Wild Bee Stressors and Pathogen Interactions in Anthophora and Colletes Species

Larvae of the solitary bee Centris hederae did not survive beyond brood cell rearing conditions in 48-well plates, indicating suboptimal laboratory rearing protocols. No evidence was found for replication of honey bee-associated pathogens in Anthophora plumipes, unlike in Bombus terrestris. Fungal pathogens and agrochemical stressors likely contribute to natural mortality in A. plumipes, with multiple entomopathogenic fungi implicated. The study highlights strain- and population-specific variability in pathogen infectivity and calls for broader screening across field populations. Colletid bees may not be suitable for standard lab rearing, but methodological groundwork supports future research on anthophorid bees.