Tracking Existing Factors Directly Affecting the Reproduction of Bumblebees: Current Knowledge

• Published in: Insects (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 15; no. 9; p. 654
• Main Authors: Zhao, Xiaomeng, Jiang, Jingxin, Pang, Zilin, Ma, Weihua, Jiang, Yusuo, Fu, Yanfang, Liu, Yanjie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 30.08.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Agricultural ecosystems; Agriculture; Amino acids; Animal reproduction; Biological activity; Bombus; Breeding; Bumblebees; Colonies; colony development; Egg laying; Eggs; Environmental factors; Environmental studies; Flowers & plants; Habitats; Insects; Males; Nutrition; Oilseeds; Pesticides; Plant nectar; Pollination; Pollinators; Proteins; Queens; Rape plants; Reproduction; Review; wild bumblebee; Wildlife conservation; Workers (insect caste); wild bumblebee; colony development; breeding; reproduction
• ISSN: 2075-4450; 2075-4450
• DOI: 10.3390/insects15090654

Bumblebees are primary social insects and a vital class of pollinating insects. Their distinctive reproductive mode is characterized by the independent initiation and construction of the nest by the queen and the subsequent production of sufficient workers, males, and gynes following colony development. After successful mating, the queen transitions to the first phase of its annual life cycle. The reproductive processes are directly influenced by environmental factors, including floral resources and pesticides. Moreover, the reproductive level is regulated by biological factors, particularly the role of workers, who participate in egg laying and pass on their genetic material to the next generation of queens. Successful reproduction can only be achieved by maintaining colony development under natural or artificial breeding conditions. Consequently, understanding the known factors that influence bumblebee reproduction is essential for developing conservation strategies for wild bumblebees and for successfully breeding diverse bumblebee species. Breeding various bumblebee species is crucial for in-depth research into known factors and for further exploration of other potential factors, which will also help to meet the demand for pollination in agricultural facilities globally.