Wind pollination over 70 years reduces the negative genetic effects of severe forest fragmentation in the tropical oak Quercus bambusifolia

Effect of sublethal doses of chlorantraniliprole on the activity of detoxification and protective enzymes in Galleria Mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Galleria mellonella Linnaeus (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a pest that feeds on the spleen of honey bee nests worldwide. In this study, the toxicity of chlorantraniliprole (CAP) to G. mellonella was determined by ingestion toxicity and contact toxicity methods. We compared the effects of sublethal doses of CAP on the activity of major detoxification and protective enzymes as well as gene expression of related enzymes under the 2 treatment methods. The median lethal concentrations of CAP administered using ingestion toxicity and contact toxicity methods were 217.666 and 50.453 mg L-1, respectively. Compared with the control group, both methods increased the activities of carboxylesterase (CarE) and cytochrome P450 (CYP450), decreased the activities of glutathione S-transferase (GST) and peroxidase (POD), and had no effect on catalase activity. Superoxide dismutase activity decreased under ingestion toxicity but remained unchanged under contact toxicity. Significant changes were observed in the gene expression levels of detoxification and protective enzymes under both treatment methods; the expression levels of GmCarE4a, GmCarE2a, GmCarE1f, and GmPOD1a were significantly upregulated, whereas those of GmGST2a and GmGST2b were significantly downregulated. CAP exhibited both ingestion toxicity and contact toxicity against G. mellonella, with better contact toxicity effects. Galleria mellonella responded to CAP stress by adjusting enzyme activities (increasing CarE and CYP450 activities and decreasing GST and POD activities) and related gene expression levels (upregulating the relative expression levels of GmCarE4a, GmCarE2a, GmCarE1f, and GmPOD1a and downregulating those of GmGST2a and GmGST2b). The findings from the 2 distinct poisoning methods offer a scientific foundation for optimizing the application of CAP in the effective control of G. mellonella, while also providing valuable insights into the development of CAP resistance.

Distinct fungal microbiomes of two Thai commercial stingless bee species, Lepidotrigona terminata and Tetragonula pagdeni suggest a possible niche separation in a shared habitat

Stingless bees, a social corbiculate bee member, play a crucial role in providing pollination services. Despite their importance, the structure of their microbiome, particularly the fungal communities, remains poorly understood. This study presents an initial characterization of the fungal community associated with two Thai commercial stingless bee species, Lepidotrigona terminata (Smith) and Tetragonula pagdeni (Schwarz) from Chiang Mai, Thailand. Utilizing ITS amplicon sequencing, we identified distinct fungal microbiomes in these two species. Notably, fungi from the phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Mucoromycota, Mortierellomycota, and Rozellomycota were present. The most dominant genera, which varied significantly between species, included Candida and Starmerella. Additionally, several key enzymes associated with energy metabolism, structural strength, and host defense reactions, such as adenosine triphosphatase, alcohol dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, chitinase, and peptidylprolyl isomerase, were predicted. Our findings not only augment the limited knowledge of the fungal microbiome in Thai commercial stingless bees but also provide insights for their sustainable management through understanding their microbiome.

Overview of Bee Pollination and Its Economic Value for Crop Production

Simple Summary

There is a rising demand for food security in the face of threats posed by a growing human population. Bees as an insect play a crucial role in crop pollination alongside other animal pollinators such as bats, birds, beetles, moths, hoverflies, wasps, thrips, and butterflies and other vectors such as wind and water. Bees contribute to the global food supply via pollinating a wide range of crops, including fruits, vegetables, oilseeds, legumes, etc. The economic benefit of bees to food production per year was reported including the cash crops, i.e., coffee, cocoa, almond and soybean, compared to self-pollination. Bee pollination improves the quality and quantity of fruits, nuts, and oils. Bee colonies are faced with many challenges that influence their growth, reproduction, and sustainability, particularly climate change, pesticides, land use, and management strength, so it is important to highlight these factors for the sake of gainful pollination.

Abstract

Pollination plays a significant role in the agriculture sector and serves as a basic pillar for crop production. Plants depend on vectors to move pollen, which can include water, wind, and animal pollinators like bats, moths, hoverflies, birds, bees, butterflies, wasps, thrips, and beetles. Cultivated plants are typically pollinated by animals. Animal-based pollination contributes to 30% of global food production, and bee-pollinated crops contribute to approximately one-third of the total human dietary supply. Bees are considered significant pollinators due to their effectiveness and wide availability. Bee pollination provides excellent value to crop quality and quantity, improving global economic and dietary outcomes. This review highlights the role played by bee pollination, which influences the economy, and enlists the different types of bees and other insects associated with pollination.

Quercus Conservation Genetics and Genomics: Past, Present, and Future

Quercus species (oaks) have been an integral part of the landscape in the northern hemisphere for millions of years. Their ability to adapt and spread across different environments and their contributions to many ecosystem services is well documented. Human activity has placed many oak species in peril by eliminating or adversely modifying habitats through exploitative land usage and by practices that have exacerbated climate change. The goal of this review is to compile a list of oak species of conservation concern, evaluate the genetic data that is available for these species, and to highlight the gaps that exist. We compiled a list of 124 Oaks of Concern based on the Red List of Oaks 2020 and the Conservation Gap Analysis for Native U.S. Oaks and their evaluations of each species. Of these, 57% have been the subject of some genetic analysis, but for most threatened species (72%), the only genetic analysis was done as part of a phylogenetic study. While nearly half (49%) of published genetic studies involved population genetic analysis, only 16 species of concern (13%) have been the subject of these studies. This is a critical gap considering that analysis of intraspecific genetic variability and genetic structure are essential for designing conservation management strategies. We review the published population genetic studies to highlight their application to conservation. Finally, we discuss future directions in Quercus conservation genetics and genomics.