(Twitter, Kelsey K. Graham, PhD @kelsey_k_graham) “New paper out showing benefits of wildflower plantings on fruit farms for stem-nesting #bees. Nesting almost exclusively at farms with plantings, though bees often used ‘volunteer’ species for pollen collection (not seeded species!).” The original paper.
(Vanderbilt University) There has long been a connection between neonicotinoid pesticides and their lethal effect on bees. New research shows that honey bees that ingest nonlethal levels of neonics are losing sleep. That disruption of their circadian rhythm causes the bees to lose their sense of time and navigation, leading to broader stress within highly social bee populations and lower hive survival rates.
(Twitter, Michael Orr @mc_orr) “Biomass or abundance are not the whole story, not even half of it! Species identification is critical. We need to know what the species are to conserve them.” The original paper.
(Phys.org, Flinders University) A new study has identified two species of Australian bee that have adapted their vision for night-time conditions. Both species have developed enlarged compound and simple eyes which allow more light to be gathered when compared to their daytime kin. “Before this study, the only way to show that a bee had adapted to low-light was by using difficult-to-obtain behavioral observations, but we have found that you should be able to figure this out by using high-quality images of a specific bee.”
(Twitter, usnativebees @usnativebees) “Please check out our new RCN website: usnativebees.com. We will be adding a member directory + other features soon”
(Twitter, Zach Portman @zachportman) “I was interviewed about bee monitoring for the first blog post of the new RCN website. Check it out for your daily dose of controversial bee opinions”
(Twitter, Kathryn A. LeCroy @BeesYall) “My first publication from my PhD is out today: wild native mason bees (#Osmia) are not doing well while exotic mason bees are #thriving in the Mid-Atlantic US.” The original paper.
(ScienceDaily, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena) A research group has discovered that insects have a decisive influence on the biodiversity and flowering phases of plants. If there is a lack of insects where the plants are growing, their flowering behavior changes. This can result in the lifecycles of the insects and the flowering periods of the plants no longer coinciding. If the insects seek nectar, some plants will no longer be pollinated.
(ScienceDaily, University of California, Davis) Since the 1950s, ‘Africanized’ honeybees have spread north and south across the Americas until apparently coming to a halt in California and northern Argentina. Now genome sequencing of hundreds of bees from the northern and southern limits shows a gradual decline in African ancestry across hundreds of miles, rather than an abrupt shift.
