Christina Grozinger

Director of the Center for Pollinator Research; Director of the Insect Biodiversity Center; Publius Vergilius Maro Professor and Huck Scholar of Entomology

Christina Grozinger

Research Summary

Genomics of social behavior and health in bees

Huck Graduate Students

Huck Affiliations

Links

Most Recent Publications

Landscape transcriptomics as a tool for addressing global change effects across diverse species

J Keagy, Chloe Drummond, Kadeem Gilbert, C Grozinger, J Hamilton, H Hines, J Lasky, Cheryl Logan, Ruairidh Sawers, T Wagner, Molecular Ecology Resources

Short-term heat exposure at sublethal temperatures reduces sperm quality in males of a solitary bee species, Osmia cornifrons

Jaya Sravanthi Mokkapati, Johanna Hehl, Lars Straub, Christina M. Grozinger, Natalie Boyle, 2025, Apidologie

Correction to: Examining parent-of-origin effects on transcription and RNA methylation in mediating aggressive behavior in honey bees (Apis mellifera) (BMC Genomics, (2023), 24, 1, (315), 10.1186/s12864-023-09411-4)

Sean T. Bresnahan, Ellen Lee, Lindsay Clark, Rong Ma, Michael Markey, Juliana Rangel, Christina M. Grozinger, Hongmei Li-Byarlay, 2024, BMC Genomics

Honey bees and bumble bees react differently to nitrogen-induced increases in floral resources

Junpeng Mu, Peiyue Che, Dawei Li, Juanli Chen, Chuan Zhao, Christina M. Grozinger, 2024, Environmental Entomology on p. 1111-1119

Estimating genus-specific effects of non-native honey bees and urbanization on wild bee communities: A case study in Maryland, United States

Gabriela M. Quinlan, Jeffrey W. Doser, Melanie A. Kammerer, Christina M. Grozinger, 2024, Science of the Total Environment

Foraging bee species differentially prioritize quantity and quality of floral rewards

Jaya Sravanthi Mokkapati, Michael Hill, Natalie K. Boyle, Pierre Ouvrard, Adrien Sicard, Christina M. Grozinger, 2024, PNAS Nexus

Illuminating patterns of firefly abundance using citizen science data and machine learning models

Darin J. McNeil, Sarah C. Goslee, Melanie Kammerer, Sarah E. Lower, John F. Tooker, Christina M. Grozinger, 2024, Science of the Total Environment

Seasonal bee communities vary in their responses to resources at local and landscape scales: implication for land managers

Melanie Kammerer, Aaron L. Iverson, Kevin Li, John F. Tooker, Christina M. Grozinger, 2024, Landscape Ecology

Effective pest management approaches can mitigate honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony winter loss across a range of weather conditions in small-scale, stationary apiaries

Darcy Gray, Sarah Goslee, Melanie Kammerer, Christina M. Grozinger, 2024, Journal of Insect Science

Evaluating the role of social context and environmental factors in mediating overwintering physiology in honey bees (Apis mellifera)

Gabriela M. Quinlan, Christina M. Grozinger, 2024, Journal of Experimental Biology

Most-Cited Papers

Bee nutrition and floral resource restoration

Anthony Vaudo, John F. Tooker, Christina M. Grozinger, Harland M. Patch, 2015, Current Opinion in Insect Science on p. 133--141

Macronutrient ratios in pollen shape bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) foraging strategies and floral preferences

Anthony D. Vaudo, Harland M. Patch, David A. Mortensen, John F. Tooker, Christina M. Grozinger, 2016, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on p. E4035-E4042

Bee viruses: Ecology, pathogenicity, and impacts

Christina M. Grozinger, Michelle Flenniken, 2019, Annual Review of Entomology on p. 205--226

Pollen protein: Lipid macronutrient ratios may guide broad patterns of bee species floral preferences

Anthony Vaudo, John Tooker, Harland M. Patch, David J. Biddinger, Michael Coccia, Makaylee Crone, Mark Fiely, Jacob Francis, Heather M. Hines, Mackenzie Hodges, Stephanie Jackson, Denis Michez, Junpeng Mu, Laura Russo, Maliheh Safari, Erin Treanore, Maryse Vanderplanck, E Yip, Anne Leonard, Christina M. Grozinger, 2020, Insects on p. 132

Overwintering honey bees: biology and management

Mehmet Ali Döke, Maryann Frazier, Christina M. Grozinger, 2015, Current Opinion in Insect Science on p. 185-193

Pesticides and pollinators: A socioecological synthesis

Douglas B. Sponsler, Christina M. Grozinger, Claudia Hitaj, Maj Rundlöf, Cristina Botías, Aimee Code, Eric V. Lonsdorf, Andony P. Melathopoulos, David J. Smith, Sainath Suryanarayanan, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Neal M. Williams, Minghua Zhang, Margaret R. Douglas, 2019, Science of the Total Environment on p. 1012-1027

Unity in defence: Honeybee workers exhibit conserved molecular responses to diverse pathogens

Vincent Doublet, Yvonne Poeschl, Andreas Gogol-Döring, Cédric Alaux, Desiderato Annoscia, Christian Aurori, Seth M. Barribeau, Oscar C. Bedoya-Reina, Mark J.F. Brown, James C. Bull, Michelle L. Flenniken, David A. Galbraith, Elke Genersch, Sebastian Gisder, Ivo Grosse, Holly L. Holt, Dan Hultmark, H. Michael G. Lattorff, Yves Le Conte, Fabio Manfredini, Dino P. McMahon, Robin F.A. Moritz, Francesco Nazzi, Elina L. Niño, Katja Nowick, Ronald P. van Rij, Robert J. Paxton, Christina M. Grozinger, 2017, BMC Genomics on p. 1--17

Parallel Epigenomic and Transcriptomic Responses to Viral Infection in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)

David A. Galbraith, Xingyu Yang, Elina Lastro Niño, Soojin Yi, Christina Grozinger, 2015, PLoS Pathogens on p. 1-24

County-level analysis reveals a rapidly shifting landscape of insecticide hazard to honey bees (Apis mellifera) on US farmland

Margaret R. Douglas, Douglas B. Sponsler, Eric V. Lonsdorf, Christina M. Grozinger, 2020, Scientific Reports

Bumble bees regulate their intake of essential protein and lipid pollen macronutrients

A. D. Vaudo, D. Stabler, H. M. Patch, J. F. Tooker, C. M. Grozinger, G. A. Wright, 2016, Journal of Experimental Biology on p. 3962--3970

News Articles Featuring Christina Grozinger

Jan 17, 2025

Christina Grozinger to lead Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences as director

Christina Grozinger, Publius Vergilius Maro Professor of Entomology and director of the Center for Pollinator Research, has been named the new director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State.

Full Article

Jan 06, 2025

Quantity over quality? Different bees are attracted to different floral traits

When it comes to deciding where they’re going to get their next meal, different species of bees may be attracted to different flower traits, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State and published in PNAS Nexus.

Full Article

Oct 07, 2024

Adding fall blooming plants may help both managed and wild bees in cities

Recent findings will help identify the groups of bees that may be most at-risk and aid in creating conservation strategies, according to researchers.

Full Article

Jul 08, 2024

Study: Fireflies at risk due to climate change, urban development

Catching fireflies is an iconic summer experience for many people living in North America, but the flickering beetles are on the decline. New research has identified factors that may be contributing to declining populations.

Full Article

Jun 03, 2024

Combining pest treatments may be key to helping honey bees survive the winter

Winters can be tough on managed honey bee colonies, with beekeepers in the United States reporting that one-third of their colonies die each winter. A new study by Penn State researchers has found that using not one but multiple pest treatments may help bees make it to spring.

Full Article

May 22, 2024

It’s Okay To Mow In May, But To Help Pollinators, Add Native Plants

Manicured lawns produce a monoculture, making it hard for bees to find food.

Full Article

May 15, 2024

It’s OK to mow in May − the best way to help pollinators is by adding native plants

It’s a simple idea: Stop mowing your lawn in the month of May to let flowers in the lawn, such as dandelions and clover, grow and support bees and other pollinators.

Full Article

May 14, 2024

Penn State researchers help shine light on firefly populations in the eastern U.S.

Fireflies can bring magic to summer nights — blinking in yards and putting on light shows in fields. But a study by a team that includes researchers from Penn State found that while fireflies' overall populations did not decline, climate change and loss of habitat do have an impact on the winged beetles.

Full Article

May 14, 2024

Penn State pollinator experts author a new book that explores the lives of bees

Two renowned pollinator scientists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences have co-authored a book that sheds light on one of the Earth’s most invaluable resources: bees.

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May 09, 2024

Q&A: Should you skip #NoMowMay and #PlantMayFlowers instead?

Many have heard about “No Mow May” — a movement that encourages people not to mow their lawns during the month of May to encourage the growth of flowering plants for bees and other pollinators. But is it really beneficial?

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Apr 29, 2024

Firefly populations at risk due to climate change, urban development

Catching fireflies is an iconic summer experience for many people living in North America, but the flickering beetles are on the decline. New research has identified factors that may be contributing to declining populations.

Full Article

Apr 22, 2024

Earth Day 2024: Pollinators help our food supply

If there's food on your table, you can thank a bee. Or a fly. Or even a moth.

Full Article

Jan 29, 2024

Penn State entomologists appointed to national committee on pollinator research

Two entomologists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have been appointed to serve on a new U.S. Department of Agriculture subcommittee on pollinators

Full Article

Jan 22, 2024

Why are bees making less honey? Study reveals clues

A new study has uncovered clues in the mystery of the declining honey yields since the 1990s

Full Article

Jan 19, 2024

Honey Yields Have Long Been on the Decline. Scientists Now Know Why States in both warm and cool regions produced higher honey yields when they had productive soil.

Researchers may have found the reason for the honey yield decline using a half centry's worth of data

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Jan 08, 2024

Where has all the honey gone? Scientists point to factors in declining yields

Research has found that several factors have hampered bees’ ability to create honey over the past decade

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Jan 06, 2024

Why are bees not making as much honey as they used to? Here’s what a team of researchers found

Honey production in America has been diminishing since the '90s, a new study has uncovered that it's due to several factors

Full Article

Jan 05, 2024

Honey yields have long been on the decline. Scientists now know why

Penn State researchers have used half a century of data to find why honey yields have been low

Full Article

Jan 03, 2024

Why are bees making less honey? Study reveals clues in five decades of data

Honey yields in the U.S. have been declining since the 1990s, a new study by Penn State researchers has uncovered clues in the mystery of the missing honey.

Full Article

Oct 18, 2023

Female honeybees may pass down ‘altruistic’ genes

Honeybee genes might make workers serve the queen above themselves

Full Article

Oct 15, 2023

Honeybees may inherit altruism from their mothers

Researchers look at the behavior in worker honey bees and find some surprises

Full Article

Oct 14, 2023

Xploration Awesome Planet: Decline in Bee Population

The decline of bee populations around the world is an enormous threat to people and the planet

Full Article

Oct 12, 2023

Honey bees may inherit altruistic behavior from their mothers

True altruism is rare behavior in animals, but a new study by Penn State researchers has found that honey bees display this trait. Additionally, they found that an evolutionary battle of genetics may determine the parent they inherit it from.

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Oct 06, 2023

Spotted lanternflies are still a pest but the smoky honey they help make could be good for you

New research shows honey connected to spotted lanternfly has medicinal potential as well as a fall flavor for foodies

Full Article

Sep 01, 2023

New updates come to 'Beescape,' an online tool for supporting pollinators

New updates have come to Beescape, an online tool created by a Penn State-led team for assessing the quality of landscapes for supporting bees and other pollinators.

Full Article