Pollen Protein: Lipid Macronutrient Ratios May Guide Broad Patterns of Bee Species Floral Preferences
Anthony D. Vaudo,
John F. Tooker,
Harland M. Patch,
David J. Biddinger,
Michael Coccia,
Makaylee K. Crone,
Mark Fiely,
Jacob S. Francis,
Heather M. Hines,
Mackenzie Hodges,
Stephanie W. Jackson,
Denis Michez,
Junpeng Mu,
Laura Russo,
Maliheh Safari,
Erin D. Treanore,
Maryse Vanderplanck,
Eric Yip,
Anne S. Leonard,
Christina M. Grozinger
Affiliations
Anthony D. Vaudo
Department of Biology, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA
John F. Tooker
Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Harland M. Patch
Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
David J. Biddinger
Fruit Research and Extension Center, Pennsylvania State University, Biglerville, PA 17307, USA
Michael Coccia
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
Makaylee K. Crone
Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Mark Fiely
Ernst Conservation Seeds, Inc., Meadville, PA 16335, USA
Jacob S. Francis
Department of Biology, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA
Heather M. Hines
Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Mackenzie Hodges
Museum of Life and Science, Durham, NC 27704, USA
Stephanie W. Jackson
Ernst Conservation Seeds, Inc., Meadville, PA 16335, USA
Denis Michez
Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Mons B-7000, Belgium
Junpeng Mu
Ecological Security and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Mianyang Normal University, Mianyang 621000, China
Laura Russo
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Maliheh Safari
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
Erin D. Treanore
Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Maryse Vanderplanck
Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Mons B-7000, Belgium
Eric Yip
Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Anne S. Leonard
Department of Biology, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA
Christina M. Grozinger
Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Pollinator nutritional ecology provides insights into plant−pollinator interactions, coevolution, and the restoration of declining pollinator populations. Bees obtain their protein and lipid nutrient intake from pollen, which is essential for larval growth and development as well as adult health and reproduction. Our previous research revealed that pollen protein to lipid ratios (P:L) shape bumble bee foraging preferences among pollen host-plant species, and these preferred ratios link to bumble bee colony health and fitness. Yet, we are still in the early stages of integrating data on P:L ratios across plant and bee species. Here, using a standard laboratory protocol, we present over 80 plant species’ protein and lipid concentrations and P:L values, and we evaluate the P:L ratios of pollen collected by three bee species. We discuss the general phylogenetic, phenotypic, behavioral, and ecological trends observed in these P:L ratios that may drive plant−pollinator interactions; we also present future research questions to further strengthen the field of pollination nutritional ecology. This dataset provides a foundation for researchers studying the nutritional drivers of plant−pollinator interactions as well as for stakeholders developing planting schemes to best support pollinators.
