Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Huoqing Zheng, Shuai Wang, Yuqi Wu, Shengmei Zou, Vincent Dietemann, Peter Neumann, Yanping Chen, Hongmei Li-Byarlay, Christian Pirk, Jay Evans, Fuliang Hu, Ye Feng
Summary: This study investigated the host shift of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor from Eastern honey bees to Western honey bees. The researchers identified genetic differences between the mites on different hosts and found significant differences in gene expression during the reproduction process. Genes associated with oogenesis were found to be key genetic determinants of the mite's success on the new host.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Camille Minguely, Lindsey Norgrove, Alexander Burren, Bastien Christ
Summary: This study demonstrates the high pathogenicity of entomopathogenic fungi against Phyllocoptes gracilis and shows their potential as biological control agents.
Article
Parasitology
Nicholas Scaramella, Ashley Burke, Melissa Oddie, Bjorn Dahle, Joachim R. de Miranda, Fanny Mondet, Peter Rosenkranz, Peter Neumann, Barbara Locke
Summary: Varroa destructor, an ectoparasitic mite, poses the largest pathogenic threat to Western honey bees. The successful invasion and reproduction of the mite is due to its ability to exploit worker brood. The study found that the reproductive success of Varroa mite can be suppressed by traits of the brood.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Ziyad Abdul Qadir, Atif Idrees, Rashid Mahmood, Ghulam Sarwar, Muhammad Abu Bakar, Saboor Ahmad, Muhammad Mohsin Raza, Jun Li
Summary: The study examined the efficacy of formic acid, oxalic acid, and thymol in controlling Varroa mites, with all three soft acaricides effectively reducing mite populations and being suitable for integrated management plans. Naturally occurring acaricides are considered essential alternatives to synthetic options in treating Varroa mites.
Article
Entomology
Marin Kovacic, Aleksandar Uzunov, Ivana Tlak Gajger, Marco Pietropaoli, Victoria Soroker, Noureddine Adjlane, Valerija Benko, Leonidas Charistos, Raffaele Dall'Olio, Giovanni Formato, Fani Hatjina, Valeria Malagnini, Fabrizio Freda, Asaf Otmi, Zlatko Puskadija, Claudio Villar, Ralph Buechler
Summary: In this study, the effect of queen caging on honey bee colonies' post-treatment development and honey production was investigated. The timing of caging plays a crucial role in honey production outcomes, with significantly lower amounts of honey extracted from colonies with queens caged for a total of 28 days compared to those caged for only 14 days or not caged at all. Additionally, the use of queen caging, in combination with oxalic acid, was found to be an effective treatment for controlling Varroa destructor infestation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu-Cheng Zhu, Jianxiu Yao, Yanhua Wang
Summary: The study found that bee colonies treated with Apivar had lower mite and DWV infestations throughout the bee season, while untreated colonies had significantly higher infestations. The untreated colonies showed irregular fluctuations in Varroa mite population over the season, with higher counts in June or August compared to October, and mite density was not closely correlated with natural bee mortality. DWV titers in untreated colonies progressively increased over the season and were highly correlated with natural bee mortality. Lower gene expressions in untreated colonies also indicated an association of increased DWV infestation with decreased physiological and immunity-related functions in late-season honey bees. Bees with lower mite/DWV infestations displayed lower susceptibilities to insecticides, highlighting the importance of mite control in minimizing honey bee decline.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Kate E. Ihle, Lilia de Guzman, Robert G. Danka
Summary: This study found evidence of social apoptosis, a social immune response exhibited by worker brood, in Western honey bee populations. Honey bees with resistance to Varroa mites had decreased survival rate in lightly infested colonies compared to Varroa-susceptible bees.
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Evan C. Palmer-Young, Rosemary Malfi, Yujun Zhou, Bryanna Joyce, Hannah Whitehead, Jennifer Van Wyk, Kathy Baylis, Kyle Grubbs, Dawn L. Boncristiani, Jay D. Evans, Rebecca E. Irwin, Lynn S. Adler
Summary: Landscapes can play a role in parasite control in wild and agricultural animals. Honey bees are threatened by parasites and the viruses they carry, and current control methods often harm bees. This study found that landscapes with sunflower crops and pollen supplementation can reduce Varroa mite infestation in honey bees. This suggests the potential for using sunflower plantings or pollen supplements to counteract honey bee losses globally.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Paula L. C. Fonseca, Jonathan J. M. Mucherino, Joel A. M. Porto, Juliana N. Armache, Joao Paulo P. de Almeida, Felipe F. da Silva, Roenick P. Olmo, Isaque J. da S. Faria, Daniel S. de Carvalho, Aristoteles Goes-Neto, Ronan X. Correa, Carlos P. Pirovani, Luis G. C. Pacheco, Marco Antonio Costa, Eric R. G. R. Aguiar
Summary: The study identified numerous mite-specific miRNAs in V. destructor, with a prominent role played by bantam in gene expression control. Additionally, signs of miRNA post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms were observed, indicating the importance of miRNAs in V. destructor. The findings suggest a conservative role for conserved miRNAs in controlling similar processes across different organisms.
Article
Entomology
Arrigo Moro, Tjeerd Blacquiere, Delphine Panziera, Vincent Dietemann, Peter Neumann
Summary: The study reveals that honeybee colonies can resist infestations of parasitic mites through unknown means and shows adaptive changes in the reproduction of co-evolved mites associated with different hosts. However, host behavior traits and mite reproductive strategies may vary over time.
Article
Ecology
Komi Messan, Marisabel Rodriguez Messan, Jun Chen, Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman, Yun Kang
Summary: The decline of honeybee populations has been attributed to the parasitic Varroa mite, which can destabilize colony dynamics with a large time lag from brood to adult bee. Seasonality plays a crucial role in determining the effects of mites on honeybee populations, with different scenarios leading to either collapse or stability in the colony. The queen's egg-laying rate and colony size are shown to have significant impacts on colony population size and dynamics.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Anabel Millan-Leiva, Oscar Marin, Krisztina Christmon, Dennis vanEngelsdorp, Joel Gonzalez-Cabrera
Summary: The study reveals a wide distribution of knockdown resistance (kdr)-type mutations in Varroa populations collected from US apiaries in 2016 and 2017. These data were utilized to predict the phenotype of mites when treated with pyrethroids.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Jennifer A. Berry, Lewis J. Bartlett, Selina Bruckner, Christian Baker, S. Kris Braman, Keith S. Delaplane, Geoffrey R. Williams
Summary: The American beekeeping industry is facing the challenge of reducing colony mortality caused by Varroa destructor mites. Current Integrated Pest Management (IPM) options are becoming less effective due to resistance issues and lack of suitable treatment methods. This study tested the vaporization of oxalic acid as a control measure, but found that it is ineffective in reducing mite populations in brood-rearing periods. Frequent periodic application of oxalic acid did not have adverse impacts on adult honey bees and developing brood.
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joonhee Lee, Young H. Kim, Kyungmun Kim, Dongwon Kim, Si H. Lee, Sanghyeon Kim
Summary: This study investigated the genetic responses of Varroa mites to acaricides and identified eight stable reference genes for transcriptional profiling. eEF1A1 and NADHD were recommended for comparing the effects of acaricides on the whole body, while alpha-tubulin and RpL5 were recommended for studying tissue-specific expression profiles of target genes.
ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Yamandu Mendoza, Estela Santos, Sabrina Clavijo-Baquett, Ciro Invernizzi
Summary: Research on the relationship between bees and Varroa destructor mites in Uruguay found that bees in the eastern region have resistance to mites, able to survive without acaricides, and this resistance is maintained in other regions as well.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Bryony K. Willcox, Brad G. Howlett, Peter Neumann
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2017)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Melissa Ann Broussard, Flore Mas, Brad Howlett, David Pattemore, Jason M. Tylianakis
Article
Agronomy
Brad G. Howlett, Gabriela O. Lankin-Vega, Linley K. Jesson
NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF CROP AND HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Horticulture
Brad G. Howlett, Samantha F. J. Read, Maryam Alavi, Brian T. Cutting, Warrick R. Nelson, Robert M. Goodwin, Sarah Cross, Trevor G. Thorp, David E. Pattemore
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Rita Foeldesi, Brad G. Howlett, Ingo Grass, Peter Batary
Summary: Wild pollinators deposit more pollen onto stigmas per single visit than honeybees, with larger pollinators depositing significantly more pollen. There was no significant difference in the amount of pollen deposited between the two methodological approaches, static and active. Further research is needed to quantify the pollination effectiveness of non-bee pollinators.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
L. J. Evans, L. Jesson, S. F. J. Read, M. Jochym, B. T. Cutting, T. Gayrard, M. A. S. Jammes, R. Roumier, B. G. Howlett
Summary: The study found that distance from hives had a significant impact on the abundance of stingless bees, while the distribution of honey bees was more closely related to daily floral display. Recommendations to encourage more even distribution of bees and uniform pollination include placing stingless bee hives at intervals throughout the orchard and promoting even distribution of flowers across trees through management practices.
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Entomology
Keira Dymond, Juan L. Celis-Diez, Simon G. Potts, Brad G. Howlett, Bryony K. Willcox, Michael P. D. Garratt
Summary: Insect pollination is essential for increasing avocado yields, with bees playing a crucial role in pollination and fruit set. However, there is also significant contribution from wild pollinators such as stingless bees and blow flies. Research has highlighted the importance of ensuring sufficient abundance of pollinators through either increasing honeybee hive density or managing wild pollinators in order to improve avocado production.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Francesco Martoni, Warrick Nelson, Samuel D. J. Brown
Summary: The New Zealand psyllid fauna is characterized by a large number of endemic Triozidae species. The taxonomic history of these species has seen changes in generic placement. This study reviews the taxonomic history of these species and provides evidence supporting the recognition of Powellia Maskell, 1879, as a valid genus through morphological, genetic, and ecological considerations.
NEW ZEALAND ENTOMOLOGIST
(2021)
Review
Entomology
Warrick Nelson, Lisa Evans, Barry Donovan, Brad Howlett
Summary: Many ground-nesting bees, including the widely-distributed Lasioglossum species, have been overlooked for their contribution to crop pollination due to the perception that they are not effective pollinators. However, scattered reports suggest that these small bees can be effective pollinators in a variety of crops. Further research is needed to assess their effectiveness and explore management practices to enhance their role as pollinators.
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Thijs P. M. Fijen, Samantha F. J. Read, Melanie K. Walker, Megan Gee, Warrick R. Nelson, Brad G. Howlett
Summary: Landscape simplification in agricultural fields negatively affects pollinator diversity and crop pollination services. However, farmers can benefit by enhancing landscape features containing diverse plant species that support both non-bee and bee species proven to deliver measurable crop pollination services.
Article
Ecology
B. G. Howlett, L. J. Evans, D. E. Pattemore, W. R. Nelson
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2017)
