University Honors

Bumble bees are among the most important and efficient pollinators of crops and wild floweringplants. Unfortunately, over the past twenty years, some bumble bee species have been facingdeclines. To add to the understanding of bumble bee reproduction to ultimately discover differentfactors associated with bumble bee species declines, such as male mating behavior and spermquality, this research aims to develop a new method for collecting and assessing sperm qualityfor the common eastern bumble bee species Bombus impatiens. I observed male offspring atdifferent ages and analyzed sperm motility to quantify sperm quality and concentration. Throughthis experiment, the impact of age on sperm quality for a stable (commercially reared) bumblebee species can be understood. Ultimately, this experiment is also designed to support thedevelopment of conservation efforts through the success of artificial queen insemination, whichwill help increase bumble bee populations and other pollinators through lab rearing and matingexperiments, as well as provide methods for sperm collection and analysis in other insect species.