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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Ecology and Evolution

Envenomation Leads to Venom Protein Reduction and a Recovery Period in Bumblebee Workers

  • Safira Moog1
  • Mario Dejung2
  • Amitkumar Fulzele2
  • James C. Carolan3
  • Thomas J. Colgan1
  1. 1Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Germany
  2. 2Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) Mainz Germany
  3. 3Department of Biology Maynooth University Maynooth Co. Kildare Ireland
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Abstract

The evolution and deployment of venom systems in animals have been central to their ecological success, though not without costs. For social bees, venom plays a key role in nest defence; yet for species such as honeybees, the act of stinging generally leads to death. However, for other social bee species such as bumblebees, where stinging is not apparently fatal, it raises the question of what, if any, are the consequences associated with venom usage (envenomation). Here, we investigated proteomic changes to understand consequences that can occur at the molecular level in the venom sac, the primary reservoir for venom storage, of Bombus terrestris workers over a short time‐course post‐envenomation. Our analysis reveals three key findings: (1) envenomation leads to changes in the venom sac proteome, with affected proteins generally reduced in the bumblebee venom sac, suggestive of a molecular cost; (2) quantified reductions of traditional venom‐associated proteins post‐envenomation indicate changes in individual venom protein abundance post‐usage; and (3) recovery period for bumblebee post‐envenomation to return to a non‐envenomation state was required, further indicating a potential cost at the molecular level associated with venom usage. Overall, our findings provide new insights into the molecular consequences of venom usage in bumblebees.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{moog2026envenomation,
  title = {{Envenomation Leads to Venom Protein Reduction and a Recovery Period in Bumblebee Workers}},
  author = {Safira Moog and Mario Dejung and Amitkumar Fulzele and James C. Carolan and Thomas J. Colgan},
  journal = {Ecology and Evolution},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.1002/ece3.74629},
  url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.74629},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Envenomation Leads to Venom Protein Reduction and a Recovery Period in Bumblebee Workers
AU  - Safira Moog
AU  - Mario Dejung
AU  - Amitkumar Fulzele
AU  - James C. Carolan
AU  - Thomas J. Colgan
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/05
JO  - Ecology and Evolution
DO  - 10.1002/ece3.74629
UR  - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.74629
AB  - The evolution and deployment of venom systems in animals have been central to their ecological success, though not without costs. For social bees, venom plays a key role in nest defence; yet for species such as honeybees, the act of stinging generally leads to death. However, for other social bee species such as bumblebees, where stinging is not apparently fatal, it raises the question of what, if any, are the consequences associated with venom usage (envenomation). Here, we investigated proteomic changes to understand consequences that can occur at the molecular level in the venom sac, the primary reservoir for venom storage, of Bombus terrestris workers over a short time‐course post‐envenomation. Our analysis reveals three key findings: (1) envenomation leads to changes in the venom sac proteome, with affected proteins generally reduced in the bumblebee venom sac, suggestive of a molecular cost; (2) quantified reductions of traditional venom‐associated proteins post‐envenomation indicate changes in individual venom protein abundance post‐usage; and (3) recovery period for bumblebee post‐envenomation to return to a non‐envenomation state was required, further indicating a potential cost at the molecular level associated with venom usage. Overall, our findings provide new insights into the molecular consequences of venom usage in bumblebees.
SN  - 2045-7758
SN  - 2045-7758
ER  -