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

Pollination and Flower Structure

Pollination and Flower Structure

Flowers are the reproductive, seed-producing structures of angiosperms. Typically, flowers consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals and petals are the vegetative flower organs. Stamens and carpels are the reproductive organs.

Genetics of Speciation

Genetics of Speciation

Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.

Altruism

Altruism

Altruistic behaviors are “unselfish” behaviors—those that help another individual at the expense of the individual carrying out the behavior. Despite the negative consequences for the altruistic animal, these behaviors are thought to have evolved for several reasons.

Inclusive Fitness

Inclusive Fitness

Most altruistic behavior—in which one animal helps another at a cost to themselves—occurs between relatives. Scientists think these altruistic behaviors evolved because they increase the inclusive fitness of the animal providing help.

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Variation in tolerance to heterospecific pollen from a non-native congener depends on co-existence history of maternal and paternal source populations.

American journal of botany·2025

Same author

Insecticide susceptibility of Japanese mason bees (<i>Osmia</i> spp.) <i>versus</i> that of the western honey bee (<i>Apis mellifera</i>).

Journal of pesticide science·2025

Same author

No Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Urban Wildlife of Hokkaido, Japan.

Transboundary and emerging diseases·2025

Same author

Genetic population structure of the Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, in Japan.

Experimental & applied acarology·2024

Same author

Survivability and life support in sealed mini-ecosystems with simulated planetary soils.

Scientific reports·2024

Same author

The impact of landscape structure on pesticide exposure to honey bees.

Nature communications·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 3, 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

ALIEN BUMBLE BEE AFFECTS NATIVE PLANT REPRODUCTION THROUGH INTERACTIONS WITH NATIVE BUMBLE BEES.

Ikumi Dohzono¹, Yoko Kawate Kunitake², Jun Yokoyama¹

¹Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Biological Institute, Graduate School of Life Science, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578 Japan.

|November 27, 2019

Summary

Invasive bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) disrupt native plant reproduction by nectar robbing, reducing seed set in Corydalis ambigua. Native bumble bees are less effective pollinators when nectar robbing is frequent.

Keywords:

Bombus terrestris Corydalis ambigua competition fruit set invasive alien pollinator native plants pollen limitation seed set visitation frequency

More Related Videos

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

A Push-pull Protocol to Reduce Colonization of Bird Nest Boxes by Honey Bees

A Push-pull Protocol to Reduce Colonization of Bird Nest Boxes by Honey Bees

Published on: September 4, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 3, 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

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

A Push-pull Protocol to Reduce Colonization of Bird Nest Boxes by Honey Bees

A Push-pull Protocol to Reduce Colonization of Bird Nest Boxes by Honey Bees

Published on: September 4, 2016

Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Conservation Biology

Background:

Native plant reproduction can be threatened by invasive species that disrupt established mutualisms.
Bumble bees are key pollinators, but invasive species may alter these interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of the invasive bumble bee Bombus terrestris on the pollination and reproduction of the native plant Corydalis ambigua.
To compare the pollination effectiveness of native bumble bees (Bombus ardens, Bombus hypocrita) and the invasive B. terrestris.

Main Methods:

Field observations of bumble bee visitation frequency and behavior on C. ambigua at five sites in Hokkaido, Japan.
Comparison of fruit and seed set under cross- and open pollination conditions.
Assessment of nectar robbing behavior by analyzing spur perforations.

Main Results:

The invasive Bombus terrestris and native Bombus hypocrita were nectar robbers, while Bombus ardens was a legitimate pollinator.
Nectar robbing by B. terrestris and B. hypocrita reduced fruit and seed set in C. ambigua.
Increased nectar robbing correlated with decreased visitation by the legitimate pollinator B. ardens, leading to pollen limitation.

Conclusions:

Invasive B. terrestris negatively impacts native plant reproduction by disrupting native bumble bee pollination mutualisms.
Nectar robbing behavior by invasive species can lead to reduced reproductive success in native plants.
Native plant-pollinator interactions are vulnerable to disruption by invasive species, potentially leading to novel, less effective pollination relationships.