López-Uribe Lab

Author: margaritamlopez

  • NSF-iRES Program: Pollinators in Changing Climates

    NSF-iRES Program: Pollinators in Changing Climates

    The impact of climate change on crop-pollinator interactions

    This International Research Experiences for Students (iRES) program will provide undergraduate student eight-week of a virtual research experience working with mentors from Colombia and Peru. Projects will focus on studying how environmental factors impact plant-pollinator interactions in agricultural areas. Students will participate in interdisciplinary research guided by mentors representing entomology, ecology, engineering, and climate science. Students will receive $4,000 for their participation in the program.

    Mentors participating in this program include 10 faculty from Penn State University (USA), Universidad Militar Nueva Granada (Colombia), and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Peru):

    Research topics include:

    • Predicting bee foraging patterns trajectories of pollinators using radar data
    • Understand mechanistic effects of drought and flooding events on crop-pollinator interactions
    • Variation of pollinator thermal tolerance in tropical ecosystems
    • Region climate downscaling to relevant microclimatic scales

    Projects suitable for students majoring in:

    • Biology or Ecology
    • Entomology
    • Engineering
    • Climate science

    Requirements:

    • Enrollment in an undergraduate program (preference to juniors and seniors) in the United States.
    • Courses in biology and calculus. Knowledge of computer programming is desirable but not necessary.

    Application are due on March 1, 2021

    Applicants must submit:

    1. Resume or CV

    2. A statement detailing relevant academic/professional experiences and interest in this program.

     

    Please submit your application here.

    Inquiries about the program or the application process can be submitted to Dr. Margarita M. López-Uribe (Email: mml64@psu.edu). 

     

    This NSF funded iRES program (OISE-1952470) is administered by the Department of Entomology, Penn State University.

  • How viruses, immunity, and overwintering survival of feral honey bees compare to managed colonies

    How viruses, immunity, and overwintering survival of feral honey bees compare to managed colonies

    Honey bee colonies have been in decline in recent years due to many factors, including lack of high-quality nutrition, exposure to pesticides, and pressure from pests and pathogens. Infestations of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor play a large role in these staggering colony losses. These mites feed on the fat body and hemolymph of bees, and in the process, they transmit a cocktail of viruses that weakens the individuals and eventually the whole colony. For this reason, controlling mite populations through the application of miticides can be crucial for beekeepers to prevent colony losses. This becomes clear when beekeepers refrain from treating commercially managed bees, as they rarely survive more than one year. However, this beekeeper-led management of mites comes at a cost: the bees may not be able to develop natural mechanisms of resistance or tolerance to this pest and associated viruses.

    There are exceptions to this phenomenon, which have been observed in unmanaged (feral) colonies that can survive in the absence of beekeeper management in wild conditions. Reports from around the world have described feral colonies naturally evolving mechanisms of tolerance or resistance to mites and viruses as a result of the evolutionary arms race between bees and these pathogens. For several years, we have been studying the role of honey bee immunity and viruses on the survival of feral colonies that live in wild conditions without assistance from beekeepers.

    Studying feral bees is difficult because they can be hard to locate in nature. Due to these challenges, we teamed up with a large number of beekeepers across Pennsylvania (USA) to locate feral colonies, characterize their overwintering survival, and quantify the levels of viruses that these unmanaged colonies have. In addition, we also quantified the expression of immune genes that individuals in these colonies produce to investigate whether unmanaged colonies are defending themselves better against viruses transmitted by mites.

    We collected samples from 25 feral colonies and 25 managed colonies across Pennsylvania (USA) and then performed laboratory analyses on bees collected in the spring and fall over two years. We found that feral colonies have higher average levels of one mite-transmitted virus (DWV) compared to managed colonies, but this varied over time. Higher pathogen levels were linked to increased immune gene expression, and feral colonies showed higher expression of five out of the six immune genes we examined. Interestingly, feral and managed colonies had similar levels of overwintering survival even though feral colonies received no external inputs (e.g., mite control, winter feeding). Additionally, we found that the expression of two immune genes increased the odds of overwintering survival in feral and managed colonies.

    While miticides are still crucial tools for beekeepers to help mitigate the destructive effects of Varroa mites and viruses such as DWV, feral colonies may offer sources of resilience to pests and pathogens and deserve further investigation. The identification of immune genes associated with colony survival also holds promise for these genes to be used as predictors of honey bee health, which can aid in screening colonies for their ability to overwinter when dealing with diseases. Overall, we hope that future work focuses on incorporating these advantageous traits from locally adapted feral bees into managed honey bee breeding programs.

    For more details about this study, check out our paper in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.

    Photo Credit: Kathleen Ciola Evans

    Contributed post by

    Chauncy Hinshaw, Ph.D. candidate

    Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology

    Penn State University

  • Lopez-Uribe Lab @ESA #EntSoc20

    Lopez-Uribe Lab @ESA #EntSoc20

    The Entomological Society of America is hosting its annual meeting virtually this year due to the pandemic. Check out the talks that members of our lab will be presenting during the next 2 weeks! All talks are pre-recorded and available on-demand!

     

    Engaging young audiences into scientific discourse through beekeeping activities

    Robyn Underwood, Brooke Lawrence, and Margarita López-Uribe. 

    Talk on-demand: https://cdmcd.co/gbvRRj

    Pathogen dynamics between managed and wild bee populations in agroecosystems

    Laura Jones, Ginamaría Román-Echevarría, Kristen Brochu, Rudolf J. Schilder, Margarita M. López-Uribe

    Talk on-demand: https://cdmcd.co/dgj7Yp

     

    Herbivory reduces visitation by specialist but not generalist bees to Cucurbita flowers

    Kristen K. Brochu, Avehi Singh, Mila Paiva, and Margarita López-Uribe

    Talk on-demand: https://cdmcd.co/Gg8mLk #EntSoc20

     

    Interactions between plants, viruses and pollinators shape plant species fitness and could favor virus persistence in the landscape.

    Cristina Rosa, Chauncy Hinshaw, and Margarita López-Uribe.

    Talk on-demand: https://cdmcd.co/EEn5K6

     

    An integrative approach to species delimitation in the orchid bee genus Eulaema (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

    Stephania Sandoval-Arango, Carolina F. Cardoso, Michael G. Branstetter, and Margarita M. López-Uribe

    Poster: https://cdmcd.co/b4Z9zA

     

  • Pollinator Webinar Series – Winter 2020

    Pollinator Webinar Series – Winter 2020

    Wednesdays @4PM (EST) – 1h 15 min via zoom; weekly from November 4th to December 16th

    Join us for the Beekeeping Winter Webinar Series organized moderated by Tom Butzler, Robyn Underwood, and Margarita López-Uribe from Penn State Extension. These six webinars will cover a number of timely topics about beekeeping biology, basic and advanced management practices.

     

    The series of 6 webinars series will take place weekly on Wednesdays from 4 PM to 5:15 PM (EST). Registration is required, and each webinar has cost of $5. Find details about the webinar topics and how to register below.

     

    November 4th – Beekeeping Philosophy (Robyn Underwood, Margarita López-Uribe & Beekeeper Panel) – There are many different ways to manage honey bee colonies, including a continuum of options for each decision that has to be made. We will talk to beekeepers with varying philosophies to learn about their responses to challenges and what guides them along the way. [Register and watch now]

     

    November 11th – Organic Beekeeping Management (Robyn Underwood) – Research at Penn State University comparing various honey bee management systems has shown that our organic system is desirable for both beekeepers and bees. Robyn will walk you through the management steps taken as part of this system in each season of the year. [Register and watch now]

     

    November 18th – Honey Bee Genetic Diversity (Margarita López-Uribe) – The goal of this talk is to provide an overview of the genetic diversity of honey bees, including topics regarding their evolutionary origin, diversification and breeding of different genetic stocks. The process of Africanization will be discussed. [Register and watch now]

     

    December 2nd – Interactions between Spotted Lanternflies and Honey Bees (Robyn Underwood & Julie Urban) – Spotted lanternflies have been impacting bees and beekeepers since their introduction into Berks County, PA, in 2016. Learn about the interactions of these insects and what we’ve learned about their role in the proliferation of dark, smokey fall honey.  [Register and watch now]

     

    December 9th – Identification of Honey Bee Diseases (Robyn Underwood) – Honey bee colonies can be infected with various diseases and pests. Learn to identify and differentiate many of the problems beekeepers deal within the United States.  [Register and watch now]

     

    December 16th – Artificial Insemination (Anita Collins) – This presentation will introduce the process of semen collection and insemination of virgin queens, including several different sets of equipment. Successful use of AI requires good preparation and aftercare for a queen to maintain a strong colony. The beekeeping involved and some of the limitations of AI queens will be discussed as well. [Register and watch now]

     

    REGISTER HERE

     

  • Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP2)

    Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP2)

    The year 2020 has been difficult for multiple reasons. With businesses shut down, then opening with limited capacity, the pocketbooks of beekeepers have been lighter than hoped.  A recent announcement should bring some aid to those who need it. If you are a honey producer who makes less than $900,000 per year, you could get up to 10.6% of your total 2019 honey sales in financial aid through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP2).

     

     

     

    Beekeepers who sell honey can apply for financial assistance to help absorb costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The CFAP2 program allows beekeepers to apply for financial assistance associated with increased costs of production in 2020. Payments to honey producers are based on honey sales from 2019. You can calculate how much you can get using the table below.

    For example, if your 2019 sales were $15,000, you can get up to $1,590.  

    $15,000*0.106= $1,590.  

    If your 2019 sales were $75,000 , you can get up to $7,775.

    ($49,999*0.106)+($25,001*0.099)= $7,775.

    You need to act now!  Apply before December 11, 2020 by visiting:

    https://www.farmers.gov/cfap

     

    Post contributed by 

    Robyn Underwood, PhD, Assistant Research Professor