Parasite populations infecting Bombus in intermountain region

Presenting Author(s)

Maxwell Packebush

Laramie, WY, USA

Co-Author(s)

Christine Bell

PhD Student
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming, United States
PA

Paul Akwettey Ayayee (he/him/his)

University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska, United States
LT

Lusha Tronstad

University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming, United States

Disease-causing pathogens may be forcing critical losses of bumble bees (Bombus sp.) in North America. For example, the Western Bumble Bee (Bombus occidentalis) was one of the most prevalent species in the western United States and declined by 93% since 1998. One main cause for this alarming decline of the Western Bumble Bee and possibly others in North America may be known and unknown microbial pathogens. The spread of pathogens between these bees is crucial knowledge in understanding the origin, spread, and frequency of diseases. More research into the pathogens affecting Bombus is necessary to access the mysterious cause for the decline of bumble bees. The pathogens presumably infecting Bombus populations in the Intermountain region of North America are very poorly studied and merit further investigation. We are comparing rates of parasite infection among bumble bee species to investigate if some species, including the Western Bumble Bee, are more heavily parasitized than others. We collected ≈500 bumble bees from the Snowy and Laramie Mountains and an urban area in southeastern Wyoming during 2020. We are currently dissecting bumble bees for parasites and using molecular techniques to quantify infection by Apidae Bombi, Crithidia Bombi, Nosema bombi, Apicystis bombi, Melisococcus plutonius, Sphaerularia Bombi, Apicystis bombi, yeasts, and other novel pathogens. Investigating parasite loads of these vital pollinators may identify why some species are in decline and help manage wild bee populations.