Island ecosystems may be particularly sensitive to the ecological impacts of invasive bee species. Invasive bees can disrupt the novel environment through disease spread and competition for resources with native fauna. Based on the niche conservatism principal, species distribution models are used to predict the potential invasive range of an adventive species. We analyzed the native and invasive niche spaces for eight adventive bee species in Hawai'i, to test the hypothesis that species conserve their native climatic niche in the invaded range. Furthermore, we predicted climatically suitable niche spaces for invasive bees under future climate scenarios in Hawai'i. Models were calibrated from the species novel niche in Hawai'i.
Results/Conclusions
Cross continental data shows that a shift in the observed climatic niche occurred between native and introduced ranges, providing evidence that invasive bee species can occupy a climatically distinct niche space following its introduction into a new area. Under future climate scenarios, climatically suitable regions for the investigated invasive bees will expand in Hawai'i. Our models suggest climate change will remove current climate barriers thus allowing invasive bees to enter new habitats. Therefore, management of invasive bees in Hawai'i should account for the potential of climate change induced biological invasions into new areas around the Hawaiian archipelago.