pollen metagenome Targeted loci environmental
The rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) is a listed species under the Endangered Species Act of the United States. While understood to be a highly generalist forager, little is known on the role that limited floral resources or shifting floral community composition could have played in B. affinis decline. Determining which floral species provide suitable B. affinis forage could assist conservation efforts where B. affinis persists, identify floral species for restoration efforts, or highlight regions to search for cryptic populations.