The role of disease in bee foraging ecology

Hauke Koch, Mark JF Brown, Philip C. Stevenson

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

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Abstract

Diseases have important but understudied effects on bee foraging ecology. Bees transmit and contract diseases on flowers, but floral traits including plant volatiles and inflorescence architecture may affect transmission. Diseases spill over from managed or invasive pollinators to native wild bee species, and impacts of emerging diseases are of particular concern, threatening pollinator populations and pollination services. Here we review how parasites can alter the foraging behaviour of bees by changing floral preferences and impairing foraging efficiency. We also consider how changes to pollinator behaviours alter or reduce pollination services. The availability of diverse floral resources can, however, ameliorate bee diseases and their impacts through better nutrition and antimicrobial effects of plant compounds in pollen and nectar
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)60-67
Number of pages8
JournalCurrent Opinion in Insect Science
Volume21
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2017

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