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What is the context of this research?

Invasive species dramatically reshape their invaded landscapes and restructure interactions between native species. In North America, the European wool-carder bee (Anthidium manicatum), a recently introduced non-native species, threatens the well-being of native bees.

Male wool-carder bees defend patches of flowers using evolved weapons on the base of their abdomen to ram into other bees trying to visit the defended flowers. And the cost of these interactions to other bees is high - often severe injury or even death. Of our native bees, bumble bees receive the majority of attacks from wool-carder bees. Yet we do not know the impact of these attacks on bumble bee populations.

What is the significance of this project?

Bumble bees are declining drastically. Some previously common species are estimated to have only 4% of their original population surviving today. We depend on bumble bees to pollinate crops – including tomatoes, peppers, blueberries, and more. Bumble bees perform a special pollination behavior called buzz pollination, which many native crops depend on. Without bumble bees, the sustainability of US agriculture would be in question.

The greatest threat to bumble bees is habitat destruction - urbanization, agriculture and introduction of invasive species, such as the wool-carder bee. Yet we don't know the extent of impact wool-carder bees have on bumble bee decline. Therefore, my research will determine long term effects of wool-carder bees on bumble bees.

Projects such as this are necessary to determine the impact of this invasive bee on our native ecosystem. With the information provided by this project, we can make recommendations about wool-carder bee control and ecosystem rehabilitation.



What are the goals of the project?

My previous research determined that bumble bees actively avoid visiting flowers near wool-carder bees. But we need to establish if wool-carder bees will have long term fitness effects on bumble bees. To do this I will measure fitness in the following ways: