ApidologiePub Date : 2026-03-30DOI: 10.1007/s13592-026-01252-w
Lis Santos Marques, Betina Blochtein, Charles Fernando dos Santos, Thaiza Rodrigues de Freitas, Nathalia dos Santos Teixeira, Thales de Souza França, Rômulo Batista Rodrigues, Renata Villar Dantas, Danilo Streit Pedro Jr
{"title":"A practical and feasible protocol for cryopreservation of stingless bee sperm","authors":"Lis Santos Marques, Betina Blochtein, Charles Fernando dos Santos, Thaiza Rodrigues de Freitas, Nathalia dos Santos Teixeira, Thales de Souza França, Rômulo Batista Rodrigues, Renata Villar Dantas, Danilo Streit Pedro Jr","doi":"10.1007/s13592-026-01252-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13592-026-01252-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Stingless bees are key pollinators with high ecological and economic relevance, yet several species are currently threatened. This study aimed to develop and evaluate an accessible sperm cryopreservation protocol for the stingless bee <i>Scaptotrigona bipunctata</i>, addressing the lack of reproductive biotechnologies for these pollinators. Semen was collected from seminal vesicles and diluted in two extenders: extender 1 (NaCl, CaCl₂, KCl, and NaHCO₃; pH 8.7; 352 mOsmol/mL) and extender 2 (sodium citrate, NaHCO₃, KCl, and penicillin; pH 8.1; 280 mOsmol/mL). Samples were cryopreserved using a simple, non-programmable freezing method based on controlled cooling followed by liquid nitrogen storage. Fresh semen diluted in extender 1 showed higher motility (22.83 ± 3.38%) compared to extender 2 (10.85 ± 5.66%) and cryopreserved samples (CryoE1: 7.02 ± 4.54%; CryoE2: 8.63 ± 5.99%). Sperm viability decreased after cryopreservation but did not differ significantly between extenders (CryoE1: 57.73 ± 12.56%; CryoE2: 41.8 ± 9.94%). Mitochondrial activity remained unchanged across all groups. Although cryopreservation reduced motility and viability, mitochondrial function was preserved. This is the first report of sperm cryopreservation in stingless bees and provides an accessible tool to support genetic conservation strategies for these important pollinators.\u0000</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8078,"journal":{"name":"Apidologie","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13592-026-01252-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147607214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ApidologiePub Date : 2026-03-30DOI: 10.1007/s13592-026-01250-y
Rafaela Mendes Assunção, Patricia Sanae Sujii, Isabelle Evangelista Gonçalves da Silva, Davi de Lacerda Ramos, Carmen Sílvia Soares Pires, Pedro Henrique Brum Togni
{"title":"Wild bees are key pollinators in organic tomato agroecosystems regardless of the presence of a managed stingless bee","authors":"Rafaela Mendes Assunção, Patricia Sanae Sujii, Isabelle Evangelista Gonçalves da Silva, Davi de Lacerda Ramos, Carmen Sílvia Soares Pires, Pedro Henrique Brum Togni","doi":"10.1007/s13592-026-01250-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13592-026-01250-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>While managing social bees is a well-documented strategy to enhance pollination services in controlled environments like greenhouses, this approach remains comparatively underexplored in open-field conditions. There is also a lack of empirical data on how managed bees affect wild bees and about minimally invasive methods for identifying and selecting healthy colonies for introduction into agroecosystems. We aimed to evaluate the potential of <i>Melipona quadrifasciata</i> for assisted pollination of tomato plants cultivated in open organic fields and its potential impacts on wild bees. We assessed nine <i>M. quadrifasciata</i> hives by monitoring foraging activity and qualitative parameters (brood cells, food storage, and pathogens) with environmental conditions (temperature and humidity). We then evaluated bee communities and pollination services across seven farms, four with introduced hives. We monitored bee activity on tomato flowers and non-crop plants to evaluate potential effects on wild bees. Pollination services were also evaluated along with fruit quality parameters. Monitoring foraging activity of hives alongside environmental data provides a practical, effective, and minimally invasive method for farmers to assess hive health. Open-pollination improved fruit quality, confirming that bee pollination enhances tomato production. However, the presence of <i>M. quadrifasciata</i> hives did not influence fruit quality, indicating that wild bees primarily drove pollination benefits. DNA metabarcoding analysis confirmed that <i>M. quadrifasciata</i> did not visit tomato flowers and relied mostly on pollen from arboreal plants. Our findings underscore the importance of conserving and promoting wild pollinators in organic agroecosystems by managing non-crop plants, which support diverse pollinator communities with complementary functional traits.\u0000</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8078,"journal":{"name":"Apidologie","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13592-026-01250-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147607212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ApidologiePub Date : 2026-03-27DOI: 10.1007/s13592-026-01260-w
Ken Sasaki, Tetsu Yamamoto, Shouhei Ueda
{"title":"Age-related changes of biogenic amines in the abdominal and thoracic ganglia during the sexual maturation in Apis cerana japonica males","authors":"Ken Sasaki, Tetsu Yamamoto, Shouhei Ueda","doi":"10.1007/s13592-026-01260-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13592-026-01260-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p> To determine the involvement of biogenic amines in the reproduction of <i>Apis cerana japonica</i> males, age-related changes in the protein contents of the reproductive organ and the levels of biogenic amines in the abdominal and thoracic ganglia were determined by HPLC-ECD. The protein contents of testis were negatively correlated with age (0–13 days old), whereas those of seminal vesicle and mucus gland were positively correlated with age. Dopamine levels in the terminal abdominal ganglion were positively correlated with age. In the thoracic ganglia, tyramine levels were negatively correlated with age, whereas the levels of octopamine and serotonin were positively correlated with age. These results suggest that biogenic amines in abdominal and thoracic ganglia are involved in the age-related development of males in <i>A. cerana japonica</i>.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8078,"journal":{"name":"Apidologie","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147562073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ApidologiePub Date : 2026-03-23DOI: 10.1007/s13592-026-01259-3
Sabrina Diana Blanco, Lekhnath Kafle
{"title":"The impact of organic acid dietary supplementation on survival and productivity in European honey bees","authors":"Sabrina Diana Blanco, Lekhnath Kafle","doi":"10.1007/s13592-026-01259-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13592-026-01259-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The European honey bee (<i>Apis mellifera ligustica</i> L.) is the most managed honey bee species in the world. Its population is declining due to multiple stressors, including nutritional deficiencies, climate variability, parasites, and diseases. Enhancing colony survival and productivity is therefore critical for sustainable agriculture. This study investigated the effects of organic acid supplementation on brood survivorship and productivity parameters (honey yield, royal jelly production, and pollen collection) in <i>A. mellifera ligustica</i> under field conditions. The supplementation of citric acid and malic acid was individually tested to investigate their effects on the development of brood survivorship. In the productivity experiments, honey bees were supplemented with citric acid, malic acid, and inulin at different doses per hive. Results indicated that the supplementation of citric acid at 1 g/hive significantly increased honey yield, royal jelly production, and pollen collection. Malic acid, when applied at a concentration of 5 g/hive, significantly increased the production of both honey and royal jelly. While inulin had no effect on honey yield, it significantly increased royal jelly production at 1 g and 10 g/hive. Supplementation of citric acid at doses of 1 g and 10 g/hive significantly enhanced bee brood survivorship, with low <i>K</i>-values, indicating reduced developmental stress. Overall, citric acid supplementation showed the greatest potential to enhance both survival and productivity in honey bee colonies, offering a promising strategy to support colony health and performance under field conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8078,"journal":{"name":"Apidologie","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147560410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ApidologiePub Date : 2026-03-20DOI: 10.1007/s13592-026-01251-x
Amer I. Tawfik, Zeinab H. Ahmed, Mohsen F. M. Mostafa, Mohamed A. E. Mahboob
{"title":"Dietary supplements with antioxidants: curcumin, coenzyme Q10, caffeine and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), influence lifespan, hypopharyngeal gland size, macronutrients, and antioxidants in caged honeybees (Apis mellifera)","authors":"Amer I. Tawfik, Zeinab H. Ahmed, Mohsen F. M. Mostafa, Mohamed A. E. Mahboob","doi":"10.1007/s13592-026-01251-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13592-026-01251-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The honeybee, <i>Apis mellifera,</i> is a managed insect species that delivers various hive products and plays a critical role on crop pollination systems worldwide. Female workers, which make up most of a colony’s population and perform all non-reproductive tasks in the hive, can be faced by multiple stressors. In particular, because they leave the colony, foragers are subjected to several environmental stressors, which affect the quantity and quality of the diet they obtain. Consuming a certain amount of products rich in antioxidants is enough to protect organisms from harmful effects and improve overall health. Naturally occurring compounds, including coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), curcumin, caffeine and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), are well known antioxidants with various health benefits. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate and compare the effects of the abovementioned antioxidants on the lifespan, hypopharyngeal gland (HPG) development, antioxidant system, and protein and lipid contents in caged honeybee workers. The tested antioxidants increased mean lifespan and protein and lipid contents, and improved HPG development and antioxidant system [via increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH), and by reducing accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA)] in caged workers when compared to controls. Bees fed on a diet with CoQ10 or curcumin showed the best results for all studied parameters, when compared to other treatments. Therefore, supplemental antioxidants may be an important strategy to improve honeybee worker performance and health. Future research is needed to evaluate the benefits of colony-level supplementation with antioxidants to develop suitable application regimes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8078,"journal":{"name":"Apidologie","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13592-026-01251-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147560629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ApidologiePub Date : 2026-03-19DOI: 10.1007/s13592-026-01257-5
Awais Ali, Shahida Laghari, Yaseen Laghari
{"title":"Insights into nesting behavior of red dwarf honeybee (Apis florea) in tropical thorn forest of central Sindh, Pakistan","authors":"Awais Ali, Shahida Laghari, Yaseen Laghari","doi":"10.1007/s13592-026-01257-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13592-026-01257-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Pakistan is home to five species of honeybees: red dwarf (<i>Apis florea</i>), rock (<i>Apis dorsata</i>), Asian hive (<i>Apis cerana</i>), Western (<i>Apis mellifera</i>), and Himalayan giant (<i>Apis laboriosa</i>). The red dwarf bee is the most widespread species of honeybee in the Indus Valley. However, understanding their nesting sites, height, and orientation is essential in terms of ecological preservation. Therefore, in this study, a 1-year survey was conducted to investigate the nesting behavior of red dwarf honeybees in the tropical thorn forest region of the Sindh Province of Pakistan. The findings demonstrated that (1) the maximum number of colonies was found during the spring season while the lowest in autumn; (2) the most preferred height of nests was recorded at 0–1 m (38.2%) above the ground; (3) this species prefers to build nests on clumps of giant reeds (<i>Arundo donax</i>; 31.8%), followed by the miswak tree (<i>Salvadora persica</i>; 18.6%), saltcedar (<i>Tamarix ramosissima</i>; 15.1%), kikar (<i>Acacia</i> sp.; 14.9%), neltuma juliflora (<i>Prosopis juliflora</i>; 10.3%), karira (<i>Capparis decidua</i>; 3.6%), tree cotton (<i>Gossypium arboreum</i>; 2.9%), and lemon tree (<i>Citrus limon</i>; 1.6%), and other structures (hedges; 1.2%); and (4) the majority of nests were noted at the direction of northeast–southwest. Thus far, this is the first investigation in Pakistan regarding the nesting ecology of red dwarf honeybees. The findings will provide crucial information to researchers, honey collectors, and wildlife management departments for developing effective strategies to conserve and protect this species’ population.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8078,"journal":{"name":"Apidologie","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147560601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ApidologiePub Date : 2026-03-11DOI: 10.1007/s13592-026-01248-6
Georgie Brennan, Genevieve Law, Rosalyn Gloag
{"title":"Pollen transport by male stingless bees","authors":"Georgie Brennan, Genevieve Law, Rosalyn Gloag","doi":"10.1007/s13592-026-01248-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13592-026-01248-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Only female bees actively collect pollen, which they use to provision brood. Although male bees also visit flowers for nectar and thus may passively vector pollen, the contribution of males to pollination services is poorly documented for most bee species. We investigated pollen transport by males of the Australian stingless bee <i>Tetragonula carbonaria</i>. We found that almost all males sampled at mating aggregations had pollen on their bodies, and that the quantity and diversity of pollen grains on males was similar to that found on nectar-foraging workers. We then assessed behavioural differences between males and workers which might influence pollen acquisition and retention. We found that both sexes behaved similarly while foraging on flowers, regularly contacting the flower’s reproductive structures. Both males and workers also groomed themselves to remove excess pollen, but in the morning males tended to have more pollen grains left on their bodies from the previous day’s foraging. This is presumably because workers (but not males) are allogroomed by their sisters in the nest and thus more efficient at removing pollen overnight. In all, our results suggest that male <i>T. carbonaria</i> may contribute to the pollination of a range of native plants and indicate possible sex differences in pollen transport by stingless bees. In particular, as male stingless bees remove less pollen from their bodies overnight and traverse far greater distances in their lifetimes, they may be more likely than workers to move pollen between fragmented plant communities.\u0000</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8078,"journal":{"name":"Apidologie","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13592-026-01248-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147441502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ApidologiePub Date : 2026-03-10DOI: 10.1007/s13592-026-01261-9
Mikołaj Borański, Aleksandra Splitt
{"title":"Scientific note: Bombus terrestris workers can use nesting box of Osmia bicornis to create unusual above-ground colony","authors":"Mikołaj Borański, Aleksandra Splitt","doi":"10.1007/s13592-026-01261-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13592-026-01261-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Bombus terrestris</i> are known for nesting underground. Here, we describe observations of an unusual, opportunistically built above-ground nest of buff-tailed bumblebee. The <i>B. terrestris</i> nest contained six workers and 14 cocoons with pupae at various stages, two empty pollen pots and nine reed tubes also used as nectar/pollen storage pots. <i>Bombus terrestris</i> workers used a wooden nesting box with reed tubes, which was designed as a nesting aid for solitary bees (<i>Osmia bicornis</i>). In our opinion, the most likely scenario is that this was an unintended consequence of removing commercial <i>Bombus</i> nests from the apple orchard in the middle of the day, so foragers had no place to return to and settled in the nearest possible place/shelter. This is a great example of the high flexibility of bumblebees in terms of available (anthropogenic) nesting sites and may suggest that microcolonies can also occur in nature.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8078,"journal":{"name":"Apidologie","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147441007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ApidologiePub Date : 2026-03-06DOI: 10.1007/s13592-026-01258-4
Catarina Silva Correia, Éricles Charles da Silva Melo, Daniela Maria do Amaral Ferraz Navarro, Airton Torres Carvalho, Artur Campos Dália Maia
{"title":"Under the radar: the kleptoparasite Pseudohypocera kerteszi evades meliponine bee defense without cuticular hydrocarbon mimicry or camouflage","authors":"Catarina Silva Correia, Éricles Charles da Silva Melo, Daniela Maria do Amaral Ferraz Navarro, Airton Torres Carvalho, Artur Campos Dália Maia","doi":"10.1007/s13592-026-01258-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13592-026-01258-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Pseudohypocera kerteszi</i> is a kleptoparasitic scuttle fly that invades meliponine bee hives, exploiting colony pollen reserves to provision its larvae. Such invasions can precipitate colony collapse, posing a significant threat to meliponiculture in Central and South America. Notably, the flies enter colonies with minimal resistance from typically aggressive guard bees, prompting questions about potential chemosensory or behavioral manipulation. To explore this, we compared the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles of <i>P. kerteszi</i> with those of three co-managed meliponine bee species—<i>Melipona scutellaris</i>, <i>Nannotrigona minuta</i>, and <i>Scaptotrigona tubiba</i>—and conducted behavioral assays in controlled arenas and at nest entrances, using <i>S. tubiba</i> as a model species. The CHC profile of <i>P. kerteszi</i> comprises 50 compounds—including <i>n</i>-alkanes, unsaturated hydrocarbons, methyl-branched alkanes, and fatty acyls—with the unique presence of 8,18-heptacosadiene and 10-dotriacontene. In contrast, workers of <i>M. scutellaris</i>, <i>N. minuta</i>, and <i>S. tubiba</i> exhibit profiles dominated by odd-chain alkanes and alkenes, with little or no contribution from alkadienes or methyl-branched alkanes. Bioassays revealed that while <i>S. tubiba</i> guard bees aggressively reject non-nestmates, they tolerate adult <i>P. kerteszi</i>. These findings provide strong evidence against chemical mimicry, camouflage, or insignificance as primary drivers of host acceptance. Instead, the data are consistent with the hypothesis that <i>P. kerteszi</i> utilizes alternative mechanisms, such as physical evasion facilitated by its small size and maneuverability, to prevent the initiation of a full defensive response. This study provides the first chemical characterization of <i>P. kerteszi</i> and narrows the scope of potential evasion strategies, guiding future research on this kleptoparasitic system.\u0000</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8078,"journal":{"name":"Apidologie","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13592-026-01258-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147362864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ApidologiePub Date : 2026-03-03DOI: 10.1007/s13592-025-01239-z
Elena Eustacchio, Matteo Brunetti, Andree Cappellari, Maurizio Mei, Luca Pedrotti, Matteo Montagna, Marco Caccianiga, Morena Casartelli, Mauro Gobbi, Marco Bonelli
{"title":"ITS2 metabarcoding quantitative reliability in assessing the composition of pollen carried by insects","authors":"Elena Eustacchio, Matteo Brunetti, Andree Cappellari, Maurizio Mei, Luca Pedrotti, Matteo Montagna, Marco Caccianiga, Morena Casartelli, Mauro Gobbi, Marco Bonelli","doi":"10.1007/s13592-025-01239-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13592-025-01239-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>To unravel complex plant-pollinator interactions, it is essential to be able to obtain not only qualitative but also quantitative information about the composition of pollen carried by insects. This information can be gathered by light microscopy identification of pollen grains, but this process can be time-consuming and requires trained specialists. ITS2 metabarcoding can be a powerful tool, providing a high taxonomic resolution in identifying taxa represented in a pollen sample; however, a possible critical point of this approach may be its quantitative reliability in estimating the relative abundance of pollen taxa, especially when ITS2 is used as a single marker. The aim of this work was to test the quantitative reliability of the ITS2 metabarcoding approach in assessing the composition of pollen carried by insects. Pollen samples consisting of a limited number of grains were retrieved from different bee families collected in different environments. The NGS reads obtained by ITS2 metabarcoding were compared at the family level with the pollen grain counts obtained by light microscopy. Moreover, the proportion of NGS reads corresponding to blooming plants occurring in the sampling area was evaluated at the genus level. The results highlighted a good correlation between the relative abundances obtained with metabarcoding and microscopy, and a good accuracy of metabarcoding in providing quantitative results independently of bee taxon and pollen taxa composition. Furthermore, this study indicates that ITS2 metabarcoding can be applied when the available amount of pollen is a constraint, an important point in the perspective of an actual evaluation of plant-pollinator interactions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8078,"journal":{"name":"Apidologie","volume":"57 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147336398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}