Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Frequency-dependent Selection

Frequency-dependent Selection

When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

New records of wild bees from a spring expedition in southern Türkiye, with six new species for the country (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Anthophila).

Biodiversity data journal·2026

Same author

The new annotated checklist of the wild bees of Europe (Hymenoptera: Anthophila)-version 2025.

Zootaxa·2026

Same author

An updated checklist of the wild bees of Morocco (Hymenoptera: Anthophila).

Zootaxa·2026

Same author

Flower-rich and diverse road verges support pollinators, but traffic speed limits the ecological benefits across Europe.

Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America·2026

Same author

EU Omnibus proposal increases pesticide risks.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026

Same author

Sex-specific median lethal dose (LD50) in bumble bee adults orally and topically exposed to two insecticides and one fungicide.

Environmental toxicology and chemistry·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Empirical, Metagenomic, and Computational Techniques Illuminate the Mechanisms by which Fungicides Compromise Bee Health

Empirical, Metagenomic, and Computational Techniques Illuminate the Mechanisms by which Fungicides Compromise Bee Health

Published on: October 9, 2017

Diet effects on bumblebee health.

Nathalie Roger¹, Denis Michez¹, Ruddy Wattiez²

¹Research Institute for Biosciences, Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons - UMONS, Place du Parc 20, B-7000 Mons, Belgium.

Journal of Insect Physiology

|November 13, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Poor pollen diets negatively impact bumblebee health, reducing growth and increasing disease susceptibility. This highlights the critical need for nutritious pollen sources for these vital pollinators.

Keywords:

Bumblebee Floral resources Immune system Immunocompetence Pollen diet

More Related Videos

Evaluating the Effect of Environmental Chemicals on Honey Bee Development from the Individual to Colony Level

Evaluating the Effect of Environmental Chemicals on Honey Bee Development from the Individual to Colony Level

Published on: April 1, 2017

A 3D Printed Pollen Trap for Bumble Bee Bombus Hive Entrances

A 3D Printed Pollen Trap for Bumble Bee Bombus Hive Entrances

Published on: July 9, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Empirical, Metagenomic, and Computational Techniques Illuminate the Mechanisms by which Fungicides Compromise Bee Health

Empirical, Metagenomic, and Computational Techniques Illuminate the Mechanisms by which Fungicides Compromise Bee Health

Published on: October 9, 2017

Evaluating the Effect of Environmental Chemicals on Honey Bee Development from the Individual to Colony Level

Evaluating the Effect of Environmental Chemicals on Honey Bee Development from the Individual to Colony Level

Published on: April 1, 2017

A 3D Printed Pollen Trap for Bumble Bee Bombus Hive Entrances

A 3D Printed Pollen Trap for Bumble Bee Bombus Hive Entrances

Published on: July 9, 2020

Area of Science:

Ecology
Immunology
Entomology

Background:

Immunity is energetically expensive for invertebrates.
Insect immunocompetence is influenced by diet, pesticides, and genetics.
Bombus terrestris (bumblebees) are crucial pollinators facing dietary challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of poor pollen diets on Bombus terrestris health.
To assess behavioral, humoral, and cellular immune responses at colony and individual levels.
To understand how nutritional stress affects bumblebee immunocompetence.

Main Methods:

Studied Bombus terrestris colonies and individuals.
Assessed larval and pupal mass.
Measured larval ejection rates.
Quantified adult constitutive immunity using prophenoloxidase assays.

Main Results:

Poor pollen diets reduced larval and pupal masses.
Larval ejection increased under poor diet conditions.
Adult constitutive immunity (prophenoloxidase activity) was elevated.
Nutritional stress may increase bumblebee susceptibility to disease.

Conclusions:

Nutritional stress from poor pollen diets compromises bumblebee health and immunity.
The quality of pollen sources is critical for bumblebee immunocompetence and survival.
Conservation efforts should prioritize plant species providing nutritionally adequate pollen for bumblebees.