All articles tagged with #pollination
The Patagonian giant bumblebee Bombus dahlbomii, the region’s largest pollinator, is facing rapid declines as non-native European bumblebees (Bombus ruderatus and Bombus terrestris) outcompete it and bring pathogens; it also uniquely detects red flowers and is being highlighted as invertebrate of the year to raise awareness and conservation efforts.
Scientists have pinpointed the genetic basis of avocado temporal dichogamy—the daily switch between female and male flowers—driven by the SDMYB clock gene. Across hundreds of trees, A-type varieties open female flowers in the morning and male flowers in the afternoon, while B-types do the opposite. The SDMYB gene has two alleles; A-types carry one of each, B-types two recessives, enabling quick typing without flowering. Published in PNAS 2026, the finding can speed breeding and orchard design (e.g., using B-type pollinizers to boost A-type yields), though commercial Hass fruit remains an A-type, and gene editing remains years away.
Avocado flowers alternate between a female phase (receiving pollen) and a subsequent male phase (releasing pollen) over two days, a two-day cycle that has remained driven by the SDMYB gene for about 42 million years. Hass is an A-type variety, and breeders are now able to create B-type pollinizers that both pollinate and bear marketable fruit, offering higher yields with some trade‑offs in fruit quality and orchard management.
Producing a pound of honey is a massive cooperative feat: roughly two million flower visits by a colony, involving tens of thousands of foraging trips and a combined flight distance that researchers estimate between about 55,000 and 90,000 miles, far surpassing what any single bee does in a lifetime. The workers live only about 6–8 weeks, and the waggle dance helps them coordinate locations and distances to the best flowers, turning a jar into a record of collective labor rather than the work of one bee.
North America’s 2026 bee swarm season began about 17 days earlier than last year, a shift linked to unusually warm winters and climate-driven changes in flowering that are accelerating bee activity; this follows years of record colony losses and, compounded by resilient varroa mites and competition with wild bees, raises concerns for pollination-dependent agriculture valued at roughly $15 billion and is prompting beekeepers to rethink seasonal management.
Researchers counting 3–8 million bees at East Lawn Cemetery in Ithaca, NY, estimate an average population of 5.5 million ground-nesting Andrena regularis. Using emergence traps over ~6,000 square meters, the study found males emerge first in April and highlighted nearby Cornell Orchards and sandy soil as key factors supporting this large, pesticide-free population. The work underscores cemeteries as biodiversity hotspots and pollinator habitats, and it launches a global citizen-science effort to document other ground-nesting bee populations.
Scientists discovered a massive underground colony of ground-nesting bees (Andrena regularis) beneath East Lawn Cemetery in Ithaca, New York, estimating 3.1 to 8 million bees emerged in a single season—enough activity to rival hundreds of honeybee hives—highlighting the crucial role of solitary bees in pollination and biodiversity and underscoring cemeteries as overlooked habitats that deserve protection; the study notes low parasitism and timing patterns in bee emergence that aid survival.
New research shows honey bees adjust their waggle dance based on audience engagement: when fewer hive mates observe, dancers wander more and the signal becomes less precise, indicating the dance is a flexible, socially influenced communication rather than a fixed message about food location.
Scientists documented a Japanese plant, Vincetoxicum nakaianum, that mimics the smell of injured ants to attract flies that inadvertently pollinate it, revealing a sophisticated form of floral deception based on scent rather than visual cues.
A new study highlights the importance of specific sterols in honeybee diets, particularly 24-methylenecholesterol, which is crucial for brood development. Researchers used genetic engineering to produce these sterols in yeast, creating a potential supplement to support bee colonies during pollen shortages, thereby improving colony resilience and sustainability.
Most supermarket figs are bug-free and do not contain wasps, as many fig varieties can ripen without pollination by wasps, though some wild and certain cultivated figs rely on wasps for pollination, which is part of a complex mutualistic relationship essential for the reproduction of specific fig species.
Researchers discovered a Japanese plant, Vincetoxicum nakaianum, that attracts pollinating flies by mimicking the scent of half-eaten ants, a unique form of plant deception that enhances its reproductive success by exploiting the flies' attraction to injured ants' odours.
Researchers have developed a synthetic, pollen-replacing superfood for honey bees that could improve their health, survival, and pollination services, potentially saving declining bee populations and supporting global food security. The innovation, tested successfully in trials, aims to provide essential nutrients to bees in environments with poor natural pollen sources and is expected to be available in the U.S. by mid-2026.
Scientists developed a sterol-enriched yeast supplement that significantly boosts honeybee colony growth, offering a sustainable solution to bee nutrient deficiencies caused by climate change and habitat loss, with potential benefits for agriculture and biodiversity.
Scientists have developed a nutrient-rich, pollen-replacing superfood for honey bees that can sustain colonies indefinitely, addressing issues of poor nutrition and colony collapse. This artificial diet, resembling human power bars, provides essential nutrients, including a critical compound called isofucosterol, and has shown promising results in improving bee survival and colony health, potentially transforming pollination practices and food security. The product is expected to be available in the U.S. by mid-2026.