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 7
Special Issue 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
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Keywords
- bee biology
- pollination ecology
- environmental stressors
- bee genomics and omics
- bee health and conservation
- foraging behavior and social organization
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