Potential pollination maintenance by an exotic allodapine bee under climate change scenarios in the Indo‐Pacific region

Abstract

Recent studies suggest an alarming decline in pollinators across many regions of the world due to multiple factors. One potential factor is climate change, which poses both direct and indirect threats to pollinator populations. To help ameliorate the impact of declining populations on the function of ecological and agricultural systems, there is a need to identify species that may adapt to limit the magnitude of this pollination deficit. The South West Pacific has a highly depauperate endemic bee diversity and numerous non‐indigenous species, including honeybees. One allodapine bee, Braunsapis puangensis, has been accidentally introduced to Fiji where it has rapidly spread across multiple islands and become locally abundant. It is a long‐tongued bee, unaffected by honeybee pathogens, and has the potential to become an important crop pollinator. Here, we model the distribution of this species under different climate scenarios to determine how it is likely to respond to future climate change. We show that its distribution is unlikely to contract, but potentially expand with climate warming. These scenarios therefore indicate that the plasticity in B. puangensis populations may allow it to represent an important crop pollinator in this region should honeybee populations decline.

A review of the challenges and opportunities for restoring animal-mediated pollination of native plants

“…Once established, non-native plants could outcompete native plants for pollinators as they can often better adapt to changes in abiotic conditions [123][124][125]. There is also evidence that non-native pollinators might also better adapt to climate change than native pollinators, which has allowed them to expand their ranges [126]. However, some studies have suggested that invasive pollinators may add response diversity to pollinator assemblages, thus maintaining pollination function under climate change [126,127].…”

“…There is also evidence that non-native pollinators might also better adapt to climate change than native pollinators, which has allowed them to expand their ranges [126]. However, some studies have suggested that invasive pollinators may add response diversity to pollinator assemblages, thus maintaining pollination function under climate change [126,127]. Finally, restorations may experience harsh weather events under climate change, such as false springs, droughts, heat waves, or heavy precipitation.…”

Origins and implications of apid bees (Hymentopera: Apidae) in French Polynesia

“…2014a,b, ; Silva et al. ) is therefore concerning. There is a strong need to know whether such concerns also arise in French Polynesia.…”

“…In Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa the endemic Homalictus species are short tongued and do not buzz pollinate, so the potential seed set of non-native plant species that requires either long-tongued bees or buzz pollinators may be limited if only native species are present. The arrival of non-native bees that are long tongued or buzz pollinators in these three archipelagos (Davies et al 2013;Groom et al 2014aGroom et al ,b, 2015Silva et al 2016) is therefore concerning. There is a strong need to know whether such concerns also arise in French Polynesia.…”

No deaths in the desert: predicted responses of an arid‐adapted bee and its two nesting trees suggest resilience in the face of warming climates

“…They showed changes in their predicted distribution, with greatest effects in the more tropical habitats. Interestingly, an allodapine bee, Braunsapis puangensis Cockerell, 1929 (Apidae: Allodapini), from southern Asia that was recently introduced to the tropical South West Pacific (SWP) region (Groom et al., ; da Silva et al., ) appears to be resilient to future climate changes and is likely to expand its current range (Silva et al., ). This finding is potentially important because it suggests that bee pollination services in the SWP could be maintained even if populations of the introduced honeybee decline via introduced pathogens (Potts et al., ; Goulson et al., ; Russo, ).…”