Dissertation Research: Evolution of Host Choice and Specialization in North American Diadasia (Hymenoptera; Apoidea)

9701190狼蜂对花粉植物的选择各不相同。通才是指从多种植物中采集花粉的蜜蜂，而专才只从少数相关植物中采集花粉。生物学家还不能完全理解为什么有些蜜蜂是多面手，而有些蜜蜂是专门化的。蜂花粉的选择很重要，原因有几个。首先，许多本地植物依靠特定蜜蜂的授粉来结籽。此外，一些本地蜜蜂被用作作物传粉者，许多其他蜜蜂也具有这种潜力。在这项研究中，Paul Wolf和博士生Sedonia Sipes将研究Diadasia的花粉选择，Diadasia是一种专业蜜蜂，其成员专门研究不同植物科的花粉选择。许多种类只拜访锦葵科的植物；另一些则专门种植仙人掌或向日葵。在这个蜂属的历史中，寄主专业化的这些变化发生的时间和频率是未知的。研究人员将使用DNA分析来确定双翅虫物种之间的关系，从而推断宿主转换的频率和顺序。他们还将量化Diadasia对其首选宿主的限制程度。最后，研究人员将研究可能适合专门采集花粉的形态学特征。这项工作应该增加对蜜蜂专业化的理解，并提供一些评估这些蜜蜂在作物授粉方面的潜力所需的基本信息。

9701190 WOLF Bees vary in their choice of pollen plants. Generalists are bees that collect pollen from many plant species, while specialists collect pollen from only a few related plants. Biologists do not fully understand why some bees are generalists, whereas others specialize. Bee pollen choice is important for several reasons. First, many native plants depend on pollination by particular bees for seed set. Additionally, some native bees are used as crop pollinators, and many others hold such potential. In this research, Paul Wolf and doctoral candidate Sedonia Sipes will study pollen choice in Diadasia, a genus of specialist bees whose members specialize on different plant families. Many species visit only plants in the mallow family; others specialize on cacti or sunflowers. It is unknown when, or how often, these changes in host specialization have occurred during the history of this bee genus. The researchers will use DNA analysis to determine how Diadasia species are related, to infer the frequency and order of host-switching. They will also quantify the degree to which Diadasia are restricted to their preferred hosts. Finally, the researchers will examine morphological characteristics that may be adaptive to specialized pollen collection. The work should add to the understanding of specialization in bees, and provide some of the basic information needed to evaluate the potential of these bees for crop pollination.