ICE Network Fargo

Microclimate Temperatures Impact Nesting Preference in Megachile rotundata (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

Elisabeth Wilson, Claire Murphy, Joseph Rinehart, George Yocum, Julia Bowsher Abstract The temperature of the nest influences fitness in cavity-nesting bees. Females may choose nest cavities that mitigate their offspring’s exposure to stressful temperatures. This study aims to understand how cavity temperature impacts the nesting preference of the solitary bee Megachile rotundata (Fabricius) under field…

Cryopreservation of seminal vesicle derived spermatozoa from Bombus impatiens and Apis mellifera – Implications for artificial insemination of bumble bees

Campion, Claire; Rajamohan, Arun; Rinehart, Joseph P. Abstract This study evaluates the efficacy of a cryopreservation protocol for spermatozoa derived from the accessory testis of male Bombus impatiens. It is also the first report of successful cryopreservation of bumble bee spermatozoa. The spermatozoa viability was compared with the similarly treated honey bee spermatozoa derived from…

Anoxia hormesis improves performance and longevity at the expense of fitness in a classic life history trade-off.

De La Torre, Alyssa; López-Martínez, Giancarlo Abstract Hormesis occurs as a result of biphasic dose relationship resulting in stimulatory responses at low doses and inhibitory ones at high doses. In this framework, environmental factors are often studied to understand how this exposure benefits the animal. In the current study we used anoxia, the total absence…

Effects of Temperature and Wildflower Strips on Survival and Macronutrient Stores of the Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) Under Extended Cold Storage

Mia G Park, Casey M Delphia, Cassandra Prince, George D Yocum, Joseph P Rinehart, Kevin M O’Neill, Laura A Burkle, Julia H Bowsher, Kendra J Greenlee Abstract Megachile rotundata (F.) is an important pollinator of alfalfa in the United States. Enhancing landscapes with wildflowers is a primary strategy for conserving pollinators and may improve the…

Sperm can’t take the heat: Short-term temperature exposures compromise fertility of male bumble bees (Bombus impatiens)

Campion, Claire; Rajamohan, Arun; Dillon, Michael E. Abstract Bumble bee (genus Bombus) populations are increasingly under threat from habitat fragmentation, pesticides, pathogens, and climate change. Climate change is likely a prime driver of bumble bee declines but the mechanisms by which changing climates alter local abundance, leading to shifts in geographic range are unclear. Heat…

2021 Pollination Nation

2021 Application is Now Available! Applications due April 1, 2021. Program Dates: June 1, 2021 – August 6, 2021 (10 weeks)Salary and Housing: $4500 ($450/week). For participants from outside Fargo, housing will be provided on NDSU campus.Travel: Travel funds are available upon request on a first come, first served basis. The Bowsher and Greenlee Labs…

Poster Presented by Matthew Tryc

Click here to view and listen to Matthew’s Slides & narration (Click: Slide show — Play from Start) Pollinators in the Chihuahuan Desert: Broadening Our Understanding Matthew Tryc is a Master’s student at New Mexico State University. He presented this poster at the Research and Creativity Week hosted by NMSU (11/2020). Matthew has several additional…

Poster Presented by Preetpal Singh

Entomological Society of America Click HERE and search for ‘Singh’ to access the session Diapause regulation by environmental cues in the alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata The alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata F. (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), is an intensively managed and an important solitary pollinator for North American agriculture. M. rotundata undergoes facultative diapause in which early…

Poster Presented by Claire Campion

Entomological Society of America Click HERE and search for ‘Campion’ to access the session Effects of cryopreservation on Bombus impatiens spermatozoa Bumblebee populations are increasingly under threat from urban and rural landscape changes, pesticides and pathogens, and climate change. Declines in population abundance and in spatial distribution has led to endangered species listing or petitions…