Host density drives viral, but not trypanosome, transmission in a key pollinator
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Standard Standard
In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences, Vol. 287, No. 1918, 08.01.2020, p. 1-9.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
HarvardHarvard
APA
CBE
MLA
VancouverVancouver
Author
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Host density drives viral, but not trypanosome, transmission in a key pollinator
AU - Bailes, Emily Jane
AU - Bagi, Judit
AU - Coltman, Jake
AU - Fountain, Michelle T
AU - Wilfert, Lena
AU - Brown, Mark J F
PY - 2020/1/8
Y1 - 2020/1/8
N2 - Supplemental feeding of wildlife populations can locally increase the density of individuals, which may in turn impact disease dynamics. Flower strips are a widely-used intervention in intensive agricultural systems to nutritionally support pollinators such as bees. Using a controlled experimental semi-field design, we asked how density impacts transmission of a virus and a trypanosome parasite in bumblebees. We manipulated bumblebee density by using different numbers of colonies within the same area of floral resource. In high density compartments, slow bee paralysis virus (SBPV) was transmitted more quickly, resulting in higher prevalence and level of infection in bumblebee hosts. In contrast, there was no impact of density on the transmission of the trypanosome Crithidia bombi, which may reflect the ease with which this parasite is transmitted. These results suggest that agri-environment schemes such as flower strips, which are known to enhance the nutrition and survival of bumblebees, may also have negative impacts on pollinators through enhanced disease transmission. Future studies should assess how changing the design of these schemes could minimise disease transmission and thus maximise their health benefits to wild pollinators.
AB - Supplemental feeding of wildlife populations can locally increase the density of individuals, which may in turn impact disease dynamics. Flower strips are a widely-used intervention in intensive agricultural systems to nutritionally support pollinators such as bees. Using a controlled experimental semi-field design, we asked how density impacts transmission of a virus and a trypanosome parasite in bumblebees. We manipulated bumblebee density by using different numbers of colonies within the same area of floral resource. In high density compartments, slow bee paralysis virus (SBPV) was transmitted more quickly, resulting in higher prevalence and level of infection in bumblebee hosts. In contrast, there was no impact of density on the transmission of the trypanosome Crithidia bombi, which may reflect the ease with which this parasite is transmitted. These results suggest that agri-environment schemes such as flower strips, which are known to enhance the nutrition and survival of bumblebees, may also have negative impacts on pollinators through enhanced disease transmission. Future studies should assess how changing the design of these schemes could minimise disease transmission and thus maximise their health benefits to wild pollinators.
U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2019.1969
DO - 10.1098/rspb.2019.1969
M3 - Article
VL - 287
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences
JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences
SN - 0080-4649
IS - 1918
ER -