Next-generation sequencing of oil-tea pollinating Andrena species

Oil-tea (Camellia oleifera) is an important woody oil crop in many countries, including China, the Philippines, India, Brazil and South Korea. The nectar of this plant is poisonous to honey bees (Apis mellifera and Apis cerana), and as a result crop yields are very limited due to significant pollinator constraint. Interestingly, some wild bees such as Andrena camellia primarily rely on oil-tea nectar to survive, suggesting these species have coevolved to become an expert at oil-tea. Here, we present the first next-generation sequencing of Andrena species consuming oil-tea nectars. We aim to perform bioinformatic analyses of genes involved in the metabolism of galactose derivatives which were the main toxicants in oil-tea nectar. Our study helps to elucidate the poisoning and detoxify mechanisms of different bee species and will provide important fundamental for pollination application on oil-tea.