PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Peaceful bumblebee becomes invasive

Bombus terrestris invades South America

2013-12-09
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Paul Schmid-Hempel
paul.schmid-hempel@env.ethz.ch
41-446-336-048
ETH Zurich
Peaceful bumblebee becomes invasive Bombus terrestris invades South America

Bumblebees look cute. They have a thick fur, fly somewhat clumsily and are less aggressive than honeybees or wasps. They are very much appreciated by farmers as keen pollen collectors. Particularly in the context of the crisis-stricken honeybee populations, the buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, is being bred on an industrial scale for the pollination of fruit and vegetable crops both inside and outside greenhouses.

It was hoped that these insects would take over these important services when they were first introduced into central Chile, in southern South America, in 1998 as pollinators in a few greenhouses, with the backing and approval of the state authorities. But in the greenhouse, they did not stay. Some individuals escaped and very soon they established colonies in the wild. But that was not all. The buff-tailed bumblebee turned out to be an extremely invasive insect that embarked on an unparalleled victory tour that took it as far as Patagonia. As an aside, the first European bumblebee species, Bombus ruderatus, was introduced back in 1982 but it turned out to be relatively harmless in comparison.

Extremely invasive

"This is one of the most spectacular examples of the invasion of an entire continent by a foreign species introduced by man", says Paul Schmid-Hempel, retired Professor of Experimental Ecology at ETH Zurich. He has been monitoring the spread of buff-tailed bumblebees over the last ten years. Together with this wife Regula and his colleagues from South America he has just published his work in "Journal of Animal Ecology". The couple collected these insects during several trips to southern South America in order to document their rapid spread, do genetic analyses and examine the parasites which accompany them as stowaways in the bumblebee intestines.

The findings show that the European buff-tailed bumblebee spread southwards from central Chile along the Andes at a rate of around 200 kilometres a year – faster than the ecologists would ever have expected. After just a few years the buff-tailed bumblebee had crossed the mountain chain and it reached the Atlantic coast of Argentina in late 2011. By 2012 the insect had already penetrated deep into south Patagonia reaching the gateways to some of the major national parks. "Given that colonies and not individual insects have to become established, this migration speed is astonishingly fast", says Paul Schmid-Hempel. He is convinced that in just a few years' time the bumblebees will reach the Strait of Magellan. From there it would be just a little leap to Tierra del Fuego. "Unfortunately, we don't have any information at all about the occurrence of bumblebees on this large island", comments the researcher. In the other poorly accessible areas in Southwestern Chile no-one has looked for buff-tailed bumblebees either. That's why we don't have any evidence up to now. As, however, there are often strong winds in Patagonia in the summer, Schmid-Hempel believes that it is possible that the insects could be transported easily to many locations.

Native species are disappearing

The triumphant advance of the European bumblebee is a disaster for the native bumblebees – five out of a total of 250 bumblebee species to be found in the world live in southern South America – and a disaster particularly for the attractive and vivid orange giant bumblebee Bombus dahlbomii. Wherever the buff-tailed bumblebee settles, the native species are done for: in most areas in which its competitor has appeared, B. dahlbomii has disappeared surprisingly quickly.

One possible reason for its extinction is the protozoan parasite, Crithidia bombi, which lives in the intestines of the buff-tailed bumblebee. This parasite causes intestinal infections in the European and native bumblebee species in South America. It modifies the behaviour of the workers, increases their mortality rate and prevents the establishment of new colonies.

Paul Schmid-Hempel is worried about the rapid spread of the buff-tailed bumblebee in remote areas of southern South America not least because nothing seems capable of stopping it. The species is now established and it would be almost impossible to remove it from the ecosystem. The consequences for the native fauna and flora are, however, difficult to assess. "The European bumblebee could disrupt the ecological balance of southern South America to a major degree. Nor is it stopping either at the boundaries of famous nature reserves like Torres del Paine and other magnificent landscapes", stresses the ecologist.



INFORMATION:



Literature

Schmid-Hempel R et al. The invasion of southern South America by imported bumblebees and associated parasites. Journal of Animal Ecology. Published online 21 November 2013.DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12185



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Better preparedness against Tamiflu-resistant influenza viruses

2013-12-09
Better preparedness against Tamiflu-resistant influenza viruses Swedish researchers in Umeå and Uppsala have found that residues of the influenza drug Tamiflu in our environment can make the influenza virus in birds resistant. This can have serious ...

How 'good cholesterol' stops inflammation

2013-12-09
How 'good cholesterol' stops inflammation Researchers at the University Hospital and the University of Bonn have discovered a central molecular switch High-density lipoprotein (HDL), known colloquially as "good cholesterol", protects against dangerous deposits ...

ABC transporters enable leaf beetle larvae to accumulate defensive precursors when feeding

2013-12-09
ABC transporters enable leaf beetle larvae to accumulate defensive precursors when feeding Similar membrane proteins play a crucial role in the transport of toxic substances out of the cell This news release is available in German. Scientists ...

Recycled plastic proves effective in killing drug-resistant fungi

2013-12-09
Recycled plastic proves effective in killing drug-resistant fungi IBN and IBM discover new medical application for converted PET bottles Singapore, December 9, 2013 – Researchers at Singapore's Institute of Bioengineering ...

Reproductive Health Matters announces publication of its latest themed issue: New development paradigm

2013-12-09
Reproductive Health Matters announces publication of its latest themed issue: New development paradigm London, December 9, 2013 – The world is still underfunding health: so what kind of new development paradigm will succeed in ensuring comprehensive and equitable ...

Life and work -- 1 and the same?

2013-12-09
Life and work -- 1 and the same? London, Los Angeles CA (09 December, 2013). Flexible workplaces may seem attractive when considering work-life balance but new research being published shows it's not unusual for firms to cash-in, profiting from our "free" time ...

Solar cell degradation observed directly for the first time

2013-12-09
Solar cell degradation observed directly for the first time X-ray examination shows structural changes in 'plastics' solar cells This news release is available in German. With the help of DESY's X-ray light source PETRA III, researchers of ...

Aging out of bounds

2013-12-09
Aging out of bounds New demographic data show how diversely different species age -- biologists cannot explain why This news release is available in German. Despite aging being one the hottest topic in the media recently, scientists have ...

Polymers can be semimetals

2013-12-09
Polymers can be semimetals Traditional plastics, or polymers, are electrical insulators. In the seventies a new class of polymers that conduct electricity like semiconductors and metals was discovered by Alan J.Heeger, Alan G. MacDiarmid and Hideki Shirakawa. This ...

Millions of hidden share trades to be revealed

2013-12-09
Millions of hidden share trades to be revealed Millions of previously hidden US stock trades will be revealed for the first time on Monday December 9 thanks to research from a team of academics. Previously odd lots, which are trades of less than 100 shares, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Fat may play an important role in brain metabolism

New study finds no lasting impact of pandemic pet ownership on human well-being

New insights on genetic damage of some chemotherapies could guide future treatments with less harmful side effects

Gut microbes could protect us from toxic ‘forever chemicals’

Novel modelling links sea ice loss to Antarctic ice shelf calving events

Scientists can tell how fast you're aging from a single brain scan

U.S. uterine cancer incidence and mortality rates expected to significantly increase by 2050

Public take the lead in discovery of new exploding star

What are they vaping? Study reveals alarming surge in adolescent vaping of THC, CBD, and synthetic cannabinoids

ECMWF - delivering forecasts over 10 times faster and cutting energy usage by 1000

Brazilian neuroscientist reveals how viral infections transform the brain through microscopic detective work

Turning social fragmentation into action through discovering relatedness

Cheese may really be giving you nightmares, scientists find

Study reveals most common medical emergencies in schools

Breathable yet protective: Next-gen medical textiles with micro/nano networks

Frequency-engineered MXene supercapacitors enable efficient pulse charging in TENG–SC hybrid systems

Developed an AI-based classification system for facial pigmented lesions

Achieving 20% efficiency in halogen-free organic solar cells via isomeric additive-mediated sequential processing

New book Terraglossia reclaims language, Country and culture

The most effective diabetes drugs don't reach enough patients yet

Breast cancer risk in younger women may be influenced by hormone therapy

Strategies for staying smoke-free after rehab

Commentary questions the potential benefit of levothyroxine treatment of mild hypothyroidism during pregnancy

Study projects over 14 million preventable deaths by 2030 if USAID defunding continues

New study reveals 33% gap in transplant access for UK’s poorest children

Dysregulated epigenetic memory in early embryos offers new clues to the inheritance of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

IVF and IUI pregnancy rates remain stable across Europe, despite an increasing uptake of single embryo transfer

It takes a village: Chimpanzee babies do better when their moms have social connections

From lab to market: how renewable polymers could transform medicine

Striking increase in obesity observed among youth between 2011 and 2023

[Press-News.org] Peaceful bumblebee becomes invasive
Bombus terrestris invades South America