UNIVERSITY PARK, Pennsylvania, April 4, 2023 (ENS) – Numbers of bees and other pollinator species have declined worldwide, as these insects suffer due to pesticides and pathogens, likely amplified by climate change. Yet one bee species is showing rapid population expansion. The keys to this insect's success are its attraction to pumpkins, zucchinis, marrows and gourds, and the massive increase in cultivation of these crops across North America over the last 1,000 years. A new study, led by scientists at Pennsylvania State University and published April 3 in the journal 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,' found that the specialized squash bee, Eucera pruinosa , has evolved in response to intensifying cultivation of squashes in the genus Curcurbita.

https://ens-newswire.com/squash-bee-populations-growing-fast-while-other-bees-fail/

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