Date of Graduation
Fall 2024
Degree
Master of Science in Biology
Department
Biology
Committee Chair
Russell Avery
Abstract
This master's thesis examines the influence of environmental variables on cognitive processes in Bombus impatiens, focusing on the effects of ingested microbial communities on gut microbiota and their subsequent impact on associative color learning. The study implemented controlled feeding trials with isolated microbe species (Candida bombi, Metschnikowia reukaufii, Lactobacillus micheneri and a control with no microbes) to analyze shifts in gut microbial composition in foraging bees. Results indicated minor alterations in the microbial profiles of bees, yet no statistically significant correlation was found between these modifications and variations in learning or memory performance. Furthermore, the study assessed the impact of floral resource diversity on cognitive plasticity across three distinct field sites in (Republic, Willard, and Bolivar) in Southwest Missouri. Contrary to initial hypotheses, no direct relationship was observed between floral diversity and the learning or memory abilities of B. impatiens. These findings suggest that the expected cognitive benefits from environmental diversity may be more complex or subject to confounding variables not accounted for in this study. The research underscores the intricate interplay between gut microbiota, environmental inputs, and cognitive functions in pollinators, highlighting the need for further refined experimental methodologies.
Keywords
bumblebees, microbiome, environmental variation, cognition, learning, brain-gut axis, pollen
Subject Categories
Biodiversity | Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology | Integrative Biology
Copyright
© Parker Madison Campbell
Recommended Citation
Campbell, Parker Madison, "How Environmental Variation Affects Bumblebee Cognition and the Gut Microbiome" (2024). MSU Graduate Theses/Dissertations. 4035.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/4035
Open Access
Included in
Biodiversity Commons, Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Commons, Integrative Biology Commons