Location: Weed and Insect Biology Research
Project Number: 3060-30500-001-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Jan 7, 2025
End Date: Jan 6, 2030
Objective:
Objective 1: Develop storage technologies and post-storage quality control methods, including cryopreservation of insect germplasm and low-temperature storage of solitary pollinators.
1.A: Honey Bees – Studies on pre-and post-cryopreserved embryonic development and the effects of seminal plasma additives on the spermathecal physiology.
1.B: Bumble Bees – Male reproductive Physiology, Queen Rearing and Artificial Insemination.
Objective 2: Characterize organismal physiology of diapause development and abiotic stress responses to isolate biomarkers and inform management practices of economically important species such as solitary pollinators.
Subobjective 2A: Characterize physiological responses to sublethal abiotic stress in Megachile rotundata and other important insects to identify candidate stress biomarkers.
Sub-Objective 2B: Describe factors influencing diapause and dormancy in Megachile rotundata and other important insects.
Objective 3: Develop quality control biomarkers for important bee species through characterization of developmental and physiological sub-lethal effects resulting from storage and assess how sublethal effects influence adult bee performance and reproductive physiology.
Sub-Objective 3.A: Develop a comprehensive and accessible predictive model for alfalfa leafcutting bee spring incubation.
Sub-Objective 3B: Characterize the effects of early lifestage nutrition and field conditions on progeny storability during diapause in Megachile rotundata and other important insects.
Approach:
Bees pollinate approximately one third of all agricultural crops and are essential components of the world’s terrestrial ecosystems. Due to several interacting factors, the number of managed honey bee colonies has dropped precipitously worldwide, and other managed species have shown signs of stress as well. Bee populations managed for pollination services encounter a multitude of stressors that may not be lethal, but can lead to developmental, behavioral, and physical abnormalities that decrease their ability to function as efficient pollinators. However, the nuances of these stressors and their effects are not understood well enough to develop strategies to improve bee health. Unfortunately, the worldwide decline of bee populations is not unique to managed species, as many wild species have shown recent dramatic decreases as well. These decreases give rise to the real risk of losing genetic diversity for both managed and wild populations, which may in turn hasten their demise. Despite their critical importance to both agriculturally dominated and natural ecosystems, a germplasm repository exists only for honey bees, and that remains in its infancy. The goals of this project are to deliver high quality pollinators to the end users by improving our understanding of their lifecycles, reducing management-induced stressors, developing improved management tools, and to establish user friendly cryopreservation techniques for both honey bees and non-Apis species. Specifically, we propose to 1) advance cryopreservation protocols for honey bees and develop additional protocols for bumble bees and other insects of importance, 2) characterize the overwintering physiology of the alfalfa leafcutting bee 3) characterize the physiological responses to abiotic stressors in pollinators, 4) determine how the diet of a bee early in its life can affect pollination efficiency later in life, and 5) develop predictive modeling tools to assist pollination managers in making sound decisions.
