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…

Banani Mondal

Banani Mondal is a PhD Candidate in bee metabolomics and lipidomics at the University of Wyoming. Banani is currently working on extracting bee sample metabolites in suitable solvents and doing analysis using the current GC-MS instrument in the lab. These samples will then be used for analysis on a new, high-resolution GC-MS instrument and results…

Upcoming Poster Talk by Julia Bowsher

Entomological Society of America St. Louis, Missouri The influence of nest cavity temperature on fitness and diapause incidence in the solitary bee Megachile rotundata Tuesday, November 19, 2019 America’s Center – Room 274 Temperature has non-linear effects on insect performance and can influence survival, body size, diapause incidence. Larvae of the solitary bee, Megachile rotundata,…

Upcoming Poster Session by Rikki Walter

Entomological Society of America St. Louis, Missouri Effects of caste on Critical PO2 and flight metabolic rate in the bumble bee, Bombus impatiens Poster #: D3102 Monday, November 18th, 9:00am-6:30pm America’s Center- Exhibit Hall 1 & 2 Bombus impatiens are a social bumble bee species used in commercial pollination. Bumble bee queens overwinter underground. Underground…

Upcoming Poster Session by Liz Cambron

Entomological Society of America St. Louis, Missouri New techniques for answering old questions: Measuring gene expression in diapausing Megachile rotundata Poster #: D3072 Monday, November 18th, 9:00am-6:30pm America’s Center- Exhibit Hall 1 & 2 The alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata, undergoes diapause to survive the winter. Diapause, a non-feeding state, limits energetic resources for metabolism….