Biology subjects

Nava-Bolanos, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Nava-Bolanos, A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Pollinators in Mexico. Spatial patterns show exceptions to global trends

Pollinators are declining globally, yet their biodiversity patterns in megadiverse regions remain unclear. We analyzed four major pollinator groups across one of the worlds most diverse regions -Mexico and adjacent areas. Using species distribution models, we generated presence- absence matrices (1,135 species in 165,078 grid cells) and applied range-diversity plots with a new randomization approach, to explore richness and endemism. Results reveal sharp contrasts: hummingbirds, bats, hawkmoths, and some bee families show the expected tropical richness peak, whereas other bees peak in arid lands of northern Mexico and the southwestern US. Endemism also diverges, with vertebrates concentrated in the tropics and bees in deserts. These findings challenge assumptions of uniform pollinator diversity patterns and demonstrate that conservation cannot rely on one-size-fits-all solutions. Our framework offers spatial tools to identify biodiversity structure and inform conservation and policy in the face of land-use change, agrochemicals, invasive species, and climate pressures.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2023

BeeDC: An R package and globally synthesised and flagged bee occurrence dataset

Species occurrence data are foundational for research, conservation, and science communication, but the limited availability and accessibility of reliable data represents a major obstacle, particularly for insects, which face mounting pressures. We present BeeBDC, a new R package, and a global bee occurrence dataset to address this issue. We combined >18.3 million bee occurrence records from multiple public repositories (GBIF, SCAN, iDigBio, USGS, ALA) and smaller datasets, then standardised, flagged, deduplicated, and cleaned the data using the reproducible BeeBDC R-workflow. Specifically, we harmonised species names (following established global taxonomy), country names, and collection dates and we added record-level flags for a series of potential quality issues. These data are provided in two formats, "cleaned" and "flagged-but-uncleaned". The BeeBDC package with online documentation provides end users the ability to modify filtering parameters to address their research questions. By publishing reproducible R workflows and globally cleaned datasets, we can increase the accessibility and reliability of downstream analyses. This workflow can be implemented for other taxa to support research and conservation.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Geographic potential of the world largest hornet, Vespa mandarinia Smith (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), worldwide and particularly in North America

The Asian giant hornet (AGH, Vespa mandarinia) is the worlds largest hornet, occurring naturally in the Indomalayan region, where it is a voracious predator of pollinating insects including honey bees. In September 2019, a nest of Asian giant hornets was detected outside of Vancouver, British Columbia and in May 2020 an individual was detected nearby in Washington state, indicating that the AGH successfully overwintered in North America. Because hornets tend to spread rapidly and become pests, reliable estimates of the potential invasive range of V. mandarinia in North America are needed to assess likely human and economic impacts, and to guide future eradication attempts. Here, we assess climatic suitability for AGH in North America, and suggest that, without control, this species could establish populations across the Pacific Northwest and much of eastern North America. Predicted suitable areas for AGH in North America overlap broadly with areas where honey production is highest, as well as with species-rich areas for native bumble bees and stingless bees of the genus Melipona in Mexico, highlighting the economic and environmental necessity of controlling this nascent invasion.

ecology↗