Buzzing towards hope! 🐝 Scientists are using genetic maps to uncover the reasons behind the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee's decline. Every bee counts in our fight to preserve biodiversity! 🌼SaveTheBees
The exact cause for the species' decline is unknown, but entomologists suspect some contributing factors are introduced pathogens and pesticides like insecticides and fungicides. Other factors like habitat loss and climate change may have contributed, too.
The few remaining pockets of the population face these stressors that hit synergistically or one at a time. For example, when bees can't find enough resources for nectar, they are less likely to resist other stressors like pathogens or pesticides. A rusty-patched bee colony needs a constant supply and diversity of flowers blooming from April through September.
Aside from sequencing the genetic data, Koch found a surprising amount of genetic material from the fungal pathogen,. The pathogen is known to affect various species of bees and is a leading factor of the bee’s decline. Of the total DNA Koch and his colleagues sequenced, 4.
, a project set to create high-quality maps of the genomes of at least 100 bee species in the U.S. that represent the major taxonomic groups of insects found nationwide. In total, there are about 4,000 native bee species. The maps will help scientists understand genetic differences that make some bee species more vulnerable to climate change than others or which ones are more likely to be affected by a pesticide.
"Having this high-quality genome will support the identification of genetic differences between rusty-patched bumble bee populations that appear to be doing well versus where they are in decline," Koch says. "This may give us a handle on identifying the genes that give the more capable population its flexibility to deal with its environment."
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