Pollination is an important ecosystem service mostly provided by diversity of pollinating insects and other animals. As in the anthropocene biodiversity crisis with the climate change, pollination systems are experiencing strongly challenged such as pollinator diversity and abundance decline, pollinator health weakness, pollinator-plant network instability as well as the crop-pollinator habitat fragmentation and insuitability. Here we present some research progress conducted from our group in the last decade. As the pollination dependence of Korean agriculture increases, pollination contribute ap. one forth of national agricultural production, and is responsible substantial portion of vitamin and mineral provisioning. Pollinator diversity is declining in various crop systems and network connectivity is decreasing. Still in agricultural landscape, honeybee (Apis spp) is the main pollinator, accounting ap. 70% of bees, and showed the possible resource partitioning between the native, A. cerana and the introduced, A. mellifera. Simulation of crop-pollinating insect distribution suitability showed up and down directional responses, but more on the negative Further research area for better understanding and stabilizing the plant-pollinator system was proposed.

등검은말벌은 우리나라 뿐 아니라 유럽지역에 침입한 꿀벌의 중요한 포식해충이다. 양봉가들이 살충제를 활용하여 밀도 억제를 시도하고 있으나 아직까지 실현가능하고 과학적 방법과 적용 가능성이 정형화되지 않았다. 본 연구는 양봉가들이 주로 사용하는 살충제를 가지고, 등검은 말벌의 유충과 성충의 살충율과 반응 패턴을 조사하였다. Clothianidin, Dinotefuran, Carbosulfan은 처리 후 30분 내 70% 이상의 살충률을 보 였으며, Bifenthrin, Cartap hydrochloride의 상대적으로 살충률이 낮았다. Clothianidin, Dinotefuran, Carbosulfan의 반수치사약량(LD50)은 각 0.29, 0.65, 2.21 μg/bee이었다. 5령 유충에 대한 24시간 간격으로 3회 연속 섭식 처리를 했을 때, 2일이후에 약효가 나타났고 72시간 후에는 모두 70% 이상 살충률을 보였다. 등검은말벌의 반수치사약량은 양봉꿀벌의 것보다 10-100배 더 높았다. 향후 이 살충제를 말벌 방제에 이용할 수 있을지 추가적 검토가 필요하다.

South Korea experienced a significant decline in honey bee populations starting in 2021, which continued for two years until the winter of 2022. To investigate the potential causes of this decline, we conducted a virome analysis, considering viruses as possible culprits. Samples were collected during two periods: April-May 2022 and May-June 2023. From libraries contsructed from their total RNA, we secured a total of 25 raw FASTQ files by high-throughput sequencing. In the honey bees collected in 2022, we identified eight previously unreported honey bee viruses including Lake Sinai viruses, one novel honey bee-related virus, and one novel plant-related virus. In the subsequent sampling in 2023, we found that most of the viruses identified in 2022 were still present. Additionally, the novel honey bee virus reported in 2022 was also found in the 2023 collections, along with three more honey bee-related novel viruses. Notably, numerous plant viruses were detected in honey bees collected during the flowering season. This analysis suggests that the viruses observed in South Korean honey bees are likely distributed nationwide. These findings provide fundamental data for future research on honey bee viruses in South Korea.

The foraging behavior of honey bees can be attributed to the nutritional incentives they gain from their activities. Nevertheless, a persistent question has revolved around how the nutritional composition undergoes alterations during the process of converting pollen into bee bread. We embarked on a comprehensive investigation of nutritional shifts, spanning from fresh pollen to bee-pollen, pollen patties, and bee bread. Our research findings unveiled that pollen exhibited notably higher levels of individual amino acids, resulting in significantly elevated overall amino acid content compared to bee-collected pollen. While we provided pollen patty to the honey bee colony, initially, during the first 3 to 7 days, there were no substantial discrepancies in the total amino acid content between bee bread and the pollen patty. Intriguingly, unlike most amino acids, we detected a distinct pattern of higher proline content in bee bread compared to bee-pollen or the pollen patty. This shift in amino acid composition likely stems from the incorporation of nectar and other secretions during the bee bread-making process. Moreover, over a span of approximately 14 days within hive conditions, the amino acid content in bee bread increased. Conversely, in terms of fatty acid contents, they were found to be lower in bee bread than those in the pollen patty, with no significant temporal differences observed. Regarding mineral content, bee bread, in general, contained fewer minerals than bee pollen and pollen patties. In conclusion, the transformation of pollen into bee bread involves dynamic alterations in nutrient contents, influenced by both intrinsic bee-related factors and external factors within the hive environment.

화분매개의존도는 밀원가치를 평가하는데 매우 필요한 자료임에도 불구하고, 산림 자원에 대한 화분매개의 존도 자료는 매우 부족하다 본 연구는 국내 중부지방에 분포하는 밀원수를 대상으로 화분매개의존도, 화밀/화분 생산량 및 꽃의 형태학적 특징을 규명을 목적으로 하였다. 화분매개의존도는 개화 전 꽃봉오리를 망사를 씌워 화분매개자의 출입을 제한 후, 결실률을 조사하여 평가했다. 화밀은 모세관 튜브를 이용하여 조사하며, 화분은 꽃가루의 수와 무게 측정을 통해 생산량을 추정하였다. 식물의 특징으로는 각 식물의 본 당 꽃 수, 개화시기, 화관 및 화서의 형태 등 형태적 특징을 조사하였다. 65종 평균 화분매개자 의존도는 평균 56±3.12%로 나타났고, 최대 100%(산수유), 최소 0%(상수리)로 나타났다. 45종의 화밀 및 화분량을 추정한 결과, 꽃 당 평균 화밀의 분비량은 인동 3.56±0.33㎕으로 가장 높았으나, 본 당 평균 화밀 분비량은 피나무 212.7㎖로 가장 높았다. 평균 화분의 무게는 피나무가 141.75g로 가장 많았다. 꽃 당 화밀량은 밀원수의 개화하는 시기가 봄에서 여름이 가까워질수록 적어졌 으나, 7, 8월에는 본 당 꽃의 수가 증가하여 여름에 개화하는 식물들이 본 당 화밀의 양을 더 많이 분비하는 경향을 확인하였다. 이는 산림 생태계의 밀원가치를 평가하는데 기초적인 자료로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

Over the course of two winters, the significant decline in honey bee populations in Korea has emerged as a major social issue. This phenomenon is expected as attributed to factors such as the failure of pest control due to the pesticide resistance of the Varroa mite. This mite can transmit some viruses that infect honey bees, and these viruses are among the primary causes of the globally occurring colony collapse disorder. Traditional diagnostic methods like (RT-)PCR and ELISA are not ideal for identifying pathogens that are newly emerging or have undergone mutations. To detect any novel or mutated viruses beyond those that have been primarily diagnosed in Korea, we introduced virome analysis technology in the field of honey bees. Employing this method with high-throughput sequencing techniques, we were able to identify all existing viruses within individual or group samples. We discovered that the Lake Sinai virus, which has been reported worldwide but not in Korea, has already significantly spread within the country. Additionally, we were able to confirm the prevalence of viruses previously reported in Korea, such as the recently dominant Black Queen Cell Virus. Through this virome analysis, we can provide foundational data for determining the direction and countermeasures for virus diagnosis.

Honeybee winter failure and mortality are a big issue in korea, especially from 2021 to 2023. Traditionally, honeybee winter failure has been estimated as Approximately 10-20%. However, for last 2 years, we had more than 35% of winter failure which impacted not only beekeeping sectors but also agriculture and the whole society as well. Primary factor was ascribed as honeybee mite resistance development to conventional acaricudes. Coinhabitance of tropilaelaps mite in honeybee complicated the mite problem. Further threat of vespa hornets especially in fall season would exerbate the wintering condition. More important is that the more frequent abnormal weather condition in fall and winter season could affected the winter bee production and maintenance of honeybee overwintering physiology. On these situation, we also observed some diseases were associated to the death of bees.

Honeybee winter failure and mortality are a big issue in korea, especially from 2021 to 2023. Traditionally, honeybee winter failure has been estimated as Approximately 10-20%. However, for last 2 years, we had more than 35% of winter failure which impacted not only beekeeping sectors but also agriculture and the whole society as well. Primary factor was ascribed as honeybee mite resistance development to conventional acaricudes. Coinhabitance of tropilaelaps mite in honeybee complicated the mite problem. Further threat of vespa hornets especially in fall season would exerbate the wintering condition. More important is that the more frequent abnormal weather condition in fall and winter season could affected the winter bee production and maintenance of honeybee overwintering physiology. On these situation, we also observed some diseases were associated to the death of bees.