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

9701190只狼蜂对花粉植物的选择各不相同。多面手是从许多植物物种采集花粉的蜜蜂，而专家只从少数相关植物采集花粉。生物学家并不完全理解为什么有些蜜蜂是多面手，而另一些则是专门化的。蜜蜂花粉的选择很重要，有几个原因。首先，许多本土植物依靠特定蜜蜂授粉来结实种子。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，保罗·沃尔夫和博士生西多尼亚·西普斯将研究Diadasia的花粉选择，Diadasia是一种专业蜜蜂，其成员专门研究不同的植物科。许多物种只访问锦葵科植物；其他物种专门研究仙人掌或向日葵。在该蜂属的历史上，寄主专门化的这些变化何时发生，或多久发生一次，目前尚不清楚。研究人员将使用DNA分析来确定Diadasia物种是如何相关的，以推断寄主切换的频率和顺序。他们还将量化Diadasia在多大程度上被限制在他们喜欢的宿主上。最后，研究人员将检查可能适合专门收集花粉的形态特征。这项工作应该增加对蜜蜂专门化的理解，并提供一些评估这些蜜蜂为作物授粉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.