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Solitary Bees Host More Bacteria and Fungi on Their Cuticle than Social Bees

Markus Thamm1, Fabienne Reiß2, Leon Sohl2

  • 1Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany.

Microorganisms
|November 25, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Solitary bees have more complex body microbiomes than social honeybees. This difference is influenced by plant interactions, lifestyle, and climate adaptation, impacting bee health.

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Microbiology
  • Entomology

Background:

  • Bees interact with diverse microbes from floral resources during foraging.
  • Social bees like the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera) possess social immunity, unlike solitary bees such as the red mason bee (Osmia bicornis).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the cuticular microbiomes of the social honeybee (Apis mellifera) and the solitary bee (Osmia bicornis).
  • To investigate the influence of lifestyle and environmental factors on bee cuticular microbial communities.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized high-throughput amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS genes.
  • Analyzed the cuticular microbiomes of Apis mellifera (including European subspecies) and Osmia bicornis.

Main Results:

  • The solitary Osmia bicornis exhibited a significantly more complex cuticular microbiome than the social Apis mellifera.
  • Apis mellifera subspecies showed similar microbiome compositions, but subspecies adapted to warmer climates had higher fungal diversity and numbers.
  • Cuticular microbiome complexity is influenced by plant-pollinator interactions, bee lifestyle, and thermal adaptation.

Conclusions:

  • Bee cuticular microbiome structure is shaped by floral resources, social behavior, and adaptation to temperature.
  • Findings highlight the importance of these factors for bee health, particularly in the context of global climate change.
Keywords:
cuticular microbiomehoneybeered mason bee

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