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<p>Infectious disease is considered a cost of sociality, as increased contact between groupmates increases the risk of disease transmission. However, in cooperative social insect colonies, larger group sizes can provide fitness benefits, and social immunity traits in many social insect species buffer against disease by helping to avoid, control, or eliminate infection. Here, we investigated the relationship between group size and the costs of infectious disease in the common eastern bumble bee (<i>Bombus impatiens</i>) and its gut parasite, <i>Crithidia bombi</i>. We experimentally tested how group size affects survival, prevalence, infection intensity, nest construction, and reproduction for small (15 workers) or large (45 workers) microcolonies inoculated with the same initial prevalence of <i>C. bombi</i> compared to healthy control microcolonies. We found that <i>C. bombi</i> infection increased worker mortality in large but not small microcolonies. Additionally, <i>C. bombi</i> infection reduced nest construction and reproductive output for large but not small microcolonies. Despite higher mortality rates and lower colony performance, there was no difference in <i>C. bombi</i> prevalence in small versus large microcolonies, and <i>C. bombi</i> infection intensity was lower in surviving bees in large microcolonies than in small microcolonies. Our results suggest that infectious disease is a cost of larger group size for this eusocial species.</p>

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Larger group size increases the costs of disease for bumble bee microcolonies

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年1月23日

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  • Leah Valdes,
  • Wee Hao Ng,
  • Scott McArt

摘要

Infectious disease is considered a cost of sociality, as increased contact between groupmates increases the risk of disease transmission. However, in cooperative social insect colonies, larger group sizes can provide fitness benefits, and social immunity traits in many social insect species buffer against disease by helping to avoid, control, or eliminate infection. Here, we investigated the relationship between group size and the costs of infectious disease in the common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) and its gut parasite, Crithidia bombi. We experimentally tested how group size affects survival, prevalence, infection intensity, nest construction, and reproduction for small (15 workers) or large (45 workers) microcolonies inoculated with the same initial prevalence of C. bombi compared to healthy control microcolonies. We found that C. bombi infection increased worker mortality in large but not small microcolonies. Additionally, C. bombi infection reduced nest construction and reproductive output for large but not small microcolonies. Despite higher mortality rates and lower colony performance, there was no difference in C. bombi prevalence in small versus large microcolonies, and C. bombi infection intensity was lower in surviving bees in large microcolonies than in small microcolonies. Our results suggest that infectious disease is a cost of larger group size for this eusocial species.