Floral diversity in tropical landscapes affects fatty acid composition in bee bread

Chris Cannizzaro; Peter Brooks; Raywin Ovah; Kelly Inae; Rachele Wilson; Wiebke Kämper; Ido Bar; Alison Shapcott; Helen M. Wallace

doi:10.3389/frbee.2026.1773714

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Floral diversity in tropical landscapes affects fatty acid composition in bee bread

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Floral diversity in tropical landscapes affects fatty acid composition in bee bread

Chris Cannizzaro, Peter Brooks, Raywin Ovah, Kelly Inae, Rachele Wilson, Rachele Wilson, Wiebke Kämper, Ido Bar, Alison Shapcott and Helen M. Wallace

Frontiers in Bee Science, Vol.4, pp.1-10

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/frbee.2026.1773714

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Abstract

bee bread

bees

fatty acids

honeybee

pollen

Honeybee diets, particularly fatty acids in tropical forests, are not well known. This study explored fatty acid concentration and diversity, measured as methyl ester derivatives (FAMEs), in bee bread from tropical landscapes with and without forest cover. Bee bread samples from 24 hives in Papua New Guinea were analysed using GCMS and DNA metabarcoding. Fatty acids consisted of 43% saturated and 57% unsaturated lipids. Myristic, palmitoleic, and stearic acids were higher in forest landscapes, providing antimicrobial properties and important compounds for wax production. Lauric acid was higher in landscapes without forest, which may benefit honeybee nutrition in disease resistance. FAME concentrations were high in omega-6 and omega-9 but low in omega-3, and total FAME diversity increased with floral diversity. This study highlights the importance of diverse pollen sources to maintain a complete fatty acid profile for honeybee health.

Details

Title: Floral diversity in tropical landscapes affects fatty acid composition in bee bread
Authors: Chris Cannizzaro (Corresponding Author) - Griffith University
Peter Brooks - University of the Sunshine Coast
Raywin Ovah - National Agricultural Research Institute
Kelly Inae - MH-PNG
Rachele Wilson - Griffith University
Rachele Wilson - Griffith University
Wiebke Kämper - University of Göttingen
Ido Bar - Griffith University
Alison Shapcott - University of the Sunshine Coast
Helen M. Wallace - Queensland University of Technology
Publication details: Frontiers in Bee Science, Vol.4, pp.1-10
Publisher: Frontiers Research Foundation
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.3389/frbee.2026.1773714
ISSN: 2813-5911
Copyright note: © 2026 Cannizzaro, Brooks, Ovah, Inae, Wilson, Kämper, Bar, Shapcott and Wallace. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Data Availability: The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.
Grants: Enhancing value added products and environmental benefits from agroforestry systems in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific, FST/2014/067, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (Australia, Canberra) - ACIAR
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Forest Research Institute; Centre for Bioinnovation
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991224880902621
Output Type: Journal article

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