee fauna.

scholarly journals Native Bees, Honeybees, and Pollination in Oregon Cranberries

HortScience ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 885-888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Broussard ◽  
Sujaya Rao ◽  
William P. Stephen ◽  
Linda White
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Regression ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Vaccinium Macrocarpon ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Native Bees ◽  
Insect Pollination ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Pollen Loads ◽  
Native Bee

Cultivated cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) relies on insect pollination for berry production. Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) have historically provided this service, but their recent decline has underscored the need for additional pollinators. The objective of this study was to determine the richness and abundance of native bees in the cranberry-growing area of southern coastal Oregon and compare foraging behaviors of honeybees and native bees. In a 2-year study, we collected over 27 native bee species in traps set out during and after bloom (mid-May to mid-June). During 67 2-min observations, honeybees (68.1%) and three species of bumble bees (Bombus spp.; 31.6%) comprised 99.7% of foragers. The dominant bumble bee was Bombus vosnesenskii Radoszkowski (56.0%). Multivariate regression of temperature and wind speed data indicated that both were significantly predictive of honeybee and bumble bee foragers (P < 0.001). The interquartile range for foraging was 18.3 to 22.2 °C for bumble bees and 21.1 to 26.7 °C for honeybees. Over 75% of honeybees were seen foraging above the average observed temperature (19.5 °C). Bumble bee pollen loads had a greater dry mass (6.8 ± 12.9 mg) than those of honeybees (2.0 ± 3.6 mg; P < 0.001), and the latter were observed collecting nectar but no pollen more often (during 37.2% of visits) than bumble bees (11.3% of visits). Based on our results, bumble bees in general, and B. vosnesenskii in particular, may be providing significant pollination services for Oregon cranberry farms. However, to maintain current native bumble bee populations, conservation efforts are recommended.

scholarly journals Cross-infectivity of honey and bumble bee-associated parasites across three bee families

Parasitology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 147 (12) ◽  
pp. 1290-1304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyna Ngor ◽  
Evan C. Palmer-Young ◽  
Rodrigo Burciaga Nevarez ◽  
Kaleigh A. Russell ◽  
Laura Leger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Broad Host Range ◽  
Osmia Lignaria ◽  
Social Bees ◽  
Crithidia Bombi ◽  
Halictus Ligatus ◽  
Parasite Replication

AbstractRecent declines of wild pollinators and infections in honey, bumble and other bee species have raised concerns about pathogen spillover from managed honey and bumble bees to other pollinators. Parasites of honey and bumble bees include trypanosomatids and microsporidia that often exhibit low host specificity, suggesting potential for spillover to co-occurring bees via shared floral resources. However, experimental tests of trypanosomatid and microsporidial cross-infectivity outside of managed honey and bumble bees are scarce. To characterize potential cross-infectivity of honey and bumble bee-associated parasites, we inoculated three trypanosomatids and one microsporidian into five potential hosts – including four managed species – from the apid, halictid and megachilid bee families. We found evidence of cross-infection by the trypanosomatids Crithidia bombi and C. mellificae, with evidence for replication in 3/5 and 3/4 host species, respectively. These include the first reports of experimental C. bombi infection in Megachile rotundata and Osmia lignaria, and C. mellificae infection in O. lignaria and Halictus ligatus. Although inability to control amounts inoculated in O. lignaria and H. ligatus hindered estimates of parasite replication, our findings suggest a broad host range in these trypanosomatids, and underscore the need to quantify disease-mediated threats of managed social bees to sympatric pollinators.

Diversity of Bee Assemblage (Family Apidae) in Natural and Agriculturally Intensified Ecosystems in Uruguay

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 1232-1241
Author(s):  
Estela Santos ◽  
Gloria Daners ◽  
Enrique Morelli ◽  
Guillermo A Galván
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Native Bees ◽  
Soybean Field ◽  
Littoral Region ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Native Bee ◽  
Bee Diversity ◽  
Agricultural Areas

Abstract Bees (Family Apidae) hold a key role as pollinators in a wide range of angiosperm communities. South America suffered strong modifications during the last decade due to increasing anthropic activities and the expansion of agricultural areas, particularly the boom of soybean. The goal of this research was to know the current diversity of bees in South and Low Littoral regions in Uruguay. Specimens were collected in the seasons 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 on natural meadows, cultivated grasslands, soybean fields, among others flowering communities. Collected specimens were classified following taxonomic keys. Forty-five bee species or taxa were distinguished belonging to the subfamilies Megachilinae (11), Apinae (22), Halictinae (7), Colletinae (2), and Andreninae (3). Most taxa were classified up to genus and 14 to species level. Bee diversity was higher for the South region, with traditional agriculture and rangelands, than that of the Low Littoral region where an increasing agricultural land use took place during the last decade, particularly soybean. In addition, this research aimed to study the presence of native bees and the introduced Apis mellifera (Apinae) in a soybean field at four transects located at 0, 50, 100, and 200 m from the crop border in both seasons. Native bee species were only present at 0 and 50 m, pointing to the relevance of natural edge plant communities for their preservation. This is the first survey on native bee diversity in Uruguay to be regarded as a baseline and the setup of conservation strategies.

scholarly journals A Method for Extracting Genomic DNA from Individual Elaphostrongyline (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae) Larvae and Differentiation of Elaphostrongylus Spp. from Parelaphostrongylus Spp. by PCR Assay

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 585-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil B. Chilton ◽  
Florence Huby-Chilton ◽  
Murray W. Lankester ◽  
Alvin A. Gajadhar
Keyword(s):  
Newfoundland And Labrador ◽  
Genomic Dna ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Pcr Amplification ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Pcr Assay ◽  
Extraction And Purification ◽  
Veterinary Importance ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Partial Fragment

This article reports a rapid and effective method for the extraction and purification of genomic DNA (gDNA) from individual first-stage larvae (L1) of elaphostrongyline nematodes that had been stored frozen or fixed in 95% ethanol for 1 to 5 years. The method was highly effective for L1s of all 6 species of elaphostrongylines, based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of a partial fragment of the first internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1) of the ribosomal DNA. Differences were detected in the sizes of partial ITS-1 amplicons between the 2 elaphostrongyline genera, Elaphostrongylus and Parelaphostrongylus. The reliability of the ITS-1 PCR assay was tested by using L1s of unknown identity from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The ability to consistently isolate gDNA from individual L1s, together with a simple PCR-based method to distinguish between Parelaphostrongylus and Elaphostrongylus, have important implications for diagnostic testing and for conducting epizootiological studies on these parasites of veterinary importance.

scholarly journals No evidence of effects or interaction between the widely used herbicide, glyphosate, and a common parasite in bumble bees

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12486
Author(s):  
Edward A. Straw ◽  
Mark J.F. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Exposure ◽  
Multiple Stressors ◽  
Bombus Terrestris ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Acute Exposure ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Crithidia Bombi ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Acute And Chronic Exposure

Background Glyphosate is the world’s most used pesticide and it is used without the mitigation measures that could reduce the exposure of pollinators to it. However, studies are starting to suggest negative impacts of this pesticide on bees, an essential group of pollinators. Accordingly, whether glyphosate, alone or alongside other stressors, is detrimental to bee health is a vital question. Bees are suffering declines across the globe, and pesticides, including glyphosate, have been suggested as being factors in these declines. Methods Here we test, across a range of experimental paradigms, whether glyphosate impacts a wild bumble bee species, Bombus terrestris. In addition, we build upon existing work with honey bees testing glyphosate-parasite interactions by conducting fully crossed experiments with glyphosate and a common bumble bee trypanosome gut parasite, Crithidia bombi. We utilised regulatory acute toxicity testing protocols, modified to allow for exposure to multiple stressors. These protocols are expanded upon to test for effects on long term survival (20 days). Microcolony testing, using unmated workers, was employed to measure the impacts of either stressor on a proxy of reproductive success. This microcolony testing was conducted with both acute and chronic exposure to cover a range of exposure scenarios. Results We found no effects of acute or chronic exposure to glyphosate, over a range of timespans post-exposure, on mortality or a range of sublethal metrics. We also found no interaction between glyphosate and Crithidia bombi in any metric, although there was conflicting evidence of increased parasite intensity after an acute exposure to glyphosate. In contrast to published literature, we found no direct impacts of this parasite on bee health. Our testing focussed on mortality and worker reproduction, so impacts of either or both of these stressors on other sublethal metrics could still exist. Conclusions Our results expand the current knowledge on glyphosate by testing a previously untested species, Bombus terrestris, using acute exposure, and by incorporating a parasite never before tested alongside glyphosate. In conclusion our results find that glyphosate, as an active ingredient, is unlikely to be harmful to bumble bees either alone, or alongside Crithidia bombi.

scholarly journals Big city Bombus : using natural history and land-use history to find significant environmental drivers in bumble-bee declines in urban development

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 170156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Glaum ◽  
Maria-Carolina Simao ◽  
Chatura Vaidya ◽  
Gordon Fitch ◽  
Benjamin Iulinao
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Urban Development ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Native Bees ◽  
Bee Conservation ◽  
Native Bee ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

Native bee populations are critical sources of pollination. Unfortunately, native bees are declining in abundance and diversity. Much of this decline comes from human land-use change. While the effects of large-scale agriculture on native bees are relatively well understood, the effects of urban development are less clear. Understanding urbanity's effect on native bees requires consideration of specific characteristics of both particular bee species and their urban landscape. We surveyed bumble-bee ( Bombus spp.) abundance and diversity in gardens across multiple urban centres in southeastern Michigan. There are significant declines in Bombus abundance and diversity associated with urban development when measured on scales in-line with Bombus flight ability. These declines are entirely driven by declines in females; males showed no response to urbanization. We hypothesize that this is owing to differing foraging strategies between the sexes, and it suggests reduced Bombus colony density in more urban areas. While urbanity reduced Bombus prevalence, results in Detroit imply that ‘shrinking cities’ potentially offer unique urban paradigms that must be considered when studying wild bee ecology. Results show previously unidentified differences in the effects of urbanity on female and male bumble-bee populations and suggest that urban landscapes can be managed to support native bee conservation.

scholarly journals Test of the invasive pathogen hypothesis of bumble bee decline in North America

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (16) ◽  
pp. 4386-4391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sydney A. Cameron ◽  
Haw Chuan Lim ◽  
Jeffrey D. Lozier ◽  
Michelle A. Duennes ◽  
Robbin Thorp
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
Geographic Origin ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Nosema Bombi ◽  
Bee Decline

Emergent fungal diseases are critical factors in global biodiversity declines. The fungal pathogen Nosema bombi was recently found to be widespread in declining species of North American bumble bees (Bombus), with circumstantial evidence suggesting an exotic introduction from Europe. This interpretation has been hampered by a lack of knowledge of global genetic variation, geographic origin, and changing prevalence patterns of N. bombi in declining North American populations. Thus, the temporal and spatial emergence of N. bombi and its potential role in bumble bee decline remain speculative. We analyze Nosema prevalence and genetic variation in the United States and Europe from 1980, before an alleged introduction in the early 1990s, to 2011, extracting Nosema DNA from Bombus natural history collection specimens from across this time period. Nosema bombi prevalence increased significantly from low detectable frequency in the 1980s to significantly higher frequency in the mid- to late-1990s, corresponding to a period of reported massive infectious outbreak of N. bombi in commercial bumble bee rearing stocks in North America. Despite the increased frequency, we find no conclusive evidence of an exotic N. bombi origin based on genetic analysis of global Nosema populations; the widespread Nosema strain found currently in declining United States bumble bees was present in the United States before commercial colony trade. Notably, the US N. bombi is not detectably different from that found predominantly throughout Western Europe, with both regions characterized by low genetic diversity compared with high levels of diversity found in Asia, where commercial bee breeding activities are low or nonexistent.

scholarly journals Microbiome Structure Influences Infection by the Parasite Crithidia bombi in Bumble Bees

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Blair K. Mockler ◽  
Waldan K. Kwong ◽  
Nancy A. Moran ◽  
Hauke Koch
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Bombus Terrestris ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Bacterial Populations ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Crithidia Bombi ◽  
Microbiome Diversity

ABSTRACT Recent declines in bumble bee populations are of great concern and have prompted critical evaluations of the role of pathogen introductions and host resistance in bee health. One factor that may influence host resilience when facing infection is the gut microbiota. Previous experiments with Bombus terrestris , a European bumble bee, showed that the gut microbiota can protect against Crithidia bombi , a widespread trypanosomatid parasite of bumble bees. However, the particular characteristics of the microbiome responsible for this protective effect have thus far eluded identification. Using wild and commercially sourced Bombus impatiens , an important North American pollinator, we conducted cross-wise microbiota transplants to naive hosts of both backgrounds and challenged them with a Crithidia parasite. As with B. terrestris , we find that microbiota-dependent protection against Crithidia operates in B. impatiens . Lower Crithidia infection loads were experimentally associated with high microbiome diversity, large gut bacterial populations, and the presence of Apibacter , Lactobacillus Firm-5, and Gilliamella spp. in the gut community. These results indicate that even subtle differences between gut community structures can have a significant impact on a microbiome's ability to defend against parasite infections. IMPORTANCE Many wild bumble bee populations are under threat due to human activity, including through the introduction of pathogens via commercially raised bees. Recently, it was found that the bumble bee gut microbiota can help defend against a common parasite, Crithidia bombi , but the particular factors contributing to this protection are unknown. Using both wild and commercially raised bees, we conducted microbiota transplants to show that microbiome diversity, total gut bacterial load, and the presence of certain core members of the microbiota may all impact bee susceptibility to Crithidia infection. Bee origin (genetic background) was also a factor. Finally, by examining this phenomenon in a previously uninvestigated bee species, our study demonstrates that microbiome-mediated resistance to Crithidia is conserved across multiple bumble bee species. These findings highlight how intricate interactions between hosts, microbiomes, and parasites can have wide-ranging consequences for the health of ecologically important species.

High performance Nanogold™-in situ hybridzation and its use in the detection of hybridized and PCR-amplified microscopical preparations

1996 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 896-897
Author(s):  
G. W. Hacker ◽  
I. Zehbe ◽  
J. Hainfeld ◽  
A.-H. Graf ◽  
C. Hauser-Kronberger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Messenger Rna ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Direct Methods ◽  
Genetic Alterations ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Protein Encoding ◽  
Polymerase Chain

In situ hybridization (ISH) with biotin-labeled probes is increasingly used in histology, histopathology and molecular biology, to detect genetic nucleic acid sequences of interest, such as viruses, genetic alterations and peptide-/protein-encoding messenger RNA (mRNA). In situ polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (PCR in situ hybridization = PISH) and the new in situ self-sustained sequence replication-based amplification (3SR) method even allow the detection of single copies of DNA or RNA in cytological and histological material. However, there is a number of considerable problems with the in situ PCR methods available today: False positives due to mis-priming of DNA breakdown products contained in several types of cells causing non-specific incorporation of label in direct methods, and re-diffusion artefacts of amplicons into previously negative cells have been observed. To avoid these problems, super-sensitive ISH procedures can be used, and it is well known that the sensitivity and outcome of these methods partially depend on the detection system used.

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