Wild bees and their world.

Our lab focuses on the biology and evolution of wild, solitary bees. We use phylogenomics to reconstruct evolutionary relationships, employ collections-based data to document local and global patterns of biodiversity, use metagenomics to characterize the microbial community of the bee brood cell, and seek to understand the role that wild bees play in crop pollination.

Areas of Interest

Phylogenomics

We are actively researching bee and wasp phylogenetic relationships through the use of high throughput DNA sequencing.

 

Bee Diversity

We are currently involved in a three-year exhaustive survey of the bees of New York State. This project is part of the larger National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators [pdf].

Bee-microbe Interactions

We are exploring the diversity of microbes associated with solitary bee brood cells through high-throughput DNA sequencing.

Pollination Biology

We are documenting the important role of wild, native bees in agricultural pollination.

Bryan Danforth

Principal Investigator

Bryan N. Danforth

Department of Entomology
Cornell University

Recent Publications

Bee breweries: brood cell microbiome of cellophane bees

Hammer, T.J., J. Kueneman, M. Argueta-Guzmán, Q.S. McFrederick, L. Grant, W. Wcislo, S. Buchmann, & B.N. Danforth (2023). Bee breweries: The...

Impact of climate change on Macropis oil bees

Buckner, M. & B.N. Danforth (2022). Climate-driven range shifts of a rare specialist bee, Macropis nuda (Melittidae), and its host plant,...

Phylogeny of Andrenidae

Bossert, S., T.J. Wood, S. Patiny, D. Michez, E.A.B. Almeida, R.L. Minckley, L. Packer, J.L. Neff. R.S. Copeland, J. Straka, A. Pauly, T. Griswold,...

Phylogeny of Nomadinae (Apidae)

Sless, T.J.L., M.G. Branstetter, J.P. Gillung, E.A. Krichilsky, K.B. Tobin, J. Straka, J.G. Rozen, Jr., F.V. Freitas, A.C. Martins, S. Bossert, J.B....

Phylogeny of Pseudapis (Halictidae)

Bossert, S., E.A. Murray, A. Pauly, K. Chernyshov, S.G. Grady, and B.N. Danforth (2020). Gene tree shape and estimation error of UCEs: An empirical...

Lab News

Congrats Tobias!

Tobias Mueller passed his A-exam on June 8th

NE-SARE grant

NE-SARE grant

Empire State Native Pollinator Survey report released

Empire State Native Pollinator Survey report released

Sym-BEE-o-sis

Sym-BEE-o-sis is now available on the HHMI Tangled Bank Studios’ YouTube channel

The Bee Course 2023

August 16-26, 2023

The Bee Course is a nine day intensive workshop offered for conservation biologists, pollination ecologists, and other biologists who want to gain greater knowledge of the systematics and biology of bees. Details of the course are provided on the Bee Course website.

NYS Bee Diversity Survey

New York Natural Heritage Program

Our lab is involved in a state-wide survey of bees and other pollinators as part of an effort led by the NY Natural Heritage Program to develop an “Empire State Native Pollinator Survey”. The goal of the Empire State Native Pollinator Survey is to determine the conservation status of a wide array of native insect pollinators in non-agricultural habitats, including bees.