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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Logan, Utah » Pollinating Insect-Biology, Management, Systematics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #342498
Title: Evaluating the persistence of fluorescent and protein powders on adult blue orchard bees, Osmia lignaria (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), for mark-capture studies

Author
item Boyle, Natalie
item Machtley, Scott
item Hagler, James
item Pitts Singer, Theresa

Submitted to: Apidologie
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/20/2018
Publication Date: 2/28/2018
Citation: Boyle, N.K., Machtley, S.A., Hagler, J.R., Pitts-Singer, T. 2018. Evaluating the persistence of fluorescent and protein powders on adult blue orchard bees, Osmia lignaria (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), for mark-capture studies. Apidologie. 49(3):378-385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-018-0564-4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-018-0564-4

Interpretive Summary: The managed, solitary, blue orchard bee is an efficient pollinator of orchard crops. One limitation to their commercial success is high dispersal of populations away from orchards, resulting in low establishment in provided nest cavities even when optimal pollination is achieved. While exact causes for dispersal are unknown, many existing theories remain untested due to complications with evaluating blue orchard bee establishment in field settings. We describe simple and reliable methods for marking blue orchard bee with two types of powdered proteins (egg and milk proteins) combined with orange fluorescent powder as they emerge from cocoons. Marked adults were examined visually at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 days after emergence for the fluorescent powder followed by a laboratory assay to detect the protein powders. The orange powder and egg protein were very durable and were detected on adults throughout the 18-day study, suggesting the reliability of these markers for studying dispersal and retention of blue orchard bees in the field.

Technical Abstract: The managed, solitary bee, Osmia lignaria Say, is an efficient pollinator of orchard crops. One limitation to their commercial success is high dispersal of populations away from orchards, resulting in low establishment in provided nest cavities even when optimal pollination is achieved. While exact causes for dispersal are unknown, many existing theories remain untested due to complications with evaluating O. lignaria establishment in field settings. We describe simple and reliable methods for marking O. lignaria with egg albumin and casein powdered proteins combined with orange fluorescent powder as they emerge from cocoons. Marked adults were examined visually at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 days after emergence for the fluorescent powder followed by an anti-albumin and anti-casein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect the protein powders. The orange powder and egg albumin were highly persistent on adults throughout the 18-day study, suggesting the reliability of these markers for studying dispersal and retention of O. lignaria in the field.