An effective protocol to isolate and mechanically test silk fibers spun by Osmia lignaria Say (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) fifth instar larvae.

ABSTRACT: Silk, a remarkable protein-based fiber spun by various arthropod lineages, has been prized for millennia, with the cocoon silk of domesticated silkworms and spiders being the most utilized and extensively studied. There is limited information on how silk can be used to investigate biology, development, and health in other silk-producing species, particularly for solitary bees such as Osmia lignaria Say (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Osmia lignaria, an increasingly managed solitary pollinator, produces silk cocoons during the fifth instar larval stage. We have developed a minimally invasive protocol to isolate and mechanically test O. lignaria silk fibers using a 3-D printed well plate system for rearing and two specific isolation techniques. Our protocol allows for collecting individual fibe

SUBMITTER: Wasserman O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11864535 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature