Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jannik S. Moellmann, Thomas J. Colgan
Summary: Insect pollinators play a crucial role in ecosystems but face increasing environmental pressures. This study focuses on understanding the immune system of the red mason bee, Osmia bicornis, which is an important solitary bee pollinator. Through genomic analysis, the study identifies a set of more than 500 putative immune-related genes and explores the differences in gene expression and pesticide exposure between sexes. The results provide insights into the genomic architecture and regulation of immunity in O. bicornis, as well as the potential effects of neonicotinoids on immune gene expression.
INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jens Van Eeckhoven, Gavin J. Horsburgh, Deborah A. Dawson, Kathryn Mayer, Amanda Bretman, Elizabeth J. Duncan
Summary: Highly informative microsatellite markers were developed to assess genetic diversity in populations of the red mason bee, aiding in studies of genetic structure and diversity for conservation efforts in this species.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jaya Sravanthi Mokkapati, Agnieszka J. Bednarska, Ryszard Laskowski
Summary: This study examined the physiological and biochemical changes in female adult O. bicornis bees upon continuous oral exposure to three insecticide-based agrochemicals. The results showed that these agrochemicals altered the energetic budget of bees by depriving energy derived from lipids and carbohydrates, but did not affect the activities of specific enzymes.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Anna Misiewicz, Lukasz Mikolajczyk, Agnieszka J. Bednarska
Summary: The intensification of agriculture and the increase in pesticide use and land transformation have led to a decline in global insect populations, which has consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem services. This study investigated the effects of different agricultural intensities and landscape structures on the life history traits and insecticide sensitivity of red mason bees. The findings show that monoculture farming has carry-over effects on larval development but these effects disappear in the next generation.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biology
Sara Diana Leonhardt, Birte Peters, Alexander Keller
Summary: The performance and well-being of bees depend on access to sufficient and appropriate resources, such as pollen and nectar. Microbes in pollen play an important role in the dynamics of plant-pollen bee interaction, particularly by affecting nutrient composition. This study explores the correlations between the nutritional quality of pollen provisions and the bacterial community in the gut of the solitary bee Osmia bicornis. The results suggest that pollen-derived bacteria may play a role in fatty acid provisioning, which has been found to influence bee performance.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jaya Sravanthi Mokkapati, Agnieszka J. Bednarska, Ryszard Laskowski
Summary: Research indicates that insecticides have significant impacts on the survival and body mass of Osmia bicornis larvae, with specific insecticides potentially causing a shortened larval stage. Revisions to current pesticide usage recommendations are urgently needed.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Agnieszka J. Bednarska, Lukasz Mikolajczyk, Elzbieta Ziolkowska, Karolina Kocjan, Agnieszka Wnek, Jaya Sravanthi Mokkapati, Dariusz Teper, Piotr Kaczynski, Bozena Lozowicka, Renata Sliwinska, Ryszard Laskowski
Summary: Agricultural landscapes have undergone significant changes in recent decades, with a shift from small fields with diverse cropping systems to large-scale monoculture. This study investigated the effects of landscape structure on the life-history traits and sensitivity of bees, using artificial nests of the red mason bee placed in different landscape types. The results showed that landscape structure significantly influenced the life-history traits of bees, while pollen diversity had a minimal effect.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Monika Ostap-Chec, Justyna Kierat, Karolina Kuszewska, Michal Woyciechowski
Summary: In a field experiment, female solitary red mason bees were found to prefer nest sites with lower temperatures, as higher temperatures led to decreased offspring survival and weight loss in adult bees. Furthermore, hot nest temperatures appeared to deter adults or kill parasite larvae.
Article
Plant Sciences
Aleksandra Splitt, Piotr Skorka, Aneta Strachecka, Mikolaj Boranski, Dariusz Teper
Summary: The study showed that Osmia bicornis collects a more diverse range of pollen types in less urbanized environments, primarily from tree pollen, while in urban areas, the bees tend to collect more wind-dispersed pollen. The number of plant taxa may limit the studied bees, hence the need for planting more trees and Rosaceae family plants in urban areas.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Catia Ariana Henriques Martins, Ilaria Caliani, Antonella D'Agostino, Agata Di Noi, Silvia Casini, Martina Parrilli, Celeste Azpiazu, Jordi Bosch, Fabio Sgolastra
Summary: This study simulated the long-term exposure of bees to pesticides in agricultural ecosystems and evaluated the effects of insecticides and fungicides on bees. The results showed that the insecticide significantly reduced bee survival and neurological enzyme activity, while the fungicide caused a temporary decrease in syrup consumption and potential molecular alterations. Co-exposure did not increase toxicity. Acetylcholinesterase was identified as an effective biomarker for early detection of effects.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Megan K. McAulay, Saff Z. Killingsworth, Jessica R. K. Forrest
Summary: Specialized bee species can develop on non-host pollen, while other bees cannot survive on pollen from the Asteraceae family. The differences in survival do not seem to be related to nutritional deficiencies, but rather, Asteraceae specialists compensate for low-quality food by collecting more, suggesting a quantitative compensation rather than nutritional optimization as the reason for their survival.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Michael G. Branstetter, Andreas Mueller, Terry L. Griswold, Michael C. Orr, Chao-Dong Zhu
Summary: The mason bee subgenus Osmia is important for agriculture as managed pollinators and sources of non-native pollinators. Through phylogenomic analysis, researchers determined the phylogeny, divergence times, and biogeographic history of Osmia. Mitochondrial DNA results also revealed potential taxonomic synonymies within the species.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christine Cairns Fortuin, Elizabeth McCarty, Kamal J. K. Gandhi
Summary: The study found that acute exposure to imidacloprid residue in soil can negatively impact nesting behavior and mortality of blue orchard mason bees, especially with varying soil moisture levels.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jaya Sravanthi Mokkapati, Agnieszka Wnek, Ryszard Laskowski, Agnieszka Bednarska
Summary: Worldwide bee pollinators have declined in recent decades due to the widespread use of pesticides. The sensitivity of wild bees to pesticides is not well-studied, and there is an urgent need to ensure that pesticide usage does not harm pollinator populations.
POLISH JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jaya Sravanthi Mokkapati, Agnieszka J. Bednarska, Maciej Choczynski, Ryszard Laskowski
Summary: This study investigated the toxicokinetics (TK) of chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, and acetamiprid in solitary bees at sublethal concentrations. The results suggest that some insecticides can harm solitary bees when continuously exposed, even at trace concentrations in food due to their constant accumulation in the bees' bodies.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lorna J. Cole, David Kleijn, Lynn V. Dicks, Jane C. Stout, Simon G. Potts, Matthias Albrecht, Mario V. Balzan, Ignasi Bartomeus, Penelope J. Bebeli, Danilo Bevk, Jacobus C. Biesmeijer, Robert Chlebo, Anzelika Dautarte, Nikolaos Emmanouil, Chris Hartfield, John M. Holland, Andrea Holzschuh, Nieke T. J. Knoben, Aniko Kovacs-Hostyanszki, Yael Mandelik, Heleni Panou, Robert J. Paxton, Theodora Petanidou, Miguel A. A. Pinheiro de Carvalho, Maj Rundlof, Jean-Pierre Sarthou, Menelaos C. Stavrinides, Maria Jose Suso, Hajnalka Szentgyorgyi, Bernard E. Vaissiere, Androulla Varnava, Montserrat Vila, Romualdas Zemeckis, Jeroen Scheper
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Entomology
Filip Turza, Gabriela Zuber, Michal Bzoma, Monika Prus, Michal Filipiak, Krzysztof Miler
JOURNAL OF INSECT BEHAVIOR
(2020)
Article
Entomology
Lukasz Sobczyk, Michal Filipiak, Marcin Czarnoleski
Article
Environmental Sciences
Katarzyna Zieba, Elzbieta Szostak, Krystyna Czekonska, Pawel Miskowiec, Agnieszka Moos-Matysik, Anna Nyczyk-Malinowska, Hajnalka Szentgyorgyi
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michal Filipiak, Michal Woyciechowski, Marcin Czarnoleski
Summary: This study showed that different sexes of the solitary bee Osmia bicornis have distinct patterns of resource assimilation, allocation, and excretion. Sexual dimorphism in nutritional limitations due to nutrient scarcity during the larval stage may influence bee population function and should be considered in conservation efforts.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Zuzanna M. Filipiak, Michal Filipiak
Review
Ecology
Willem Proesmans, Matthias Albrecht, Anna Gajda, Peter Neumann, Robert J. Paxton, Maryline Pioz, Christine Polzin, Oliver Schweiger, Josef Settele, Hajnalka Szentgyorgyi, Hans-Hermann Thulke, Adam J. Vanbergen
Summary: Multiple global change pressures are causing plant-pollinator extinctions and altering disease dynamics. Flowers play a key role in pathogen transmission, and understanding the interplay between host-pathogen dynamics and global change is crucial for predicting impacts on ecosystems and human wellbeing.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Sarah M. Cairns, Steve D. Wratten, Michal Filipiak, Emiliano R. Veronesi, David J. Saville, Morgan W. Shields
Summary: Honey bees prefer a mixture of minerals with a high Na:K ratio, medium molarity of NaCl, and low molarity of other minerals. This highlights the importance of investigating mixed mineral 'dirty water' on a larger scale and the significance of a stoichiometrically balanced honey bee diet.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Ecology
M. A. Parreno, C. Alaux, J. -L. Brunet, L. Buydens, M. Filipiak, M. Henry, A. Keller, A. -M. Klein, M. Kuhlmann, C. Leroy, I. Meeus, E. Palmer-Young, N. Piot, F. Requier, F. Ruedenauer, G. Smagghe, P. C. Stevenson, S. D. Leonhardt
Summary: This article discusses the impact of human activities on wild bee populations and the interaction between bee health and nutrition. The authors define bee health as a multidimensional concept and propose a novel integrative framework linking bee biological traits and environmental factors. Studying the relationship between health and nutritional niches in different bee species can help predict their responses to environmental change.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Michal Filipiak, Aleksandra Walczynska, Bozena Denisow, Theodora Petanidou, Elzbieta Ziolkowska
Summary: To predict the quantity and quality of food available to pollinators in different landscapes, detailed data on plant flowering phenology and food resource production per unit area are necessary. The current knowledge on this subject is fragmented. This database represents the first compilation of data on various food resources produced by 1612 plant species.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zuzanna M. Filipiak, Bozena Denisow, Ernest Stawiarz, Michal Filipiak
Summary: We investigated the potential mechanism underlying the link between floral diversity/composition and wild bee performance, and found that the nutritional quality of bee larval food is indirectly connected to the species diversity and directly driven by the pollen species composition. Suboptimal concentrations of certain nutrients in pollen produced by specific plant species resulted in reduced bee fitness, but the negative effects were alleviated when scarce nutrients were added to these pollen diets.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Szilvia Czigle, Rita Filep, Ema Balazova, Hajnalka Szentgyorgyi, Viktoria Lilla Balazs, Marianna Kocsis, Dragica Purger, Nora Papp, Agnes Farkas
Summary: This study aimed to compare the antioxidant capacity of goldenrod honeys collected from three Central European countries. The highest radical-scavenging activity and flavonoid content were found in Hungarian honeys, while Slovak honeys exhibited medium antioxidant activity. Polish honeys displayed the lowest antioxidant activity.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Michal Filipiak, Zuzanna M. Filipiak
Summary: The application of ionomics and ecological stoichiometry in conservation biology is of great importance, as it helps address unresolved problems, promote better conservation and restoration strategies, and improve forecasting and mitigation of the negative effects of global change.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Michal Filipiak, Morgan W. Shields, Sarah M. Cairns, Megan N. C. Grainger, Stephen D. Wratten
Summary: This study found that plants may actively regulate the potassium and sodium ratio in pollen to affect interactions with pollinivorous pollinators. These findings broaden the understanding of plant-bee interactions and provide a foundation for a better understanding of the role of the soil-plant-pollen-pollinator pathway in nutrient cycling in ecosystems.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Zuzanna M. Filipiak, Jeff Ollerton, Michal Filipiak
Summary: Bees play a crucial role in ecosystems and face global threats, but our understanding of their ecology and evolution is limited. This article discusses the impact of the potassium-sodium ratio on bee ecology and evolution, and highlights the importance of considering this factor in future studies to gain new knowledge and effectively protect wild bees.