Host specificity of gut microbiota associated with social bees: patterns and processes

SUMMARY Gut microbes provide benefits to some animals, but their distribution and effects across diverse hosts are still poorly described. There is accumulating evidence for host specificity (i.e., a pattern where different microbes tend to associate with distinct host lineages), but the causes and consequences of this pattern are unclear. Combining experimental tests in the laboratory with broad surveys in the wild is a promising approach to gaining a comprehensive and mechanistic understanding of host specificity prevalence, origin, and importance. Social bees represent an ideal testbed for this endeavor because they are phylogenetically and functionally diverse, with host-specific, stable, and tractable gut microbiota. Furthermore, the western honeybee ( Apis mellifera ) is an emerging experimental model system for studying microbiota–host interactions. In this review, we summarize data on the prevalence and strength of host specificity of the social bee gut microbiota (bumblebees, stingless bees, and honeybees), as well as the potential and proven ecological and molecular mechanisms that maintain host specificity. Overall, we found that host specificity in bees is relatively strong and likely results from several processes, including host filtering mediated by the immune system and priority effects. However, more research is needed across multiple social bee species to confirm these findings. To help future research, we summarize emerging hypotheses in the field and propose several experimental and comparative tests. Finally, we conclude this review by highlighting the need to understand how host specificity can influence host health.