Cryptic species and hidden ecological interactions of halictine bees along an elevational gradient.

Changes of abiotic and biotic conditions along elevational gradients represent serious challenges to organisms which may promote the turnover of species, traits and biotic interaction partners. Here, we used molecular methods to study cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles, biotic interactions and phylogenetic relationships of halictid bees of the genus along a 2,900 m elevational gradient at Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

Linking pollen foraging of megachilid bees to their nest bacterial microbiota.

Unlabelled: Solitary bees build their nests by modifying the interior of natural cavities, and they provision them with food by importing collected pollen. As a result, the microbiota of the solitary bee nests may be highly dependent on introduced materials. In order to investigate how the collected pollen is associated with the nest microbiota, we used metabarcoding of the ITS2 rDNA and the 16S rDNA to simultaneously characterize the pollen composition and the bacterial communities of 100 solitary bee nest chambers belonging to seven megachilid species.

Bacterial community structure and succession in nests of two megachilid bee genera.

Studies on honeybees have revealed bacterial taxa which adopt key functions in the hive, in terms of nutrient uptake and immune responses. Despite solitary bees providing invaluable ecological services, the contribution of their microbial communities to larval health and the development and fitness of adults is mainly unknown. To address this gap, we conducted a 16S rDNA meta-barcoding study including larvae and stored pollen in nest chambers from two different megachilid solitary bee genera.

Increased efficiency in identifying mixed pollen samples by meta-barcoding with a dual-indexing approach.

Background: Meta-barcoding of mixed pollen samples constitutes a suitable alternative to conventional pollen identification via light microscopy. Current approaches however have limitations in practicability due to low sample throughput and/or inefficient processing methods, e.g.

Diverse microbiota identified in whole intact nest chambers of the red mason bee Osmia bicornis (Linnaeus 1758).

Microbial activity is known to have profound impact on bee ecology and physiology, both by beneficial and pathogenic effects. Most information about such associations is available for colony-building organisms, and especially the honey bee. There, active manipulations through worker bees result in a restricted diversity of microbes present within the colony environment.

Evidence of a novel immune responsive protein in the Hymenoptera.

Honeybee populations are severely threatened by parasites and diseases. Recent outbreaks of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has caused loss of more than 35% of bee colonies in the USA, and this is thought to at least in part be due to parasites and/or disease. Interestingly, the honeybee possesses of a limited set of immune genes compared to other insects.