A Bombus sonorus queen
Thermal ecology of social bee gut symbionts
A fascinating aspect of social bees is their ability to thermoregulate. Somewhat similarly to mammals, but unlike most insects, they can heat up, cool off, and precisely tune the temperature of their nests and bodies. Has this trait shaped the evolution of their symbionts' thermal niches? The thermal ecology of social bees and their symbionts is also of concern, as some species, especially bumble bees, are threatened by climate change. Will symbionts constrain bees' ability to cope with global warming? Check out our recent study in Proceedings B for answers!
A fascinating aspect of social bees is their ability to thermoregulate. Somewhat similarly to mammals, but unlike most insects, they can heat up, cool off, and precisely tune the temperature of their nests and bodies. Has this trait shaped the evolution of their symbionts' thermal niches? The thermal ecology of social bees and their symbionts is also of concern, as some species, especially bumble bees, are threatened by climate change. Will symbionts constrain bees' ability to cope with global warming? Check out our recent study in Proceedings B for answers!
Gut microbiomes of neotropical bumble bees
There have now been dozens of studies on bumble bee gut microbes, but they have focused on a small number of temperate-zone species. Yet there are bumble bees throughout the neotropics, where they are important pollinators in some habitats. Are there novel ecological and evolutionary dynamics in the microbiomes of neotropical Bombus? To begin exploring this question, we have conducted field collections and microbiome sequencing for several species in Colombia. One interesting finding from this work is that many bees, even in high-altitude, protected areas, seem to exhibit "dysbiosis". This project is led by Nickole Villabona, a very talented undergraduate student at the Universidad de los Andes. Look out for a preprint in mid 2021!
There have now been dozens of studies on bumble bee gut microbes, but they have focused on a small number of temperate-zone species. Yet there are bumble bees throughout the neotropics, where they are important pollinators in some habitats. Are there novel ecological and evolutionary dynamics in the microbiomes of neotropical Bombus? To begin exploring this question, we have conducted field collections and microbiome sequencing for several species in Colombia. One interesting finding from this work is that many bees, even in high-altitude, protected areas, seem to exhibit "dysbiosis". This project is led by Nickole Villabona, a very talented undergraduate student at the Universidad de los Andes. Look out for a preprint in mid 2021!
Symbiont evolution in stingless bees
Stingless bees (Meliponini) are the most diverse clade of eusocial bee, making them a great system for comparative questions about microbiome evolution. They are also downright cool—some species feed on carrion, some are obligate raiders of other species' nests, some tend mealybugs for their honeydew, some are raised for honey in a practice known as meliponiculture—the list goes on. They have been thought to share the same ancestral gut symbionts as their corbiculate cousins, the honeybees and bumblebees. But in a collaboration led by Ph.D. candidate Alan Emanuel Silva Cerqueira of the Federal University of Viçosa, we have found that the situation is more dynamic, and puzzling, than that. Our work was recently published in ISME.
Stingless bees (Meliponini) are the most diverse clade of eusocial bee, making them a great system for comparative questions about microbiome evolution. They are also downright cool—some species feed on carrion, some are obligate raiders of other species' nests, some tend mealybugs for their honeydew, some are raised for honey in a practice known as meliponiculture—the list goes on. They have been thought to share the same ancestral gut symbionts as their corbiculate cousins, the honeybees and bumblebees. But in a collaboration led by Ph.D. candidate Alan Emanuel Silva Cerqueira of the Federal University of Viçosa, we have found that the situation is more dynamic, and puzzling, than that. Our work was recently published in ISME.
Crawfordapis luctuosa in Monteverde, Costa Rica
A fermentation mutualism in ground-nesting cellophane bees
In 2017, I heard about a certain cellophane bee (Colletidae) that has yeasty-smelling larval provisions (i.e. food the mom bee provides to her offspring). Are these bees akin to leafcutter ants, or Drosophila, in relying on microbes for their nutrition? To find out, I received a grant from National Geographic to explore the microbial associates of the fork- and feather-tongued bees (Diphaglossinae). This project is a collaboration with Bryan Danforth, Steve Buchmann, and Quinn McFrederick. Stay tuned for more updates about this project!
In 2017, I heard about a certain cellophane bee (Colletidae) that has yeasty-smelling larval provisions (i.e. food the mom bee provides to her offspring). Are these bees akin to leafcutter ants, or Drosophila, in relying on microbes for their nutrition? To find out, I received a grant from National Geographic to explore the microbial associates of the fork- and feather-tongued bees (Diphaglossinae). This project is a collaboration with Bryan Danforth, Steve Buchmann, and Quinn McFrederick. Stay tuned for more updates about this project!