Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 12, 2025
08:42
Methods for Comparing Nutrients in Beebread Made by Africanized and European Honey Bees and the Effects on Hemolymph Protein Titers
Published on: March 17, 2015
11.0K
Diverse Diets with Consistent Core Microbiome in Wild Bee Pollen Provisions.
Rebecca M Dew1, Quinn S McFrederick2, Sandra M Rehan1
1Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada.
Insects
|August 8, 2020
Summary
Wild bees like the small carpenter bee (Ceratina calcarata) maintain consistent gut microbes across their range, regardless of local pollen or climate. This suggests conserved microbial communities are key to bee health.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Microbiology
- Entomology
- Pollinator Health
Background:
- Wild bees are crucial pollinators, obtaining microbes from their environment.
- Understanding wild bee diets and associated microbes is limited.
- Pollen provisions are vital for bee offspring development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if pollen and microbial composition in bee diets vary geographically.
- To investigate the floral resources and associated bacteria of the widespread bee Ceratina calcarata.
Main Methods:
- Amplicon sequencing of pollen provisions from Ceratina calcarata populations.
- Analysis of bacterial genera associated with pollen across different sites.
- Comparison of floral use and nesting substrate preferences.
Main Results:
- Ceratina calcarata utilized diverse floral resources across its range.
- Bacterial genera in pollen provisions were highly consistent across populations.
- Key bacteria included Acinetobacter, Erwinia, Lactobacillus, Sodalis, Sphingomonas, and Wolbachia.
Conclusions:
- Microbial communities in bee brood provisions are conserved within the species.
- Microbial composition is not primarily driven by climate or local pollen.
- Conserved microbes likely play a significant role in larval health and adaptation.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Microbial Nutrition
876
Organisms exhibit remarkable metabolic diversity, categorized based on how they acquire energy and carbon. These strategies enable survival in various ecological niches and are essential for maintaining energy flow and nutrient cycling within ecosystems.Energy and Carbon SourcesOrganisms are classified as phototrophs or chemotrophs based on energy acquisition. Phototrophs use light as their energy source, while chemotrophs rely on oxidizing chemical compounds. Further differentiation arises...
876
01:27Diversity of Protists IV
618
Amoebozoa represent a diverse group of terrestrial and aquatic protists that utilize lobe-shaped pseudopodia for locomotion and feeding. This characteristic differentiates them from the Rhizaria, which possess threadlike pseudopodia. The primary classifications within Amoebozoa include gymnamoebas, entamoebas, and the plasmodial and cellular slime molds. Phylogenetic evidence indicates that Amoebozoa diverged from a lineage that ultimately gave rise to fungi and animals.Gymnamoebas and...
618
01:27Diversity of Protists III
614
Rhizaria are a diverse group of unicellular protists characterized by their threadlike cytoplasmic extensions known as pseudopodia. These structures aid in both locomotion and feeding, giving Rhizaria an amoeboid appearance. Their amoeboid morphology once led to taxonomic confusion, but molecular phylogenetics has clarified their evolutionary placement and emphasized their shared use of pseudopodia despite divergent lineages.This clade comprises diverse lineages such as Chlorarachniophyta,...
614
01:29Diversity of Archaea IV
313
Hyperthermophilic archaea are a group of extremophiles thriving at temperatures above 80°C, often in hydrothermal vents and volcanic soils where conditions surpass the boiling point of water. At such temperatures, proteins, membranes, and DNA in most organisms degrade, but hyperthermophiles have evolved remarkable adaptations to maintain stability and function.Unique Cellular FeaturesHyperthermophilic membranes are composed of a monolayer of biphytanyl tetraether lipids, which resist...
313
01:15Diversity of Protists I
700
Excavata is a diverse group of protists that includes both chemoorganotrophic and phototrophic species, with some thriving in anaerobic environments. Among the key groups within Excavata are diplomonads and parabasalids, which are flagellated protists that lack mitochondria and chloroplasts. These microorganisms typically inhabit anoxic environments, such as the intestines of animals, where they exist either symbiotically or as parasites, relying on fermentation for energy production. Some...
700
01:27Diversity of Archaea III
239
Crenarchaeota, a prominent phylum of Archaea, is remarkable for its ability to thrive in extreme environments characterized by high temperatures and acidity. These microorganisms inhabit sulfuric hot springs, volcanic systems, and submarine hydrothermal vents, where temperatures often exceed 100°C. The unique adaptations of Crenarchaeota not only allow survival under such extreme conditions but also provide insights into the mechanisms of life in primordial Earth-like...
239