Multiple key hosts and network structure shape viral prevalence across multispecies communities of bees

Multiple key hosts and network structure shape viral prevalence across multispecies communities of bees | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Ecology Letters This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 24 September 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Multiple key hosts and network structure shape viral prevalence across multispecies communities of bees Authors : Patrycja Pluta 0000-0002-3600-5001 [email protected] , Annika Hass 0000-0002-3377-4622 , Kathrin Czechofsky 0000-0002-8999-5395 , Catrin Westphal 0000-0002-2615-1339 , and Robert Paxton 0000-0003-2517-1351 Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175872974.47959682/v1 Published Ecology Letters Version of record Peer review timeline 323 views 189 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) threaten biodiversity, yet identifying key host species in complex ecological communities remains a major challenge. Here, we develop a quantitative framework combining field data, epidemiological modelling, simulations, and Bayesian inference to pinpoint key viral hosts in multispecies bee communities. Using flower–visitor interaction data and molecular virus screening, we estimate species-specific basic reproduction numbers (R₀) and assess the role of key hosts in virus transmission and persistence by testing two competing hypotheses: viral spread driven by a key host versus community-wide traits (e.g. network connectance). We show that, while honeybees often act as primary reservoirs, others, such as the red-tailed bumblebee, can drive the spread of specific viruses. Viral dynamics are primarily explained by exposure to key hosts, while the community effects are highly variable. Identification of non-honeybee key hosts challenges existing assumptions and highlights drivers of transmission and pathogen persistence in complex host–pathogen networks. Multiple key hosts and network structure shape viral prevalence across multispecies communities of bees Running title: Key hosts and viruses in bee communities Key words : epidemiology, ecology, virus, interaction network, bee, key host, network structure, spillover, basic reproduction number Type of article : Letter Patrycja Pluta 1,2* , Annika L. Hass 2 , Kathrin Czechofsky 2 , Catrin Westphal 2,3 Robert J. Paxton 1,4 1 General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany 2 Functional Agrobiodiversity & Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstraße 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany 3 Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Göttingen, Göttingen 37077, Germany 4 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany *Corresponding author: Patrycja Pluta, General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany Phone: +49 (0)345 55 26507 Email: [email protected] Annika L. Hass: [email protected] Kathrin Czechofsky: [email protected] Catrin Westphal: [email protected] Robert J. Paxton: [email protected] Authors contributions: RJP, CW, and AH designed the study and acquired funding; PP and AH conceived the analysis; PP and KC collected the data; PP performed the laboratory work; PP performed the analysis; PP wrote the manuscript with contributions from all authors. Data availability: Code available at: https://github.com/papluta/Pathogens-Networks. Funding information : The study was supported by funds from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft; BMEL) based on a decision of the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany via the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung; BLE) under the Federal Programme for Organic Farming (Bundesprogramm Ökologischer Landbau; BÖL) (grant numbers 2819OE115 and 2819OE156). Catrin Westphal is grateful for funding from the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft; DFG) - Project numbers: 405945293 and 493487387. Number of words in the abstract : 150 Number of words in the main text : 5032 Number of words in the text boxes : 227 Number of references : 72 Number of figures : 5 Number of tables : 0 Number of text boxes : 1 Supplementary files: 3 (1 word file with extended methods, 1 word file with extended figures and 1 excel file with extended data) Supplementary Material File (abstract_page.docx) Download 364.52 KB File (main_text.docx) Download 1.26 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 24 September 2025 Peer review timeline Published Ecology Letters Version of Record 28 Jan 2026 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Collection Ecology Letters Keywords basic reproduction number bee ecology epidemiology insects interaction network key host networks spillover virus Authors Affiliations Patrycja Pluta 0000-0002-3600-5001 [email protected] Martin-Luther-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg View all articles by this author Annika Hass 0000-0002-3377-4622 Georg-August University View all articles by this author Kathrin Czechofsky 0000-0002-8999-5395 Georg-August-Universität Göttingen View all articles by this author Catrin Westphal 0000-0002-2615-1339 University of Göttingen View all articles by this author Robert Paxton 0000-0003-2517-1351 Martin-Luther-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 323 views 189 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Patrycja Pluta, Annika Hass, Kathrin Czechofsky, et al. Multiple key hosts and network structure shape viral prevalence across multispecies communities of bees. 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