Mapping the dependency of crops on pollinators in Belgium

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New records of bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) from the Maltese Islands

A total of 95 bee species have been recorded from the Maltese Islands (central Mediterranean Sea).  The aim of the present note is to report newly recorded species within the study area.  A total of nine new species belonging to four families are recorded here: Andrenidae (1 species), Apidae (1 species), Halictidae (5 species), and Megachilidae (2 species)

Pheromonal and enzyme genetic characteristics of the Bombus lucorum species complex in northern Europe

Spatial and temporal distribution of the species in the Bombus lucorum species complex, B. lucorum (L.), B. cryptarum (Fabricius) and B. magnus Vogt, were studied in Finland. Morphological distinction between the species is not as clear as in Central Europe, but B. lucorum can be distinguished from the other two with the help of enzyme genetic markers. B. lucorum is the most common of the three species in most of Finland, and B. cryptarum is abundant in the southwestern coastal area and in northern Lapland. B. magnus was only rarely found among the spring queens in southwestern Finland, and its range possibly restricts to southern and central parts of Finland. A comparison of the chemical composition of the male labial glands and enzyme genotypes shows that males produce species-specific marking pheromones

SAPOLL : A cross-border action plan for wild pollinators

Wild pollinators in the France-Wallonia-Vlaanderen cross-border zone represent a valuable but highly endangered resource. In order to protect these pollinators, it is essential to set up a cross-border organization that enables coordinated actions and synergies between regions. Indeed, isolated actions on both sides of the border are unlikely to lead to the sustainable management of this indispensable resource. The challenge is huge because wild pollinators, wild bees, syrphs and butterflies, are essential to maintaining agriculture and ecosystems in our regions. In order to meet this challenge, the SAPOLL project initiates the implementation of a cross-border action plan for wild pollinators with the actors from Wallonia, Flanders and northern France. This plan is the initiator of actions in favor of pollinators, bringing the necessary scientific, didactic and applied context to citizens, decision-makers, entrepreneurs or enrionmental managers. It is also adapted to the regional context of each area. The action plan, which is co-built with the partners in the cross-border territory. The SAPOLL project also organizes activities that aim to homogenize and share scientific knowledge, awareness-raising experience and naturalistic competences

Ensuring access to high-quality resources reduces the impacts of heat stress on bees

Pollinators are experiencing declines globally, negatively affecting the reproduction of wild plants and crop production. Well-known drivers of these declines include climatic and nutritional stresses, such as a change of dietary resources due to the degradation of habitat quality. Understanding potential synergies between these two important drivers is needed to improve predictive models of the future effects of climate change on pollinator declines. Here, bumblebee colony bioassays were used to evaluate the interactive effects of heat stress, a reduction of dietary resource quality, and colony size. Using a total of 117 colonies, we applied a fully crossed experiment to test the effect of three dietary quality levels under three levels of heat stress with two colony sizes. Both nutritional and heat stress reduced colony development resulting in a lower investment in offspring production. Small colonies were much more sensitive to heat and nutritional stresses than large ones, possibly because a higher percentage of workers helps maintain social homeostasis. Strikingly, the effects of heat stress were far less pronounced for small colonies fed with suitable diets. Overall, our study suggests that landscape management actions that ensure access to high-quality resources could reduce the impacts of heat stress on bee decline.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Morphometric analysis of fossil bumble bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Bombini) reveals their taxonomic affinities

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) are a widespread corbiculate lineage (Apinae: Corbiculata: Bombini), mostly found among temperate and alpine ecosystems. Approximately 260 species have been recognized and grouped recently into a simplified system of 15 subgenera. Most of the species are nest-building and primitively eusocial. Species of Bombus have been more intensely studied than any other lineages of bees with the exception of the honey bees. However, most bumble bee fossils are poorly described and documented, making their placement relative to other Bombus uncertain. A large portion of the known and presumed bumble bee fossils were re-examined in an attempt to better understand their affinities with extant Bombini. The taxonomic affinities of fossil specimens were re-assessed based on morphological features and previous descriptions, and for 13 specimens based on geometric morphometrics of forewing shape. None of the specimens coming from Eocene and Oligocene deposits were assigned within the contemporary shape space of any subgenus of Bombus. It is shown that Calyptapis florissantensis Cockerell, 1906 (Eocene-Oligocene boundary, Florissant shale, Colorado, USA) and Oligobombus cuspidatus Antropov, 2014 (Late Eocene, Bembridge Marls) likely belong to stem-group Bombini. Bombus anacolus Zhang, 1994, B. dilectus Zhang, 1994, B. luianus Zhang, 1990 (Middle Miocene, Shanwang Formation), as well as B. vetustus Rasnitsyn & Michener, 1991 (Miocene, Botchi Formation) are considered as species inquirenda. In the Miocene, affinities of fossils with derived subgenera of Bombus s. l. increased, and some are included in the shape space of contemporary subgenera: Cullumanobombus (i.e., B. pristinus Unger, 1867, B. randeckensis Wappler & Engel, 2012, and B. trophonius Prokop, Dehon, Michez & Engel, 2017), Melanobombus (i.e., B. cerdanyensis Dehon, De Meulemeester & Engel, 2014), and Mendacibombus (i.e., B. beskonakensis (Nel & Petrulevičius, 2003), new combination), agreeing with previous estimates of diversification

Developing European conservation and mitigation tools for pollination services: approaches of the STEP (Status and Trends of European Pollinators) project

Pollinating insects form a key component of European biodiversity, and provide a vital ecosystem service to crops and wild plants. There is growing evidence of declines in both wild and domesticated pollinators, and parallel declines in plants relying upon them. The STEP project (Status and Trends of European Pollinators, 2010-2015, www.stepproject.net) is documenting critical elements in the nature and extent of these declines, examining key functional traits associated with pollination deficits, and developing a Red List for some European pollinator groups. Together these activities are laying the groundwork for future pollinator monitoring programmes. STEP is also assessing the relative importance of potential drivers of pollinator declines, including climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, agrochemicals, pathogens, alien species, light pollution, and their interactions. We are measuring the ecological and economic impacts of declining pollinator services and floral resources, including effects on wild plant populations, crop production and human nutrition. STEP is reviewing existing and potential mitigation options, and providing novel tests of their effectiveness across Europe. Our work is building upon existing and newly developed datasets and models, complemented by spatially-replicated campaigns of field research to fill gaps in current knowledge. Findings are being integrated into a policy-relevant framework to create evidence-based decision support tools. STEP is establishing communication links to a wide range of stakeholders across Europe and beyond, including policy makers, beekeepers, farmers, academics and the general public. Taken together, the STEP research programme aims to improve our understanding of the nature, causes, consequences and potential mitigation of declines in pollination services at local, national, continental and global scales