Dynamic microbiome evolution in social bees

The highly social (eusocial) corbiculate bees, comprising the honey bees, bumble bees, and stingless bees, are ubiquitous insect pollinators that fulfill critical roles in ecosystem services and human agriculture. Here, we conduct wide sampling across the phylogeny of these corbiculate bees and reveal a dynamic evolutionary history behind their microbiota, marked by multiple gains and losses of gut associates, the presence of generalist as well as host-specific strains, and patterns of diversification driven, in part, by host ecology (for example, colony size). Across four continents, we found that different host species have distinct gut communities, largely independent of geography or sympatry. Nonetheless,…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: ID0ERNAK15291, 1046153, 1415604, ID0ESSAK15292
• SN
  Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung

  Awards: 140157, ID0EUVDI15287, ID0E6HAK15290, 147881
• FD
  Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

  Awards: ID0ETBAK15289, ID0EG2DI15288, 2013/23661-2, 2012/13200-5
• CN
  Canadian Network for Research and Innovation in Machining Technology, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

  Award: ID0EEQDI15286