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ViewAttendees 3

Student 10-Minute Paper

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Student Competition

Student

Grad Competition P-IE: Pollinator Conservation

Morphological and molecular identification of pollen collected by bees from centipedegrass lawns

Monday, November 6, 2023
8:36 AM – 8:48 AM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Maryland B
In-Person Student Competition

    Presenting Author(s)

  • OI

    Oluwatomi Daniel Ibiyemi

    Graduate Research Assisstant
    University of Georgia
    Griffin, Georgia

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Shimat V. Joseph

    Associate Professor
    University of Georgia
    Griffin, Georgia

  • KS

    Karen-Harris Shultz

    Research Geneticist, Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit
    USDA
    Tifton, Georgia

  • DJ

    David Jespersen

    Associate Professor, Department of Crop and Soil Science
    University of Georgia
    Griffin, Georgia

The decline of bee populations could be a multifaceted problem. Increasing the availability of pollen sources that was previously not considered as a source, such as centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides), would increase the survival and well-being of bees. Bees forage on centipedegrass spikelets; however, it is unclear if they collect pollen from the centipedegrass. The objective of this study was to determine the pollen species collected from bees actively foraging on centipedegrass using morphological and molecular methods. During July-September 2021 and 2022, we examined several centipedegrass lawns at early (10-12 days) and late (14-16 days) post-mowing phases. Bees foraging on centipedegrass were collected, primarily comprising Lasioglossum spp., Bombus spp., Apis spp., and Augochlora spp. Pollen grains from their corbicula were analyzed under a microscope and further confirmed through molecular tools.Approximately 90% (2021) and 95% (2022) of the pollen grains from the bee pollen load were from the Poaceae which include centipedegrass. This confirms that bees actively forage on centipedegrass, suggesting it serves as a critical nutritional source.