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Li Y, Liu C, Wang Y, Li M, Zou S, Hu X, Chen Z, Li M, Ma C, Obi CJ, Zhou X, Zou Y, Tang M. Urban wild bee well-being revealed by gut metagenome data: A mason bee model. INSECT SCIENCE 2025. [PMID: 40287860 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.70051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2024] [Revised: 02/18/2025] [Accepted: 03/07/2025] [Indexed: 04/29/2025]
Abstract
Wild bees are ecologically vital but increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities, leading to uncertain survival and health outcomes in urban environments. The gut microbiome contains features indicating host health and reflecting long-term evolutionary adaptation and acute reactions to real-time stressors. Moving beyond bacteria, we propose a comprehensive analysis integrating diet, bacteriome, virome, resistome, and their association to understand the survival status of urban lives better. We conducted a study on mason bees (Osmia excavata) across 10 urban agricultural sites in Suzhou, China, using shotgun gut metagenome sequencing for data derived from total gut DNA. Our findings revealed that most ingested pollen originated from Brassica crops and the unexpected garden tree Plantanus, indicating that floral resources at the 10 sites supported Osmia but with limited plant diversity. Varied city landscapes revealed site-specific flowers that all contributed to Osmia sustenance. The gut bacterial community, dominated by Gammaproteobacteria, showed remarkable structural stability across 8 sites but suggested perturbations at 2 sites. Antibiotic resistance gene profiles highly varied across 10 sites with prevalent unclassified drug classes, highlighting environmental threats to both bees and humans. The virome analysis identified honeybee pathogens, suggesting potential virus spillover. Many unknown bacteriophages were detected, some of which targeted the core gut bacteria, underscoring their role in maintaining gut homeostasis. These multifaceted metagenomic insights hold the potential to predict bee health and identify environmental threats, thereby guiding probiotic development and city management for effective bee conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiran Li
- Department of Biosciences and Bioinformatics, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Chengweiran Liu
- Department of Biosciences and Bioinformatics, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yiran Wang
- Department of Biosciences and Bioinformatics, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Muhan Li
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Shasha Zou
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xingyu Hu
- Department of Biosciences and Bioinformatics, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhiwei Chen
- Department of Biosciences and Bioinformatics, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Mingrui Li
- Department of Biosciences and Bioinformatics, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Changsheng Ma
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide Assessment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, China
| | - Chinonye Jennifer Obi
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Zou
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Min Tang
- Department of Biosciences and Bioinformatics, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
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Alkassab AT, Kunz N, Bischoff G, Lüken D, Janke M, Wallner K, Kirchner WH, Pistorius J. Neonicotinoid and EBI fungicide in combination hazard the population of red mason bees under field conditions. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2025; 116:104680. [PMID: 40147508 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2025.104680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2025] [Revised: 03/20/2025] [Accepted: 03/21/2025] [Indexed: 03/29/2025]
Abstract
Mixing several agrochemicals, e.g., insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides, is a common practice by farmers, enhancing the economic and efficacy of a single application. Their effects on non-target organisms are not routinely evaluated during the authorisation of single products. A field study was conducted in Germany to assess the performance and exposure level of red mason bees after application of a combination of products containing the insecticide thiacloprid and the fungicide prochloraz to winter oilseed rape. The number of offspring of exposed bees was significantly reduced by 49.8 % compared to unexposed bees. Lower residues of applied active substances were found in mud walls than in pollen provision. The maximum detected concentrations in pollen provisions were 129.95 µg/kg for thiacloprid and 149.96 µg/kg for prochloraz, whereas 4.70 µg/kg for thiacloprid and 65.83 µg/kg for prochloraz in mud walls. An application restriction during flowering will minimize exposure and mitigate the high risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulrahim T Alkassab
- Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Institute for Bee Protection, Messeweg 11-12, Braunschweig 38104, Germany.
| | - Nadine Kunz
- Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Institute for Bee Protection, Messeweg 11-12, Braunschweig 38104, Germany
| | - Gabriela Bischoff
- Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Institute for Bee Protection, Königin-Luise-Straße 19, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Dorothee Lüken
- Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Institute for Bee Protection, Messeweg 11-12, Braunschweig 38104, Germany; Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES), Institute for Apiculture, Herzogin-Eleonore-Allee 5, Celle 29221, Germany
| | - Martina Janke
- Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES), Institute for Apiculture, Herzogin-Eleonore-Allee 5, Celle 29221, Germany
| | - Klaus Wallner
- University of Hohenheim, Apicultural State Institute, Stuttgart 70599, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H Kirchner
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Universitätsstraße 150, Bochum 44801, Germany
| | - Jens Pistorius
- Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Institute for Bee Protection, Messeweg 11-12, Braunschweig 38104, Germany
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3
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Wu L, Sun Q, Zhao J, Wang X, Wang D, Zhang Y. Effects of heavy metal accumulation mediated by floral rewards on key stages of growth and development of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris L.). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2025; 44:294-301. [PMID: 39887284 DOI: 10.1093/etojnl/vgae035] [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: 08/14/2024] [Revised: 09/26/2024] [Accepted: 10/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2025]
Abstract
Whether soil heavy metal pollution contributes to the decline in pollinator populations remains inconclusive. Based on the detection of heavy metals in the nectar, pollen, and bodies of pollinating insects in areas affected by heavy metal pollution, this study aimed to investigate the impact of adding four heavy metals-zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and nickel (Ni)-at realistic concentrations to the diet on the pre-oviposition period, larval development period, production of adult bees, and weight of worker bees. The study sought to evaluate the influence of heavy metal accumulation mediated by floral rewards on key stages of growth and development of bumblebee (Bombus terrestris L.). Results revealed that Zn, Pb, and Cu significantly extended the pre-oviposition period of queen bees, with Pb doubling the time at high concentrations and Ni showing no significant effect at moderate to low concentrations. Lead, Cu, and Ni significantly extended the larval development period at medium and high concentrations, whereas Zn only had a significant effect at high concentrations. The four heavy metals significantly reduced the adult bee yield and the body weight of worker bees at different concentrations, among which the high concentrations of Pb and Cu significantly reduced the adult bee yield by 25%-40%. The effect of a high concentration of copper on the body weight of worker bees was the most obvious, a reduction by 30%. Our findings support the hypothesis that heavy metal pollution, mediated by floral rewards, can have serious impact on some key stages of growth and development of bumblebees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wu
- Institute of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education, Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Northeast Normal University, Changchun,China
| | - Qi Sun
- College of Biological Sciences, Changchun Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Jimin Zhao
- College of Biological Sciences, Changchun Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Xing Wang
- School of Agriculture, Liaodong University, Dandong, China
| | - Deli Wang
- Institute of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education, Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Northeast Normal University, Changchun,China
| | - Yanwen Zhang
- Institute of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education, Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Northeast Normal University, Changchun,China
- College of Biological Sciences, Changchun Normal University, Changchun, China
- School of Agriculture, Liaodong University, Dandong, China
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4
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Azpiazu C, Sgolastra F, Ippolito A, Albacete S, Brandt A, Colli M, Grossar D, Jeker L, Malagnini V, Sancho G, Splitt A, Straub L, Strobl V, Boranski M, Jachuła J, Martins C, Medrzycki P, Simon-Delso N, Tosi S, Bosch J. Chronic oral toxicity protocol for adult solitary bees (Osmia bicornis L.): Reduced survival under long-term exposure to a "bee-safe" insecticide. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 363:125129. [PMID: 39414062 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125129] [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: 07/22/2024] [Revised: 10/11/2024] [Accepted: 10/14/2024] [Indexed: 10/18/2024]
Abstract
Pollinators are essential for crop productivity. Yet, in agricultural areas, they may be threatened by pesticide exposure. Current pesticide risk assessments predominantly focus on honey bees, with a lack of standardized protocols for solitary bees. This study addresses this gap by developing a long-term oral exposure protocol tailored for O. bicornis. We conducted initial trials to determine optimal container sizes and feeding methods, ensuring high survival rates and accurate syrup consumption measurements. A validation test involving five laboratories was then conducted with the insecticide Flupyradifurone (FPF). Control mortality thresholds were set at ≤ 15% at 10 days. Three laboratories achieved ≤10%, demonstrating the protocol's effectiveness in maintaining healthy test populations. The seasonal timing of experiments influenced control mortality, underscoring the importance of aligning tests with the natural flight period of the population used. Our findings revealed dose-dependent effects of FPF on syrup consumption, showing stimulatory effects at lower concentrations and inhibitory effects at higher ones. The 10-day median lethal daily dose (LDD50) of FPF for O. bicornis (531.92 ng/bee/day) was 3.4-fold lower than that reported for Apis mellifera (1830 ng/bee/day), indicating Osmia's higher susceptibility. Unlike other insecticides, FPF did not exhibit time-reinforced toxicity. This study introduces a robust protocol for chronic pesticide exposure in solitary bees, addressing a critical gap in current risk assessment. Based on its low risk to honey bees and bumblebees, FPF is approved for application during flowering. However, our results suggest that it may threaten Osmia populations under realistic field conditions. Our findings underscore the need for comparative toxicity studies to ensure comprehensive protection of all pollinators and the importance of accounting for long term exposure scenarios in risk assessment. By enhancing our understanding of chronic pesticide effects in solitary bees, our study should contribute to the development of more effective conservation strategies and sustainable agricultural practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celeste Azpiazu
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Fabio Sgolastra
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-Alimentari, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessio Ippolito
- European Food Safety Authority, Environment, Plants & Ecotoxicology Unit, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Sergio Albacete
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Annely Brandt
- LLH-Bee Institute Kirchhain, Erlenstr. 9, 35274 Kirchhain, Germany
| | - Monica Colli
- Biotecnologie BT Srl - Fraz. Pantalla 06059 Todi (PG), Italy
| | - Daniela Grossar
- Swiss Bee Research Center, Agroscope, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Jeker
- Swiss Bee Research Center, Agroscope, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Valeria Malagnini
- Centro Trasferimento Tecnologico Fondazione Ednund Mach, Via E. Mach, 1 38098 San Michele all'Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Gonzalo Sancho
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Aleksandra Splitt
- The National Institute of Horticultural Research, Konstytucji 3 Maja 1/3, 96-100 Skierniewice, Poland
| | - Lars Straub
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Verena Strobl
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mikolaj Boranski
- The National Institute of Horticultural Research, Konstytucji 3 Maja 1/3, 96-100 Skierniewice, Poland
| | - Jacek Jachuła
- The National Institute of Horticultural Research, Konstytucji 3 Maja 1/3, 96-100 Skierniewice, Poland
| | - Cátia Martins
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-Alimentari, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Piotr Medrzycki
- CREA-Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria, Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura ed Ambiente, 40128 Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Simone Tosi
- Department of Agricultural, Forest, and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Jordi Bosch
- Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
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5
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Boff S, Olberz S, Gülsoy İG, Preuß M, Raizer J, Ayasse M. Conventional agriculture affects sex communication and impacts local population size in a wild bee. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 954:176319. [PMID: 39293767 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 09/10/2024] [Accepted: 09/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024]
Abstract
Man-made agricultural stressors have been identified to compromise the reproductive dynamics of bee populations within agricultural environments. With the aid of bee hotels, we explored the influence of conventional and organic farming systems on local population size and body traits of the mason bee, Osmia bicornis, in southern Germany. We further used a chemical ecology approach and bioassays to test whether farming management influence male pre-copulatory behaviors. We observed a positive relationship between the extent of organic agriculture in the landscape and both overall brood cell production and nesting frequency. Moreover, farming systems were found to influence body traits, with bees from organic sites being smaller in size and having a different cuticular hydrocarbon composition compared with those at conventional sites. Bioassays revealed that males were more sexually attracted to freeze-killed females from conventional sites compared with those from organic sites. Intriguingly, treating females from organic fields with synthetic semiochemicals enhanced their sexual attraction to levels comparable with females from conventional sites. Our findings shed light on the intricate interplay between farming practices and the reproductive behaviors of wild mason bees, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of these dynamics for effective conservation and management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Boff
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Sara Olberz
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - İrem G Gülsoy
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Marvin Preuß
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Josué Raizer
- Entomology and Biodiversity Conservation Program, Federal University of Grande Dourados, Dourados, Brazil
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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6
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Hisamoto S, Ikegami M, Goka K, Sakamoto Y. The impact of landscape structure on pesticide exposure to honey bees. Nat Commun 2024; 15:8999. [PMID: 39438449 PMCID: PMC11496668 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52421-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2024] [Indexed: 10/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Pesticides may have serious negative impacts on bee populations. The pesticide exposure of bees could depend on the surrounding landscapes in which they forage. In this study, we assess pesticide exposure across various land-use categories, while targeting the Japanese honey bee, Apis cerana japonica, a native subspecies of the eastern honey bee. In a project involving public participation, we measured the concentrations of major pesticides in honey and beeswax collected from 175 Japanese honey bee colonies across Japan and quantitatively analyzed the relationships between pesticide presence/absence or pesticide concentration and land-use categories around the colonies. Our findings revealed that the surrounding environment in which bees live strongly influences pesticide residues in beehive materials, whether the pesticides are systemic or not, with a clear trend for each land-use category. Agricultural lands, particularly paddy fields and orchards, and urban areas resulted in higher pesticide exposure, whereas forests presented a lower risk of exposure. To effectively control pesticide exposure levels in bees, it is essential to understand pesticide usage patterns and to develop appropriate regulatory systems in non-agricultural lands, similar to those in agricultural lands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shumpei Hisamoto
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Meiji Institute for Advanced Study of Mathematical Sciences, Meiji University, Nakano-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makihiko Ikegami
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Koichi Goka
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yoshiko Sakamoto
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
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7
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Bryś MS, Staniec B, Strachecka A. The effect of pollen monodiets on fat body morphology parameters and energy substrate levels in the fat body and hemolymph of Apis mellifera L. workers. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15177. [PMID: 38956174 PMCID: PMC11219722 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64598-0] [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: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Human activities associated with large-scale farms and the monocultures expose honey bees to one type of food. Moreover, there is an ongoing decline of plant species producing pollen and nectar in Europe. A poorly balanced diet affects a number of processes occurring in a bee's body. The fat body and hemolymph are the tissues that participate in all of them. Therefore, the aim of our study was to determine the effect of hazel, pine, rapeseed, buckwheat, phacelia and goldenrod pollen on the morphological parameters of fat body trophocytes, the diameters of cell nuclei in oenocytes and the concentrations of compounds involved in energy metabolism (glucose, glycogen, triglycerides and protein). In the cage tests, the bees were fed from the first day of life with sugar candy (control group) or candy with a 10% addition of one of the 6 pollen types. Hemolymph and fat body from various locations were collected from 1-, 7- and 14-day-old workers. Pollen produced by plant species such as hazel and pine increased glucose concentrations in the bee tissues, especially in the hemolymph. It can therefore be concluded that they are valuable sources of energy (in the form of simple carbohydrates) which are quickly used by bees. Pollen from plants blooming in the summer and autumn increased the concentrations of proteins, glycogen and triglycerides in the fat body, especially that from the third tergite. The accumulation of these compounds was associated with an increased the length and width of trophocytes as well as with enhanced metabolic activity, which was evidenced in the increasing diameter of oenocyte cell nuclei. It seems a balanced multi-pollen diet is more valuable for bees, but it is important to understand the effects of the particular pollen types in the context of a mono-diet. In the future, this will make it possible to produce mixtures that can ensure homeostasis in the apian body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Sylwester Bryś
- Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Bernard Staniec
- Departament of Zoology and Nature Protection, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| | - Aneta Strachecka
- Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
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8
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Bryś MS, Strachecka A. The Key Role of Amino Acids in Pollen Quality and Honey Bee Physiology-A Review. Molecules 2024; 29:2605. [PMID: 38893480 PMCID: PMC11173770 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112605] [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: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
When studying honey bee nutrition, it is important to pay attention not only to the quantity but also to the quality of pollen for floral visitors. The recommended way to determine the value of pollen is to determine both the protein concentration and the amino acid composition in the insect's hemolymph. In addition, the composition of pollen also includes lipids, sterols and biogenic elements such as carbon, nitrogen, etc. Very high protein concentration is observed in aloe pollen, averaging 51%. Plants with a high protein content, at the level of 27% in Europe, are rapeseed and phacelia. In turn, a plant that is poor in protein (at the level of 11%) is buckwheat. The aforementioned plants are sown over very large areas. Vast acreages in Central and Eastern Europe are occupied by pollen- and nectar-providing invasive plants, such as goldenrod. Therefore, bees are forced to use one food source-a mono diet-which results in their malnutrition. In the absence of natural pollen, beekeepers use other foods for bees; including soy protein, powdered milk, egg yolks, fish meal, etc. However, the colony is the strongest when bees are fed with pollen, as opposed to artificial protein diets. More research is needed on the relationship between bee pollen composition and nutrition, as measured by protein concentration and amino acid composition in apian hemolymph, colony strength, honey yield and good overwintering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Sylwester Bryś
- Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Doświadczalna 50a, 20-280 Lublin, Poland;
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9
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Knauer A, Naef C, Albrecht M. Pesticide hazard, floral resource availability and natural enemies interactively drive the fitness of bee species depending on their crop fidelity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171058. [PMID: 38378056 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Anina Knauer
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Carmen Naef
- Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Zürich, Switzerland
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10
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Schwarz JM, Knauer AC, Alaux C, Barascou L, Barraud A, Dievart V, Ghazoul J, Michez D, Albrecht M. Diverse pollen nutrition can improve the development of solitary bees but does not mitigate negative pesticide impacts. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169494. [PMID: 38142004 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Floral resource loss and pesticide exposure are major threats to bees in intensively managed agroecosystems, but interactions among these drivers remain poorly understood. Altered composition and lowered diversity of pollen nutrition may reinforce negative pesticide impacts on bees. Here we investigated the development and survival of the solitary bee Osmia bicornis provisioned with three different pollen types, as well as a mixture of these types representing a higher pollen diversity. We exposed bees of each nutritional treatment to five pesticides at different concentrations in the laboratory. Two field-realistic concentrations of three nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) modulating insecticides (thiacloprid, sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone), as well as of two fungicides (azoxystrobin and tebuconazole) were examined. We further measured the expression of two detoxification genes (CYP9BU1, CYP9BU2) under exposure to thiacloprid across different nutrition treatments as a potential mechanistic pathway driving pesticide-nutrition interactions. We found that more diverse pollen nutrition reduced development time, enhanced pollen efficacy (cocoon weight divided by consumed pollen weight) and pollen consumption, and increased weight of O. bicornis after larval development (cocoon weight). Contrary to fungicides, high field-realistic concentrations of all three insecticides negatively affected O. bicornis by extending development times. Moreover, sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone also reduced pollen efficacy and cocoon weight, and sulfoxaflor reduced pollen consumption and increased mortality. The expression of detoxification genes differed across pollen nutrition types, but was not enhanced after exposure to thiacloprid. Our findings highlight that lowered diversity of pollen nutrition and high field-realistic exposure to nAChR modulating insecticides negatively affected the development of O. bicornis, but we found no mitigation of negative pesticide impacts through increased pollen diversity. These results have important implications for risk assessment for bee pollinators, indicating that negative effects of nAChR modulating insecticides to developing solitary bees are currently underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine M Schwarz
- Agroscope, Agroecology and Environment, Zurich, Switzerland; ETH Zurich, Institute for Terrestrial Ecosystems, Ecosystem Management, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Anina C Knauer
- Agroscope, Agroecology and Environment, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cedric Alaux
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | | | - Alexandre Barraud
- Research Institute for Biosciences, Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | | | - Jaboury Ghazoul
- ETH Zurich, Institute for Terrestrial Ecosystems, Ecosystem Management, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Denis Michez
- Research Institute for Biosciences, Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
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Cappellari A, Malagnini V, Fontana P, Zanotelli L, Tonidandel L, Angeli G, Ioriatti C, Marini L. Impact of landscape composition on honey bee pollen contamination by pesticides: A multi-residue analysis. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 349:140829. [PMID: 38042427 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140829] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
The honey bee is the most common and important managed pollinator of crops. In recent years, honey bee colonies faced high mortality for multiple causes, including land-use change and the use of plant protection products (hereafter pesticides). This work aimed to explore how contamination by pesticides of pollen collected by honey bees was modulated by landscape composition and seasonality. We placed two honey bee colonies in 13 locations in Northern Italy in contrasting landscapes, from which we collected pollen samples monthly during the whole flowering season in 2019 and 2020. We searched for almost 400 compounds, including fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and acaricides. We then calculated for each pollen sample the Pollen Hazard Quotient (PHQ), an index that provides a measure of multi-residue toxicity of contaminated pollen. Almost all pollen samples were contaminated by at least one compound. We detected 97 compounds, mainly fungicides, but insecticides and acaricides showed the highest toxicity. Fifteen % of the pollen samples had medium-high or high levels of PHQ, which could pose serious threats to honey bees. Fungicides showed a nearly constant PHQ throughout the season, while herbicides and insecticides and acaricides showed higher PHQ values in spring and early summer. Also, PHQ increased with increasing cover of agricultural and urban areas from April to July, while it was low and independent of landscape composition at the end of the season. The cover of perennial crops, i.e., fruit trees and vineyards, but not of annual crops, increased PHQ of pollen samples. Our work highlighted that the potential toxicity of pollen collected by honey bees was modulated by complex interactions among pesticide category, seasonality, and landscape composition. Due to the large number of compounds detected, our study should be complemented with additional experimental research on the potential interactive effects of multiple compounds on honey bee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andree Cappellari
- University of Padova, Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, Viale Dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy.
| | - Valeria Malagnini
- Edmund Mach Foundation, Technology Transfer Centre, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele All'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Paolo Fontana
- Edmund Mach Foundation, Technology Transfer Centre, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele All'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Livia Zanotelli
- Edmund Mach Foundation, Technology Transfer Centre, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele All'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Loris Tonidandel
- Edmund Mach Foundation, Technology Transfer Centre, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele All'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Gino Angeli
- Edmund Mach Foundation, Technology Transfer Centre, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele All'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Claudio Ioriatti
- Edmund Mach Foundation, Research and Innovation Centre, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele All'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Marini
- University of Padova, Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, Viale Dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy
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12
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Abstract
Bees are essential pollinators of many crops and wild plants, and pesticide exposure is one of the key environmental stressors affecting their health in anthropogenically modified landscapes. Until recently, almost all information on routes and impacts of pesticide exposure came from honey bees, at least partially because they were the only model species required for environmental risk assessments (ERAs) for insect pollinators. Recently, there has been a surge in research activity focusing on pesticide exposure and effects for non-Apis bees, including other social bees (bumble bees and stingless bees) and solitary bees. These taxa vary substantially from honey bees and one another in several important ecological traits, including spatial and temporal activity patterns, foraging and nesting requirements, and degree of sociality. In this article, we review the current evidence base about pesticide exposure pathways and the consequences of exposure for non-Apis bees. We find that the insights into non-Apis bee pesticide exposure and resulting impacts across biological organizations, landscapes, mixtures, and multiple stressors are still in their infancy. The good news is that there are many promising approaches that could be used to advance our understanding, with priority given to informing exposure pathways, extrapolating effects, and determining how well our current insights (limited to very few species and mostly neonicotinoid insecticides under unrealistic conditions) can be generalized to the diversity of species and lifestyles in the global bee community. We conclude that future research to expand our knowledge would also be beneficial for ERAs and wider policy decisions concerning pollinator conservation and pesticide regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigel E Raine
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Maj Rundlöf
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden;
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13
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He Q, Zhang S, Yin F, Liu Q, Gao Q, Xiao J, Huang Y, Yu L, Cao H. Risk assessment of honeybee larvae exposure to pyrethroid insecticides in beebread and honey. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 267:115591. [PMID: 37890252 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115591] [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: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Honeybee is an essential pollinator to crops, evaluation to the risk assessment of honeybee larvae exposure to pesticides residue in the bee bread and honey is an important strategy to protect the bee colony due to the mixture of these two matrices is main food for 3-day-old honeybee larvae. In this study, a continuous survey to the residue of five pyrethroid insecticides in bee bread and honey between 2018 and 2020 from 17 major cultivation provinces which can be determined as Northeast, Northwest, Eastern, Central, Southwest, and Southern of China, there was at least one type II pyrethroid insecticide was detected in 54.7 % of the bee bread samples and 43.4 % of the honey. Then, we assayed the acute toxicity of type II pyrethroid insecticides based on the detection results, the LD50 value was 0.2201 μg/larva (beta-cyhalothrin), 0.4507 μg/larva (bifenthrin), 2.0840 μg/larva (fenvalerate), 0.0530 μg/larva (deltamethrin), and 0.1640 μg/larva (beta-cypermethrin), respectively. Finally, the hazard quotient was calculated as larval oral ranged from 0.046 × 10-3 to 2.128 × 10-3. Together, these empirical findings provide further insight into the accurate contamination of honey bee colonies caused by chemical pesticides, which can be used as a valuable guidance for the beekeeping industry and pesticide regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qibao He
- Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Shiyu Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Fang Yin
- Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Qiongqiong Liu
- Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Quan Gao
- Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Jinjing Xiao
- Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Yong Huang
- Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Linsheng Yu
- Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Haiqun Cao
- Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
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14
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Rittschof CC, Denny AS. The Impacts of Early-Life Experience on Bee Phenotypes and Fitness. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:808-824. [PMID: 36881719 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad009] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Across diverse animal species, early-life experiences have lifelong impacts on a variety of traits. The scope of these impacts, their implications, and the mechanisms that drive these effects are central research foci for a variety of disciplines in biology, from ecology and evolution to molecular biology and neuroscience. Here, we review the role of early life in shaping adult phenotypes and fitness in bees, emphasizing the possibility that bees are ideal species to investigate variation in early-life experience and its consequences at both individual and population levels. Bee early life includes the larval and pupal stages, critical time periods during which factors like food availability, maternal care, and temperature set the phenotypic trajectory for an individual's lifetime. We discuss how some common traits impacted by these experiences, including development rate and adult body size, influence fitness at the individual level, with possible ramifications at the population level. Finally, we review ways in which human alterations to the landscape may impact bee populations through early-life effects. This review highlights aspects of bees' natural history and behavioral ecology that warrant further investigation with the goal of understanding how environmental disturbances threaten these vulnerable species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare C Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - Amanda S Denny
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
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15
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Misiewicz A, Mikołajczyk Ł, Bednarska AJ. Floral resources,energetic value and pesticide residues in provisions collected by Osmia bicornis along a gradient of oilseed rape coverage. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13372. [PMID: 37591888 PMCID: PMC10435552 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39950-5] [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: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Pollinators in agricultural landscapes are facing global decline and the main pressures include food scarcity and pesticide usage. Intensive agricultural landscapes may provide important food resources for wild pollinators via mass flowering crops. However, these are monofloral, short-term, and may contain pesticide residues. We explored how the landscape composition with a different proportion of oilseed rape (6-65%) around Osmia bicornis nests affects floral diversity, contamination with pesticides, and energetic value of provisions collected by this species of wild bees as food for their offspring. Altogether, the bees collected pollen from 28 plant taxa (6-15 per nest) and provisions were dominated by Brassica napus (6.0-54.2%, median 44.4%, 12 nests), Quercus sp. (1.2-19.4%, median 5.2%, 12 nests), Ranunculus sp. (0.4-42.7%, median 4.7%, 12 nests), Poaceae (1.2-59.9%, median 5.8%, 11 nests) and Acer sp. (0.6-42%, median 18.0%, 8 nests). Residues of 12 pesticides were found in provisions, with acetamiprid, azoxystrobin, boscalid, and dimethoate being the most frequently detected at concentrations up to 1.2, 198.4, 16.9 and 17.8 ng/g (median 0.3, 10.6, 11.3, 4.4 ng/g), respectively. Floral diversity and energetic value of provisions, but not the Pesticide Risk Index depended on landscape structure. Moreover, pollen diversity decreased, and energetic value increased with landscape diversity. Thus, even a structurally simple landscape may provide diverse food for O. bicornis if the nest is located close to a single but resource-diverse patch. Both B. napus and non-crop pollen were correlated with pesticide concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Misiewicz
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, A. Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Łukasz Mikołajczyk
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, A. Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Agnieszka J Bednarska
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, A. Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland
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16
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MINERAL COMPOSITION OF BEE POLLEN AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH BOTANICAL ORIGIN AND HARVESTING PERIOD. J Food Compost Anal 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2023.105235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
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