Wild bees represent a diverse group of insects that inhabit different ecosystems around the world. In the tropics, bees are found across various habitats, which also happens to be densely populated. This allows the interaction of a rich apifauna with people in the field, which in turn produces ecological relationships and co-existence between people and bees. 

In the Neotropics, ~95% of the plants are pollinated by animals and wild bees play a crucial role within this network, maintaining ecological and agricultural systems by fostering intricate relationships with flowering plants. These interactions not only sustain wild bee populations but also support ecosystem stability and resilience. All of these interactions are at risk, as different threats (e.g. climate change) are posed to threaten communities of bees and humans across the region. 

As climate change accelerates and phenomena such as wildfires, hurricanes, and El Niño/La Niña events become increasingly frequent, ecosystems around the world face unprecedented challenges. In response, this symposium highlights the importance of interactions between people and tropical bees with topics around microbial, ecological, and their relationship with the production of knowledge during the Anthropocene.

Beyond their ecological importance, wild bees, particularly stingless bees (SBs) in the Neotropics, have deep cultural value. For centuries, they have been intrinsically linked to indigenous traditions, and beekeeping practices have shaped local knowledge and ecological research. Conserving these bees is not only an environmental imperative but also a cultural one, ensuring the preservation of traditional knowledge systems that can inform sustainable conservation strategies.

This symposium will provide a platform to explore cutting-edge research on wild bees, their microbiomes, and the broader ecological and cultural implications of their conservation. By bridging ecological science, climate resilience, and cultural heritage, the session will appeal to ATBC attendees interested in integrated and interdisciplinary approaches to biodiversity conservation.

Rising temperatures and climate-driven shifts in flowering phenology are altering plant-pollinator interactions, with cascading effects on bee health. These alterations extend to the gut microbiomes of wild bees, which are critical to their health, nutrition, and resilience. Microbiome abundance and activity levels are constantly fluctuating, therefore impacting bee population abundance, survival, and distribution across the world. Understanding how these microbial communities alter based on environmental changes is key to developing conservation strategies that address the health and stability of bee populations and their intricate ecological roles.