Abstract

Stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) are the most diverse group of corbiculate bees and are important managed and wild pollinators distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. However, little is known about their associated beneficial microbes that play major roles in host nutrition, detoxification, growth, activation of immune responses, and protection against pathogens in their sister groups, honeybees and bumble bees. Here, we provide an initial characterization of the gut bacterial microbiota of eight stingless bee species from sub-Saharan Africa using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Our findings revealed that Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria were the dominant and conserved phyla across the eight stingless bee species. Additionally, we found significant geographical and host intra-species-specific bacterial diversity. Notably, African strains showed significant phylogenetic clustering when compared with strains from other continents, and each stingless bee species has its own microbial composition with its own dominant bacterial genus. Our results suggest host selective mechanisms maintain distinct gut communities among sympatric species and thus constitute an important resource for future studies on bee health management and host-microbe co-evolution and adaptation.

Highlights

  • IntroductionStingless bees (Meliponinae) represent the most diverse group among corbiculate bees and are commonly distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions; 77% are found in the Neotropics

  • Foragers from eight African stingless bee species belonging to four genera (Meliponula, Dactylurina, Hypotrigona, Liotrigona) were collected from colonies located at the International

  • We found that Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the dominant phyla across the eight stingless bee species (Table S1)

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Stingless bees (Meliponinae) represent the most diverse group among corbiculate bees and are commonly distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions; 77% are found in the Neotropics There are approximately 61 identified stingless bee genera and over 550 species [4,8,10]. In Africa, there are 10 genera and 36 species of stingless bees described, and they are commonly distributed in tropical forests, savannahs, and deserts [4,10,11]. In Kenya, 6 genera (Cleptotrigona, Dactylurina, Hypotrigona, Liotrigona, Meliponula, and Plebeina) have been reported and are composed of 12 species that inhabit the Kakamega forest, Mwingi, the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, and the Taita hills [10,12,13,14]

Methods
Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call