Zhou Lab at ESO 2026: Bees, Bugs, and the Subarctic!

The Zhou Lab had a great time at the 163rd Annual General Meeting of the Entomological Society of Ontario, held right here at the University of Guelph Arboretum, September 15–17, 2026. We brought along stories spanning cold-adapted honey bees, Subarctic pollination networks, and community-powered biodiversity research.

Xin Zhou presented “Building a Cold-Adapted Honey Bee,” taking the audience on a journey through how honey bees made their way into colder parts of the world—from mitochondria that help generate heat and genes shaping body colour and plasticity, to tiny microbial partners living in the bee gut.

Meanwhile, Rendel Arner went north with “Constructing Subarctic Pollination Networks: A Metabarcoding Approach.” The poster showcased our work in Churchill, Manitoba, where we are combining field ecology with DNA metabarcoding and genome skimming to uncover the often-hidden connections between insects and the flowers they visit.

Ava Augustine brought another side of our Churchill adventure to the meeting with “Connecting Science and Community in Remote Research.” From citizen science and conversations with local communities to youth activities—including some wonderfully imaginative bug creations by local young scientists—her poster showed that doing science in the North is as much about people and partnerships as it is about collecting data.

Three presentations, lots of insects, and plenty of conversations with fellow entomologists made for a fun few days at ESO. A great opportunity to share what we have been building—and to celebrate the many different ways of exploring biodiversity, from genes and microbes to ecosystems and communities.

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