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Student 10-Minute Presentation

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Student

Student Competition

Grad 10-min Competition: P-IE, Pollinators and Pollination - Honey Bees and Native Pollinators 1

Interspecific variation in floral morphology shapes pathogen transmission dynamics in Bombus impatiens

Monday, November 11, 2024
9:36 AM – 9:48 AM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 129 A, PCC
Oral Presentation Student Competition
Plant-pollinator interactions have been traditionally viewed as mutually beneficial, with plants receiving pollination services while pollinators gain access to food resources. However, visiting flowers also carries risk: pollinators can acquire or deposit pathogens on flowers. Additionally, differences in floral morphology across plant species may influence this pathogen transmission potential. To examine the effect of interspecific variation in floral morphology on pathogen transmission among pollinators, we conducted this experiment using the bumble bee Bombus impatiens, its prevalent trypanosome gut pathogen Crithidia bombi and 15 morphologically different native plant species. We hypothesized that flower morphology significantly influences the probability of pathogen deposition and viability on plant tissues, thereby mediating transmission potential across different plant species. Our findings reveal plant species-specific differences in both the frequency of pathogen deposition by B. impatiens on plant tissues and the environmental persistence of C. bombi, mediated by floral morphological traits. These insights highlight an overlooked dimension of plant-pollinator interactions and suggest that floral morphology can shape landscape-level pathogen transmission dynamics among bumblebee population. Integrating these mechanisms into predictive models will enhance our understanding of pollinator disease epidemiology and inform the choice of plant that promotes pollinator health.