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Section Symposium

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology

Empowering Wild Bee Microbiome Research and Working Toward Phyllosphere Management

Acidophilic bacteria in flowers and bees: Transmission, phenology, and ecotoxicology

Sunday, November 10, 2024

2:58 PM – 3:20 PM MST

Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 122 A, PCC

Presenting Author(s)

QM

Quinn McFrederick

Assistant Professor
University of California
Riverside, California

Co-Author(s)

HV

Hoang Vuong

University of California
Davis, California
Lyna Ngor (she/her/hers)

PhD Student
University of California
Lake Elsinore, California

Co-Author(s)

MA

Magda Paola Argueta Guzman (she/her/hers)

Postdoctoral Researcher
University of California, Merced
Riverside, California

Co-Author(s)

HV

Helen Vo

University of California
Riverside, California

Bacteria in the Apilactobacillus micheneri clade are the dominant microbes found in the pollen provisions and guts of many endemic bees, especially those outside the corbiculates. In this talk, I will summarize our recent work on these relationships. These lactobacilli can also be found in flowers, and our recent studies show that bees can vector them to “clean’ flowers, where they can be picked up by other bees. Whether these bacteria overwinter inside solitary bee nests or can be found in the environment is an open question. We have been surveying flowers year-round as well as testing whether newly-emerged megachilids harbor these bacteria. We have also been surveying polluted and unpolluted landscapes to determine whether environmental toxins affect the symbiosis between A. micheneri and their endemic bee hosts.