Honey Bees and Wild Pollinators in Agricultural Ecosystems

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecosystem, Environment and Climate Change in Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 August 2025 | Viewed by 857

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: veterinary pharmacology and toxicology; essential oils; natural products; animal health and welfare; honeybee pathogens; hive products
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E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: animal welfare; parasitic diseases; parasitological diagnosis and alternative control on livestock
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Guest Editor
Mediterranean Ethnobotanical Conservatory, 88054 Sersale, Italy
Interests: ethnobotany; green chemistry; phytochemistry; green extractions; herbal products; phytochemical analysis
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As is well known, bees are the most important group of pollinators in the world and are essential to both agricultural productivity and the health of natural ecosystems. By taking advantage of the activity of managed honey bee colonies or native bees or by implementing good land management techniques with the aim of increasing bee populations, agricultural producers can increase the fruit or seed yield of crops. However, despite their importance, the survival of honey bee colonies and bees in general is currently under pressure. Climate change, anthropization and related urbanization, land use and habitat fragmentation, pesticides, environmental pollutants and exotic pathogens are the main risk factors undermining the health of pollinators. In addition, a growing body of research is documenting the spread of various pathogens among breeding and wild bee species. These elements make ecosystems increasingly inhospitable to pollinating insects. Understanding how interactions between different environmental factors, management techniques, pathogens and pests can affect the health of honey bees and native bees would help implement a framework of sustainable beekeeping and agricultural practices to ensure the survival of bee populations.

The goal of this Special Issue is to provide various stakeholders with information that can be used to improve agricultural and beekeeping practices. In particular, we intend to gather research on current and potential threats to managed bees and native pollinators, as well as possible remedies to counter their impact on bee survival.

Submissions of reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analysis studies and original research articles of various topics is encouraged. In particular, submissions are invited for articles on environmental toxicology, the interaction between pathogens and bees, veterinary drug use in beekeeping, the implications of environmental changes on the beehive superorganism’s activity and survival and studies on resilient bee populations.

Dr. Roberto Bava
Dr. Fabio Castagna
Dr. Carmine Lupia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • honey bees and wild bees
  • bee pathogens
  • pesticides
  • pest control
  • climate change
  • environmental pollutants
  • colony collapse disorder

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 998 KiB  
Article
Colony Nutrition Enhances Bee Resilience to Fungicides, While the Benefit of Propolis Supplementation Depends on Stress Conditions
by Yara Martins Molina Ferraz, Aline Yukari Kato, Tainá Angelica de Lima Freitas, Cássia Regina de Avelar Gomes, Thais Regina Ramos Alves, Matheus Franco Trivellato, Samir Moura Kadri, Ricardo de Oliveira Orsi, David De Jong, Jaqueline Dalbello Biller and Daniel Nicodemo
Agriculture 2025, 15(15), 1665; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15151665 (registering DOI) - 1 Aug 2025
Abstract
Enhanced colony nutrition can support brood development, resulting in better physiological conditions and increased resilience in adult honey bees, particularly under stress. This study investigated the effects of colony nutrition and adult dietary supplementation with green propolis on bee health under fungicide exposure. [...] Read more.
Enhanced colony nutrition can support brood development, resulting in better physiological conditions and increased resilience in adult honey bees, particularly under stress. This study investigated the effects of colony nutrition and adult dietary supplementation with green propolis on bee health under fungicide exposure. Colonies were managed under food restriction or nutritional supplementation for 22 weeks. Newly emerged bees from each colony were then caged and fed protein diets consisting of honey-pollen patties contaminated or not with fungicide, and sucrose sugar syrup with or without aqueous green propolis extract. Bees from supplemented colonies showed greater body weight, higher hemolymph protein levels, and higher consumption of protein food after seven days in cages. Fungicide exposure reduced hemolymph protein levels, altered the expression of detoxification and immune-related genes, and significantly decreased bee survival. Interestingly, propolis supplementation alone changed gene expression patterns and slightly reduced longevity compared to bees not exposed to propolis or fungicide. However, under fungicide stress, bees that ingested propolis survived longer, indicating a protective effect. While colony nutritional supplementation clearly promotes honey bee resilience against fungicide exposure, feeding propolis also showed promising effects, though further studies are needed to determine an optimal dietary concentration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honey Bees and Wild Pollinators in Agricultural Ecosystems)
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15 pages, 838 KiB  
Article
Azoxystrobin and Picoxystrobin Lead to Decreased Fitness of Honey Bee Drones (Apis mellifera ligustica)
by Wenlong Tong, Lizhu Wang, Bingfang Tao, Huanjing Yao, Huiping Liu, Shaokang Huang, Jianghong Li, Xiaolan Xu and Xinle Duan
Agriculture 2025, 15(15), 1590; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15151590 - 24 Jul 2025
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Abstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera ligustica) are essential pollinators in both ecosystems and agricultural production. However, their populations are declining due to various factors, including pesticide exposure. Despite their importance, the reproductive castes, particularly drones, remain understudied in terms of pesticide effects. [...] Read more.
Honey bees (Apis mellifera ligustica) are essential pollinators in both ecosystems and agricultural production. However, their populations are declining due to various factors, including pesticide exposure. Despite their importance, the reproductive castes, particularly drones, remain understudied in terms of pesticide effects. To investigate the effects of azoxystrobin and picoxystrobin on honey bee drones, the drones were exposed to different concentrations of azoxystrobin and picoxystrobin for 14 days; the drone survival, body weight, nutrient content, reproductive organs, and sperm concentration were assessed. Results showed that exposure to both fungicides caused a significant reduction in drone survival rates, with survival rates decreasing progressively as the duration of exposure increased. Compared to the control group, the body weights of drones in all treatment groups were significantly lower on days 7 and 14. Nutrient analysis revealed that low concentrations of azoxystrobin and picoxystrobin increased protein levels, while free fatty acid content decreased significantly in all treatment groups. No significant changes were observed in the total carbohydrate content. Morphological examination of reproductive organs showed that the lengths of the mucus glands and seminal vesicles in drones were significantly shorter in the treatment groups compared to the control group. Furthermore, exposure to azoxystrobin and picoxystrobin resulted in a significant decline in sperm concentration in the drones. These findings indicate that azoxystrobin and picoxystrobin have adverse effects on the health and reproductive capacity of honey bee drones. The present study highlights the need to reassess the risks posed by these fungicides to pollinators, particularly given the critical role of drones in maintaining the genetic diversity and resilience of honey bee colonies. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these effects and explore potential mitigation strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honey Bees and Wild Pollinators in Agricultural Ecosystems)
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