Research Advances on Biology and Genetics of Bees
A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Zoology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1068
Editors
Interests: honey bee; biodiversity; habitat; DNA; microbiota; adaptation; biophysical environment
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Bees—including honey bees (Apis spp.), bumblebees (Bombus spp.), and solitary bees from diverse lineages—are among the most essential pollinators underpinning terrestrial biodiversity and global food security. Through their diverse foraging behaviors, social structures, and ecological interactions, they ensure the reproduction of countless wild and cultivated plants. In the Anthropocene, bees face an unprecedented convergence of environmental stressors—pathogens, parasites, pesticide exposure, habitat degradation, nutritional scarcity, and climatic instability—that collectively endanger their population viability, colony performance, and pollination function.
These multifaceted challenges not only threaten bee species individually but also disrupt the intricate pollination networks upon which ecosystem stability and agricultural productivity depend. Understanding how different bee taxa respond and adapt to these pressures is fundamental for developing effective conservation and management strategies.
This Special Issue aims to provide an integrative platform for research on the biology, genetics, and ecology of bees as pollinators. We invite contributions that explore the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying bee adaptation, stress resistance, and reproductive success, as well as studies investigating the evolutionary and behavioral foundations of foraging and social organization. Particular attention is given to the use of advanced omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics) to uncover the genetic and regulatory bases of key traits related to bee health, nutrition, communication, and resilience. These contributions present bring tools and approaches for bee breeding, disease control, habitat restoration, and pollinator-friendly agricultural practices. By integrating insights across species and disciplines, this Special Issue seeks to deepen our understanding of how honey bees, bumblebees, and solitary bees sustain their ecological roles under accelerating global change, and how research can help secure their future and the vital pollination services they provide.
Dr. Jiaxing Huang
Dr. Guiling Ding
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- bee biology
- pollination ecology
- environmental stressors
- bee genomics and omics
- bee health and conservation
- foraging behavior and social organization
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
