ArticleThe ISME journal2020
Gut microbiota structure differs between honeybees in winter and summer.
Article in The ISME journal, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 167 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
167 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- A network-based meta-analysis of the honeybee gut microbiome: geographic, seasonal, and pesticide-associated shifts.Scientific reports · 2026Pooled it
- Impact of heat stress on the fitness outcomes of symbiotic infection in aphids: a meta-analysis.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2022Pooled it
- Gut microbiome changes in a captive giant panda with cardiovascular disease.The Journal of veterinary medical science · 2026Article
- Species-specific structuring of gut bacterial and fungal communities in honey bees Apis cerana and Apis mellifera.Antonie van Leeuwenhoek · 2026Article
- Bacteriophage Density Influences the Rate of Resistance Evolution.Bulletin of mathematical biology · 2026Article
- Brain Transcriptomic Reprogramming and Comb-Associated Microbiome Variation During the Larva-To-Pupa Transition in Apis Mellifera.Archives of insect biochemistry and physiology · 2026Article
- Omics Insights Into the Effects of Highbush Blueberry and Cranberry Crop Agroecosystems on Honey Bee Health and Physiology.Proteomics · 2026Article
- Article
- Tracking Microbiome Composition and Stability Across Indian Social Honeybees Foraging in a Homogeneous Mustard Crop Landscape.Microbial ecology · 2026Article
- Never underestimate honeybees: Their exceptionally diverse adaptive strategies.Journal of advanced research · 2026Review
- A defined community of core gut microbiota members promotes cognitive performance in honey bees.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026Article
- Temperature at parental generation affects bacterial communities associated with offspring for both host and parasitoid.FEMS microbiology ecology · 2026Article
- Microbial Communities Across Social Roles in Small Carpenter Bee Nests.Microbial ecology · 2026Article
- Antimicrobial Resistance Genes (ARGs) Monitoring and Gut Microbiota Profiling in Honey Bees from an Intensive Livestock Farming Area in Northwestern Italy.Microorganisms · 2026Article
- Contrasting Toxicity Classes Differentially Affect Gut Microbiota Composition in Honey Bees.Insects · 2026Article
- Environment and Pollen Diversity Differentially Affect the Gut Microbiomes of Introduced Honeybees and Bumblebees.Evolutionary applications · 2026Article
- Divergent microbiome signatures between managed and wild honey bee (Microbiology spectrum · 2026Article
- Microbial Succession on Honey Bee Body Surfaces Reflects Behavioral Maturation.Microorganisms · 2026Article
- Effects of Different Diets on Gut Microbiota ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Seasonal dynamics and core stability of the bacterial microbiome of a Drosophila suzukii wild population.Scientific reports · 2026Article
107 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Adult honeybees harbor a specialized gut microbiota of relatively low complexity. While seasonal differences in community composition have been reported, previous studies have focused on compositional changes rather than differences in absolute bacterial loads. Moreover, little is known about the gut microbiota of winter bees, which live much longer than bees during the foraging season, and which are critical for colony survival. We quantified seven core members of the bee gut microbiota in a single colony over 2 years and characterized the community composition in 14 colonies during summer and winter. Our data show that total bacterial loads substantially differ between foragers, nurses, and winter bees. Long-lived winter bees had the highest bacterial loads and the lowest community α-diversity, with a characteristic shift toward high levels of Bartonella and Commensalibacter, and a reduction of opportunistic colonizers. Using gnotobiotic bee experiments, we show that diet is a major contributor to the observed differences in bacterial loads. Overall, our study reveals that the gut microbiota of winter bees is remarkably different from foragers and nurses. Considering the importance of winter bees for colony survival, future work should focus on the role of the gut microbiota in winter bee health and disease.
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