Neglecting non-bee pollinators may lead to substantial underestimation of competition risk among pollinators.

Due to the increasing pressures on bees, many beekeepers currently wish to move their managed livestock of Apis mellifera into little disturbed ecosystems such as protected natural areas. This may, however, exert detrimental competitive effects upon local wild pollinators. While it appears critical for land managers to get an adequate knowledge of this issue for effective wildlife conservation schemes, the frequency of this competition is not clear to date. Based on a systematic literature review of 96 studies, we assessed the frequency of exploitative competition between honey bees and wild pollinators. We found that 78% of the studies highlighted exploitative competition from honey bees to wild pollinators. Importantly, these studies have mostly explored competition with wild bees, while only 18% of them considered other pollinator taxa such as ants, beetles, bugs, butterflies, flies, moths, and wasps. The integration of non-bee pollinators into scientific studies and conservation plans is urgently required as they are critical for the pollination of many wild plants and crops. Interestingly, we found that a majority (88%) of these studies considering also non-bee pollinators report evidence of competition. Thus, neglecting non-bee pollinators could imply an underestimation of competition risks from honey bees. More inclusive work is needed to estimate the risks of competition in its entirety, but also to apprehend the context-dependency of competition so as to properly inform wildlife conservation schemes.

Functional trait mismatch between native and introduced bee pollinators servicing a global fruit crop.

BACKGROUND: Understanding connections between biodiversity and ecosystem services can be enhanced by shifting focus from species richness to functional trait-based approaches, that when paired with comparative phylogenetic methods can provide even deeper insights. We investigated the functional ecology and phylogenetic diversity of pollination services provided by hymenopteran insects visiting apple flowers in orchards surrounded by either 'natural' or 'disturbed' landscapes in New South Wales, Australia. We assessed whether morphological and behavioural traits (hairiness, body size, glossa length, pollen load purity, and probability of loose pollen) exhibited non-random phylogenetic patterns. Then, explored whether bees, the primary pollinators in this system, filled unique or overlapping functional entities (FEs). For each landscape, we calculated phylogenetic diversity and used FEs to assess functional richness, evenness, and diversion. RESULTS: A phylogenomic matrix based on ultraconserved elements (UCEs; 1,382,620 bp from 1,969 loci) was used to infer a fully-resolved and well-supported maximum likelihood phylogeny for 48 hymenopteran morphospecies. There was no significant difference in species richness between landscape categories. Pollinator communities at natural sites had higher phylogenetic complexity (X = 2.37) and functional divergence (x̄ = 0.74 ± 0.02 s.e.) than disturbed sites (X = 1.65 and x̄ = 0.6 ± 0.01 s.e.). Hairiness showed significant phylogenetic clustering (K = 0.94), whereas body size, glossa length, and loose pollen showed weaker non-random phylogenetic patterns (K between 0.3-0.5). Pollen load purity showed no association with phylogeny. The assemblage of 17 bee morphospecies comprised nine FEs: eight FEs consisted of native bees with three containing 65% of all native bee taxa. The introduced honey bee (Apis mellifera) occupied a unique FE, likely due to its different evolutionary history. Both landscape types supported six FEs each with three overlapping: two native bee FEs and the honey bee FE. CONCLUSIONS: Bee hairiness was the only functional trait to exhibit demonstrable phylogenetic signal. Despite differences in species richness, and functional and phylogenetic diversity between orchard landscape types, both maintained equal bee FE numbers. While no native bee taxon was analogous to the honey bee FE, four native bee FEs shared the same hairiness level as honey bees. Health threats to honey bee populations in Australia will likely disrupt pollination services to apple, and other pollination-dependent food crops, given the low level of functional redundancy within the investigated pollinator assemblages.

Understanding and comparing relative pesticide risk among North American wild bees from their association with agriculture.

In North America, approximately 21 % (739 species) of the total wild bee diversity is known to be associated with crops, with bee species varying in the extent of this association. While current evaluations of pesticide effects on bees primarily focus on a limited subset of species, a new focus is needed to ensure comprehensive protection of all wild bees in agricultural contexts. This study introduces a novel approach to characterize and compare the relative potential pesticide risk for wild bee species of their association with crops. Using intrinsic bee vulnerability traits and extrinsic factors like crop toxic loads and association strength, we calculated Bee-Crop Risk Scores for 594 wild bee species, identifying those experiencing the highest potential risk from pesticide exposure in North American agroecosystems. We discuss the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the relative potential risk calculated and outline avenues for refining our approach. As most species facing the highest potential risk from pesticide exposure across North America are ground-nesters, our study suggests that species (e.g., Osmia spp., Megachile spp.) commonly proposed as models for pesticide risk assessments may not accurately represent risk for those bee species facing the highest potential risk in agricultural contexts.

Genomic investigations of diverse corbiculate bee gut-associated Gilliamella reveal conserved pathways for energy metabolism, with diverse and variable energy sources.

Gilliamella is a genus of bacteria commonly found as symbionts of corbiculate bees. Research into energy metabolism by this genus has predominantly been done through in vivo and in vitro experiments focused on the type species Gilliamella apicola. This study examined 95 publicly available genomes representing at least 18 Gilliamella species isolated predominantly from the hindgut of corbiculate bees. Energy metabolism pathways were found to be highly conserved across not only the Gilliamella but also other members of the family Orbaceae. Evidence suggests Gilliamella are capable of fermentation of both fumarate and pyruvate. Fermentation of the former produces succinate. Fermentation of the latter can produce acetate, ethanol, formate, and both isoforms of lactate for all Gilliamella and acetoin for some G. apicola strains. According to genomic evidence examined, all Gilliamella are only capable of respiration under microoxic conditions, while higher oxygen conditions likely inhibits respiration. Evidence suggests that the glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways are essential mechanisms for the metabolism of energy sources, with the TCA cycle playing little to no role in energy metabolism for all Gilliamella species. Uptake of energy sources, i.e. sugars and derivatives, likely relies predominantly on the phosphoenol-pyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system. Differences in the utilized energy sources may confer fitness advantages associated with specific host species.

Intraspecific and interspecific resource partitioning between bumblebee workers and males related to nectar quantity and quality.

Bumblebees are important pollinators for many natural and agricultural systems in temperate regions. Interspecific and intraspecific variation in floral resource preferences have been proposed to influence bumblebee community structure. In particular, sexual dimorphism is a major source of intraspecific niche variation. Although interspecific resource partitioning is well studied, few studies have explored the intraspecific dynamics between workers and males. Here, we report a study on a total of 11 528 workers and 2220 males of 14 bumblebee species recorded over 5 years in the Hengduan Mountains of Southwest China. We first compared the potential for interspecific and intraspecific competition between workers and males using visitation records and resource partitioning indices (overlap index). We then evaluated the influence of nectar traits on flower preference, including nectar volume and the levels of hexose, sucrose and 10 essential amino acids (EAAs). We found that the niche overlap between intraspecific workers and males was higher than that between different species, and temporal overlap alone did not strongly determine diet overlap. Males of most species preferred flowers with high levels of EAAs and hexose, whereas workers of some species preferred flowers with high nectar volume and sucrose levels. This study suggests that there is floral resource partitioning among bumblebee species, and between workers and males, which may play a key role in alleviating interspecific and intraspecific competition. These findings also provide a useful guide for which kinds of plants might be most valuable for bumblebees, especially the understudied males, in this biodiversity hotspot.

How does climate change impact social bees and bee sociality?

Climatic factors are known to shape the expression of social behaviours. Likewise, variation in social behaviour can dictate climate responses. Understanding interactions between climate and sociality is crucial for forecasting vulnerability and resilience to climate change across animal taxa. These interactions are particularly relevant for taxa like bees that exhibit a broad diversity of social states. An emerging body of literature aims to quantify bee responses to environmental change with respect to variation in key functional traits, including sociality. Additionally, decades of research on environmental drivers of social evolution may prove fruitful for predicting shifts in the costs and benefits of social strategies under climate change. In this review, we explore these findings to ask two interconnected questions: (a) how does sociality mediate vulnerability to climate change, and (b) how might climate change impact social organisation in bees? We highlight traits that intersect with bee sociality that may confer resilience to climate change (e.g. extended activity periods, diet breadth, behavioural thermoregulation) and we generate predictions about the impacts of climate change on the expression and distribution of social phenotypes in bees. The social evolutionary consequences of climate change will be complex and heterogeneous, depending on such factors as local climate and plasticity of social traits. Many contexts will see an increase in the frequency of eusocial nesting as warming temperatures accelerate development and expand the temporal window for rearing a worker brood. More broadly, climate-mediated shifts in the abiotic and biotic selective environments will alter the costs and benefits of social living in different contexts, with cascading impacts at the population, community and ecosystem levels.

Exposure to sublethal levels of insecticide-fungicide mixtures affect reproductive success and population growth rates in the solitary bee Osmia cornuta.

In agricultural environments, bees are routinely exposed to combinations of pesticides. For the most part, exposure to these pesticide mixtures does not result in acute lethal effects, but we know very little about potential sublethal effects and their consequences on reproductive success and population dynamics. In this study, we orally exposed newly emerged females of the solitary bee Osmia cornuta to environmentally-relevant levels of acetamiprid (a cyano-substituted neonicotinoid insecticide) singly and in combination with tebuconazole (a sterol-biosynthesis inhibitor (SBI) fungicide). The amount of feeding solution consumed during the exposure phase was lowest in bees exposed to the pesticide mixture. Following exposure, females were individually marked and released into oilseed rape field cages to monitor their nesting performance and assess their reproductive success. The nesting performance and reproductive success of bees exposed to the fungicide or the insecticide alone were similar to those of control bees and resulted in a 1.3-1.7 net population increases. By contrast, bees exposed to the pesticide mixture showed lower establishment, shortened nesting period, and reduced fecundity. Together, these effects led to a 0.5-0.6 population decrease. Female establishment and shortened nesting period were the main population bottlenecks. We found no effects of the pesticide mixture on nest provisioning rate, offspring body weight or sex ratio. Our study shows how sublethal pesticide exposure may affect several components of bee reproductive success and, ultimately, population growth. Our results calls for a rethinking of pollinator risk assessment schemes, which should target not only single compounds but also combinations of compounds likely to co-occur in agricultural environments.

Landscape crop diversity contributes to higher pollination effectiveness and positively affects rapeseed quality in Mediterranean agricultural landscapes.

Pollination is crucial for biodiversity and food security. Heterogeneous agricultural landscapes have a positive effect on pollinator abundance and enhance crop production and quality. In this study, we explored the effects of three landscape features (past crop diversity measured as the Equivalent Richness of crop functional Groups in the previous year [ERGp], semi-natural habitat percentage [SNH], and mean field size [MFS]) and pollinator densities (wild bees [WB] and honey bees [HB]) on pollination and seed quantity and quality in rapeseed crops. Surveying the pollinator density in 20 rapeseed fields revealed a positive relationship with ERGp in the landscape. A pollinator exclusion experiment compared bagged and open-pollinated self-compatible rapeseed plants and revealed insect pollination effectiveness (fruits per flower and number of seeds per pod) and seed quality (oil content). Seed parameters were evaluated in relation to pollinator density (WB-HB) and landscape characteristics. The ERGp emerged as a crucial landscape feature that positively impacted WB density. When insect pollinators were excluded, plants exhibited reduced pollination effectiveness and seed quality. Analysis of open-pollinated plants highlighted ERGp as the most influential variable, positively affecting both sets of parameters. The MFS and SNH showed different but important relationships. Total tocopherol and α-tocopherol were positively correlated with pollinator density in HB, whereas WB showed a positive correlation with γ-tocopherol levels. Increased ERGp positively affected pollinator density and pollination effectiveness, thereby improving oilseed rape production quantity and quality. This study provides new insights into agroecosystem management and pollinator-friendly practices.

Brazilian stingless bee honey: A pioneer study on the in vitro bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds.

In this study, the effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of phenolic compounds, the total phenolic content, and the antioxidant potential of stingless bee honey were investigated. Among the 33 phenolic compounds investigated, 25 were quantified, and only eight were not bioaccessible (p-aminobenzoic acid, sinapic acid, pinobanksin, isorhamnetin, quercetin-3-glucoside, syringaldehyde, coumarin, and coniferaldehyde). Benzoic acid was predominant in most undigested samples (21.3 to 2414 µg 100 g-1), but its bioaccessibility varied widely (2.5 to 534%). Rutin, a glycosylated flavonoid, was quantified in all samples and might have been deglycosylated during digestion, increasing the bioaccessibility of quercetin in a few samples. Overall, the concentration of phenolic compounds prior digestion and their bioaccessibility varied greatly among samples. Nevertheless, higher concentrations before digestion were not correlated to greater bioaccessibility. This study is the first to assess the in vitro bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds in SBH, providing novel insights into SBH research.

From molecules to organisms: A multi-level approach shows negative effects of trace elements from sewage sludge used as soil improver on honeybees.

The use of sewage sludge as a soil improver has been promoted in agroecosystems. However, sludges can contain toxic trace elements because of suboptimal wastewater treatment. Nonetheless, field studies investigating the negative effects of these practices on pollinators are lacking. We collected honeybees from an area where sewage sludge use is widespread, and one where it is precluded. Trace elements in soils and bees were quantified. Cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and nickel were investigated because they were the least correlated elements to each other and are known to be toxic. Their levels were related to oxidative stress and energy biomarkers, midgut epithelial health, body size and wing asymmetry of honeybees. We found increased carbohydrate content in sites with higher cadmium levels, increased histological damage to the midgut epithelium in the sewage sludge area, and the presence of dark spherites in the epithelium of bees collected from the sites with the highest lead levels. Finally, we found that honeybees with the highest lead content were smaller, and that wing fluctuating asymmetry increased in sites with increasing levels of mercury. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study of the concentration and effects on honeybees of trace elements potentially deriving from soil amendment practices.

Seasonality and alternative floral resources affect reproductive success of the alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata.

Background: Managed populations of the alfalfa leafcutting bee (ALCB), Megachile rotundata (F.), are often not sustainable. In addition to numerous mortality factors that contribute to this, the dense bee populations used to maximize alfalfa pollination quickly deplete floral resources available to bees later in the summer. Providing alternative floral resources as alfalfa declines may help to improve ALCB reproduction. Methods: We examined the relationship between floral resource availability and ALCB reproduction and offspring condition via (1) a field study using alfalfa plots with and without late-blooming wildflower strips to supply food beyond alfalfa bloom, and (2) a field-cage study in which we provided bees with alfalfa, wildflowers, or both as food resources. Results: In the field study, bee cell production closely followed alfalfa floral density with an initial peak followed by large declines prior to wildflower bloom. Few bees visited wildflower strips, whose presence or absence was not associated with any measure of bee reproduction. However, we found that female offspring from cells provisioned earlier in the season, when alfalfa predominated as a source of provisions, eclosed with greater body sizes and proportion body lipids relative to total body mass. For bees restricted to cages, the proportion of offspring that survived to adults was highest on pure alfalfa diets. Adding wildflowers to cages with alfalfa did not affect adult offspring production or female offspring body size and lipid content. Furthermore, although similar numbers of adults were produced on wildflowers alone as with alfalfa alone, females eclosed with smaller body sizes and lower proportion body lipids on wildflowers despite the higher protein content we estimated for wildflower pollen. We found no evidence that adding the late-season wildflower species that we chose to plant enhanced ALCB offspring numbers. Our results highlight the importance of considering multiple measures of reproductive success, including offspring body size and lipid stores, when designing and evaluating floral resource management strategies for agroecosystems.

Honey bees for pesticide monitoring in the landscape: Which bee matrices should be used?

Among bee species, the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is preferred in monitoring studies performed in the agricultural landscape, while bee matrices, pollen, and honey are mostly a subject of these studies due to their unique composition. A justified question about the relevance of other bee matrices, like larvae, foragers, beebread, and/or wax, has been raised. The ability of different bee matrices (wax, pollen grains, bee bread, foragers, larvae, nectar, and honey) to absorb pesticide residues is subjected in this study. All samples were collected during a crop flowering season (oilseed rape) on intensively managed agricultural land in Slovakia and Germany. The observed high variability in residue levels, profile, and number of detections among studied matrices from Germany, west, and east Slovakia gave us an assumption of the use of different agricultural practices between these two countries. Fungicides clearly dominated across all samples in all sampling regions. The increased pesticide profile positively correlated with the oilseed rape pollen grains in pollen pellets and/or bee bread. Bee wax, pollen, and bee bread showed a high number of detected active substances and total residue concentrations among matrices, indicating their high ability to absorb pesticide residues in the surrounding hive environment.

Food contamination with fipronil alters gene expression associated with foraging in Africanized honey bees.

Taking into consideration that bees can be contaminated by pesticides through the ingestion of contaminated floral resources, we can utilize genetic techniques to assess effects that are scarcely observed in behavioral studies. This study aimed to investigate the genetic effects of ingesting lethal and sublethal doses of the insecticide fipronil in foraging honey bees during two periods of acute exposure. Bees were exposed to fipronil through contaminated honey syrup at two dosages (LD50 = 0.19 µg/bee; LD50/100 = 0.0019 µg/bee) and for two durations (1 and 4 h). Following exposure, we measured syrup consumption per bee, analyzed the transcriptome of bee brain tissue, and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs), categorizing them functionally based on gene ontology (GO). The results revealed a significant genetic response in honey bees after exposure to fipronil, regardless of the dosage used. Fipronil affected various metabolic, transport, and cellular regulation pathways, as well as detoxification processes and xenobiotic substance detection. Additionally, the downregulation of several DEGs belonging to the olfactory-binding protein (OBP) family was observed, suggesting potential physiological alterations in bees that may lead to disoriented behaviors and reduced foraging efficiency.

Exploring Biodiversity through the Lens of Knautia arvensis Pollinators: Knautia Pollinator Walks as a Monitoring Method.

Declining populations of native pollinators, especially wild bees, underline the urgent need for effective monitoring within agricultural ecosystems. This study aims to (i) establish the 'Knautia Pollinator Walk' as an innovative pollinator monitoring method, (ii) examine the link between pollinator richness/density and land cover, and (iii) assess if specialist solitary bees indicate pollinator abundance and morphogroup richness. The approach involves surveying 500 Knautia arvensis inflorescences per site thrice per season. Observations of 11,567 pollinators across 203 taxa showed significant correlations between pollinator diversity and land use. Pollinator populations fluctuated with land cover type, increasing in open areas but decreasing or stabilising in forested and shrubby regions. Noteworthy differences in pollinator types were seen between Russia (solitary bees, small Diptera, Lepidoptera) and Sweden (bumblebees, beetles, furry Diptera). The "Knautia Pollinator Walk" shows promising signs of being an effective tool for monitoring spatiotemporal biodiversity trends. The method offers a scalable approach to pollinator monitoring, which is essential for developing conservation strategies and supporting pollinator populations.

A first revision of the Andrena of Iraq (Hymenoptera, Andrenidae), with the description of two new species from Iraqi Kurdistan and additional records from surrounding countries.

Iraq is a large country in the Middle East region that borders both Turkey and Iran, countries known to host two of the largest bee faunas globally, as expected for a group of insects that favour dry to Mediterranean climates. Despite this huge regional species richness, the bee fauna of Iraq is chronically understudied and poorly known, both in relative and absolute terms. This is true for the hyper-speciose bee genus Andrena, for which only 17 species have been previously published for Iraq. This work is the first modern contribution to the revision of the Andrena fauna of Iraq. Based on new specimen collections in Duhok Governorate (Iraqi Kurdistan) during 2023, a revised total of 59 Andrena species for Iraq (42 species recorded for the first time) is presented, including the description of two new species: Andrena (Aciandrena) duhokensis Wood, sp. nov. and Andrena (Notandrena) baiocchii Wood, sp. nov. The unknown males of A. (Micrandrena) elam Wood, 2022, A. (Micrandrena) obsidiana Wood, 2022, and A. (Notandrena) ayna Wood, 2023 are described. Andrenabakrajoensis Amin & Mawlood, 2019, syn. nov. is synonymised with A. (Holandrena) variabilis Smith, 1853. Additional records are presented from nearby Middle Eastern countries, particularly Lebanon. These results highlight the fundamentally understudied nature of the Iraqi Andrena fauna.

Sublethal exposure to thiamethoxam and pyraclostrobin affects the midgut and Malpighian tubules of the stingless bee Frieseomelitta varia (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini).

The stingless bee Frieseomelitta varia Lepeletier 1836 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is an essential pollinator in natural and agricultural ecosystems in the Neotropical region. However, these bees may be exposed to pesticides during foraging, which can affect both individuals and their colonies. One example comes from the use of pyraclostrobin (a fungicide) and thiamethoxam (an insecticide) for pest control in pepper crops, which F. varia visits. This study aimed to evaluate the isolated and combined sublethal effects of thiamethoxam (TMX) (0.000543 ng a.i./µL) and pyraclostrobin (PYR) (1.5 ng i.a./µL) on the morphology of the midgut and Malpighian tubules of F. varia workers. Results showed that both pesticides, regardless of the exposure time (through feeding during 48 h or 96 h), disturbed the morphology of the analyzed organs. Specifically, F. varia exposed orally to sublethal concentrations of thiamethoxam and pyraclostrobin, either alone or in combination, exhibited a higher rate of damage to the midgut (e.g., vacuolization, apocrine secretion, and cellular elimination) compared to the bees in the control groups, both after 48 h and 96 h of exposure. In Malpighian tubules, vacuolation is the only damage present. As the observed morphological alterations likely compromise the excretion and absorption functions, exposure to pyraclostrobin and thiamethoxam may lead to disturbances at both the individual and colony levels. These results highlight the urgent need for a future reassessment of the safety of fungicides and insecticides regarding their potential effects on bee populations.

Real-time dynamics of aculeate hymenopteran reed gall inquilines in oligotrophic reed beds of anthropogenic and natural origin.

This is the first study providing long-term data on the dynamics of bees and wasps and their parasitoids for the evidence-based management of reed beds. Ten years ago, we identified Lipara (Chloropidae) - induced galls on common reed (Phragmites australis, Poaceae) as a critically important resource for specialized bees and wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata). We found that they were surprisingly common in relatively newly formed anthropogenic habitats, which elicited questions about the dynamics of bees and wasps and their parasitoids in newly formed reed beds of anthropogenic origin. Therefore, in the winter and spring of 2022/23, we sampled reed galls from the same set of reed beds of anthropogenic and natural origin as those in 2012/13. At 10 sites, the number of sampled galls was similar in both time periods (80-122% of the value from 2012/13); 12 sites experienced a moderate decline (30-79% of the value from 2012/13), and the number of galls at six sampling sites was only 3-23% of their abundance in 2012/13. Spontaneous development was associated with increasing populations. After 10 years of spontaneous development, the populations of bees and wasps (including their parasitoids) bound to Lipara-induced reed galls increased in abundance and species richness or remained at their previous levels, which was dependent on the sampling site. The only identified threat consisted of reclamation efforts. The effects of habitat age were limited, and the assemblages in habitats of near-natural and anthropogenic origin largely overlapped. However, several species were consistently present at lower abundances in the anthropogenic habitats and vice versa. In conclusion, we provided evidence-based support for the establishment of oligotrophic reed beds of anthropogenic origin as management tools providing sustainable habitats for specialized reed gall-associated aculeate hymenopteran inquilines, including the threatened species.

Chromosome-scale genome assembly of the Hunt bumble bee, Bombus huntii Greene, 1860, a species of agricultural interest.

The Hunt bumble bee, Bombus huntii, is a widely distributed pollinator in western North America. The species produces large colony sizes in captive rearing conditions, experiences low parasite and pathogen loads, and has been demonstrated to be an effective pollinator of tomatoes grown in controlled environment agriculture systems. These desirable traits have galvanized producer efforts to develop commercial B. huntii colonies for growers to deliver pollination services to crops. To better understand B. huntii biology and support population genetic studies and breeding decisions, we sequenced and assembled the B. huntii genome from a single haploid male. High-fidelity sequencing of the entire genome using PacBio, along with HiC sequencing, led to a comprehensive contig assembly of high continuity. This assembly was further organized into a chromosomal arrangement, successfully identifying 18 chromosomes spread across the 317.4 Mb assembly with a BUSCO score indicating 97.6% completeness. Synteny analysis demonstrates shared chromosome number (n = 18) with B. terrestris, a species belonging to a different subgenus, matching the expectation that presence of 18 haploid chromosomes is an ancestral trait at least between the subgenera Pyrobombus and Bombus sensu stricto. In conclusion, the assembly outcome, alongside the minimal tissue sampled destructively, showcase efficient techniques for producing a comprehensive, highly contiguous genome.

Culturable yeast community associated with grape must and honey bees sampled from apiaries located in the vineyards.

AIM: In this study, we investigated culturable yeast community, present in grape must sampled from vineyards with apiaries on the borders, and in honey bees collected in these apiaries. METHODS AND RESULTS: To this aim, yeasts isolated from spontaneously fermented grapes randomly collected in two vineyards (P1 and P2) with apiaries on the borders (A1 and A2) were compared to those isolated from spontaneously fermented grapes collected from a vineyard without apiary (P4). At the same time, yeast community was analyzed on bees collected in each apiary placed in the vineyards, in comparison to yeasts isolated from an apiary (A3) located far from the vineyards. The analysis was performed for two consecutive years (2021 and 2022). The isolated yeasts were identified by restriction analysis of amplified ITS region, followed by sequencing of ITS fragment.Our research showed that the presence of apiaries seems to increase yeast counts of grape must, in particular of Saccharomyces cerevisiae; furthermore, the permanence of apiaries in the vineyards allowed the recovering of these yeasts also from bees. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings seem to corroborate the role of bees as vectors and reservoirs of oenologically relevant yeasts, such as a source of non-conventional yeasts with potential biotechnological applications.