Publication Details |
| Category | Text Publication |
| Reference Category | Journals |
| DOI | 10.1111/een.70096 |
Licence  |
|
| Title (Primary) | Nutritional composition of pollen stores in managed bees across European agro-ecosystems reveals species-specific differences but limited pesticide effects |
| Author | Gekière, A.; Tourbez, C.; Vanderplanck, M.; Kiljanek, T.; Ghisbain, G.; Kardas, E.; Bottero, I.; Chauzat, M.-P.; Cini, E.; Corvucci, F.; de Miranda, J.R.; di Prisco, G.; Dominik, C.
; Grillenzoni, F.V.; Hodge, S.; Knauer, A.; Laurent, M.; Martínez-López, V.; Raimets, R.; Schwarz, J.M.; Senapathi, D.; Serra, G.; Tamburini, G.; Wintermantel, D.; Brown, M.J.F.; Albrecht, M.; Costa, C.; De la Rúa, P.; Klein, A.-M.; Mänd, M.; Potts, S.G.; Rundlöf, M.; Schweiger, O.; Stout, J.C.; Michez, D. |
| Source Titel | Ecological Entomology |
| Year | 2026 |
| Department | BZF; iDiv |
| Language | englisch |
| Topic | T5 Future Landscapes |
| Data and Software links | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19402214 |
| Supplements | Supplement 1 |
| Keywords | agrochemical; Apis mellifera; Bombus terrestris; ecotoxicology; foraging; Osmia bicornis; plasticity |
| Abstract | Nutritional ecology is a key determinant of bee health, yet species-specific preferences and how bees respond nutritionally to real-world pesticide exposure remain unclear. We collected pollen stores from three managed bee species in 128 sites across two widespread agro-ecosystems (i.e., oilseed rape fields and apple orchards) in eight European countries. We measured protein content, lipid content, protein-to-lipid ratio as well as pesticide residues in pollen stores. We provide the first evidence of species-specific macronutritional patterns in the pollen stores of three managed bee species. The buff-tailed bumble bee stored pollen with significantly lower lipid content (mean: 44.1 μg/mg) than the European honey bee (mean: 57.2 μg/mg) and the red mason bee (mean: 54 μg/mg). This reduced lipid content translated into a higher protein-to-lipid (P:L) ratio in the buff-tailed bumble bee (mean: 8.53) when compared to the European honey bee (mean: 5.85) and the red mason bee (mean: 5.60). Pesticide risk, measured as toxicity-weighted concentrations in pollen stores, did not influence P:L ratios in any species. However, increasing pesticide risk was associated with reduced protein content and lipid content in buff-tailed bumble bee stores, potentially leading to suboptimal colony development, whereas it was associated with increased protein content in red mason bee stores. Our findings suggest that bees maintain consistent macronutritional profiles in their pollen stores under pesticide exposure, at least in terms of P:L ratios, suggesting limited capacity to adapt their macronutritional dietary choices to mitigate agrochemical stress. These findings highlight a critical need to balance floral enhancements with a reduction in pesticide use to safeguard pollinators in agricultural landscapes. |
| Gekière, A., Tourbez, C., Vanderplanck, M., Kiljanek, T., Ghisbain, G., Kardas, E., Bottero, I., Chauzat, M.-P., Cini, E., Corvucci, F., de Miranda, J.R., di Prisco, G., Dominik, C., Grillenzoni, F.V., Hodge, S., Knauer, A., Laurent, M., Martínez-López, V., Raimets, R., Schwarz, J.M., Senapathi, D., Serra, G., Tamburini, G., Wintermantel, D., Brown, M.J.F., Albrecht, M., Costa, C., De la Rúa, P., Klein, A.-M., Mänd, M., Potts, S.G., Rundlöf, M., Schweiger, O., Stout, J.C., Michez, D. (2026): Nutritional composition of pollen stores in managed bees across European agro-ecosystems reveals species-specific differences but limited pesticide effects Ecol. Entomol. 10.1111/een.70096 |
|