Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), including honey and bumblebees, orchid bees, solitary bees, and stingless bees, play a fundamental role in the environment by facilitating the pollination of plant species in both natural ecosystems and crops. However, like many other insects worldwide, they are threatened by habitat destruction, global climate change, environmental toxins, emerging infectious diseases, and resource competition. These critical factors may threaten insect biodiversity, hasten the decline in pollinator species populations and even cause a parallel decline in plant species.
The role of the gut microbiome in animal health has become increasingly evident. Unlike most other insects, honey bees possess a highly conserved and specialized core gut microbiome, which consists of nine bacterial species and is acquired mainly through social transmission. In animals generally, gut microbiome composition is influenced by many factors, including diet, stress, immune responses, stress, ageing, and exposure to antibiotics. All of these factors appear to affect the bee microbiome. Accordingly, bees' microbiome can reflect the environment to a certain extent. However, the composition, diversity, and interactions between the gut microbiome of many species of bees remain unclear.
In addition, beehive products like honey and pollen and the pollen provisions of solitary and primitively eusocial bees are considered bioindicators. Therefore, possible associations between microbiota and other characteristics of different honey, nectar, and pollen samples, including country of origin, flower type, type of commercial distribution, and environmental factors, such as land use, weather, and composition of the environment surrounding the beehives, are of great concern.
This Research Topic encourages researchers to submit Original Research and Review articles highlighting the roles of bees' microbiome. Researchers working on the diversity, evolution, and functional potentials of the gut microbiota of different bee species and the microbiome associated with beehive and bee nest products, honeycombs, etc., are all welcome.
This Research Topic welcomes original research articles, reviews, systematic reviews, technology, and methodology, but is not limited to, the following themes:
-The composition, diversity, and characterization of the gut microbiome of bees.
-Effects of the microbiome on bee health.
-Interaction between bees and gut microbiome or environmental microorganisms.
Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), including honey and bumblebees, orchid bees, solitary bees, and stingless bees, play a fundamental role in the environment by facilitating the pollination of plant species in both natural ecosystems and crops. However, like many other insects worldwide, they are threatened by habitat destruction, global climate change, environmental toxins, emerging infectious diseases, and resource competition. These critical factors may threaten insect biodiversity, hasten the decline in pollinator species populations and even cause a parallel decline in plant species.
The role of the gut microbiome in animal health has become increasingly evident. Unlike most other insects, honey bees possess a highly conserved and specialized core gut microbiome, which consists of nine bacterial species and is acquired mainly through social transmission. In animals generally, gut microbiome composition is influenced by many factors, including diet, stress, immune responses, stress, ageing, and exposure to antibiotics. All of these factors appear to affect the bee microbiome. Accordingly, bees' microbiome can reflect the environment to a certain extent. However, the composition, diversity, and interactions between the gut microbiome of many species of bees remain unclear.
In addition, beehive products like honey and pollen and the pollen provisions of solitary and primitively eusocial bees are considered bioindicators. Therefore, possible associations between microbiota and other characteristics of different honey, nectar, and pollen samples, including country of origin, flower type, type of commercial distribution, and environmental factors, such as land use, weather, and composition of the environment surrounding the beehives, are of great concern.
This Research Topic encourages researchers to submit Original Research and Review articles highlighting the roles of bees' microbiome. Researchers working on the diversity, evolution, and functional potentials of the gut microbiota of different bee species and the microbiome associated with beehive and bee nest products, honeycombs, etc., are all welcome.
This Research Topic welcomes original research articles, reviews, systematic reviews, technology, and methodology, but is not limited to, the following themes:
-The composition, diversity, and characterization of the gut microbiome of bees.
-Effects of the microbiome on bee health.
-Interaction between bees and gut microbiome or environmental microorganisms.
