DOI: 10.15482/usda.adc/25928887
title: Data from: Discovery of a critical time point in the development and handling of an orchard pollinator, the blue orchard bee (<i>Osmia lignaria</i>, Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

description: A native solitary bee to North America, the blue orchard bee (<i>Osmia lignaria</i> Say, Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) is a crucial pollinator for orchard crops such as apples, almonds, and cherries. <i>Osmia lignaria</i> is often managed commercially and sold to complement honey bee pollination services.We collected data following an accidental drop of developing immature bees inside their cocoons. These bees were part of a larger experiment performed in 2020. On June 17, 2020, bees were dropped approximately one meter onto a linoleum floor at the USDA-ARS-PWA Pollinating Insect Research Unit in Logan, Utah, USA. Developing bees were in gelatin capsules and attached to a sticky board for X-ray imaging. Using a board from the same study that had not fallen, we compared survival, life stages, and bodily injuries to document the effects of dropping immature <i>O. lignaria </i>a short distance.Our research highlights the risks of handling immature <i>O. lignaria </i>during metamorphosis. Our data provides valuable information for bee managers and researchers about the risks of physical disturbances during critical developmental stages, which could affect bee survival and pollination services in orchards.Key findings include: (1) Near-complete mortality of developing bees before the adult molt stage, (2) Insights into the vulnerability of <i>O. lignaria</i> during immature developmental stages, even when inside cocoons, and (3) Documentation of how mechanical injury during immature development impacts survival.<b>The dataset provides counts of bees in different life stages and conditions, including: </b>(1) Life status (alive or dead) at cocoon completion, pupation, and adult molt stages, (2) Sex determination for bees that reached adulthood (male or female), (3) Final life stage reached (prepupa, pupa, or adult), and (4) Body condition after the fall (malformed, melanized, no observable change, or partially melanized).<b>Additional variables in the dataset include:</b> (1) Sample identifiers, treatment groups, and X-ray board identifiers from the original experiment and (2) Whether the board was dropped or not.Abbreviations and acronyms in the datasetSample_ID = sample identifier (one for each individual bee)Treatment = treatment groups from the original experimentCONTROL = received a sham treatment (sterilized Ringer's Solution)VIRUS = received a virus inoculate (virus particles in Ringer's Solution)OSS10 = received organosilicon (OSS) at 10 parts per million (ppm) (diluted in Ringer's Solution)OSS100 = received OSS at 100 ppm (diluted in Ringer's Solution)OSS10V = received a virus inoculate and OSS at 10 ppmOSS100V = received a virus inoculate and OSS at 100 ppmXray_board = sticky board identifier, which stick board were samples attached to from the original experimentLifeCategory_Cocoon = life status at the time of cocoon completionLifeCategory_Pupa = life status at the time of pupationLifeCategory_Adult = life status at the time of the adult moltSex = sex determined for bees that reached the adult stageOrg_Stage = final life stage reached by beesBody_Category = body condition determined after samples were droppedBoard_Drop = whether the samples analyzed were from dropped vs. not dropped sticky boards