Bombus-collected pollen metabarcoding data
Pollen was collected from bumble bees (Bombus) in Central Pennsylvania and Central Oklahoma in the summer of 2023. DNA metabarcoding was used to identify and quantify plant genera in pollen samples across sites. These sequence data were then used to test differences in composition in pollen carried by different species of Bombus as well as differences between workers and queens. Pollen metabarcoding data were also compared to field-observed plant visitation data to predict how well visitation and pollen composition align. As part of a broader study on pollen nutrition preferences between species, caste, and region, metabarcoding data was also used to quantify the amount of protein and lipids in collected pollen vs what the plant community at each site provided on average.