Source: PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS AND PLANT SECONDARY CHEMICALS ON VIRAL INFECTIONS AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE IN HONEY BEES AND BUMBLE BEES
Sponsoring Institution
Agricultural Research Service/USDA
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
USDA COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0431382
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Aug 1, 2016
Project End Date
Jul 31, 2019
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
PENNSYLVANIA,PA 16202
Performing Department
ENTOMOLOGY
Non Technical Summary
(N/A)
Animal Health Component
25%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
25%
Developmental
25%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2113090113050%
2113099113050%
Knowledge Area
211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
3099 - Bees, honey, and other pollinators, general; 3090 - Other Pollinators;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology;
Goals / Objectives
Investigate the impacts of viral infections in honey bees and bumble bees when bees are simultaneously exposed to either pesticides or plant secondary compounds and determine the impacts on survivorship or physiological performance.
Project Methods
Using experiments designed a priori for statistical analysis of results, bees will be tested as either individuals or as micro-colonies to determine the impacts of added viral exposures in combination with either sublethal levels of pesticides or plant secondary compounds. Response variables will include survivorship, physiological impacts, and measures of the viral infections (prevalence among individuals, titers of viruses within individuals, and viral localization within tissues in bees). For the physiological impacts, these will include measures of immune parameters (gene expression), behavior (diet choice), and/or thermoregulation during resting and flight. The potential outcomes will be evaluated to design methods to overcome viral infections (prophylatics in sugar supplements for honey bees) and/or design recommendations for bee keepers/land managers in decisions on pesticide applications and/or which type of plants to include in bee pastures, to increase the health of honey bees and bumble bees.