Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ewa Danuta Mazur, Anna Maria Gajda
Summary: This paper provides reliable diagnostic methods and basic information on Nosema spp. infection in honey bees, serving as a knowledge source for veterinarians and researchers.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Quan Zhang, Lili Fu, Tao Cang, Tao Tang, Mingcheng Guo, Bingbing Zhou, Guohua Zhu, Meirong Zhao
Summary: With the increasing demand for pollinating services, the wellness of honeybees has received widespread attention. Research has shown that S-dinotefuran is more toxic than rac-dinotefuran and R-dinotefuran by 114 times, and that the Eastern honeybee is more susceptible to the highly toxic enantiomer S-dinotefuran.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexandra Valentine, Stephen J. Martin
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the current treatment strategies for Varroa mites among beekeepers in the UK. The survey revealed that the majority of beekeepers (72-79%) still treat their bees for Varroa using chemical-based methods twice yearly. However, 6% of beekeepers have chosen not to use any treatment for six years or more. This research provides baseline data to observe if there will be a shift towards treatment-free beekeeping in the future.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rosanna N. Punko, Robert W. Currie, Medhat E. Nasr, Shelley E. Hoover
Summary: The study investigated the seasonal pattern of Nosema abundance in two Alberta locations using indoor and outdoor wintering methods, finding that N. ceranae showed distinct fluctuations in spore abundance throughout the year. Spring average Nosema abundance was a significant predictor of winter colony mortality, emphasizing the importance of spring monitoring and treatments for bee health.
Article
Entomology
Dylan Cleary, Allen L. L. Szalanski
Summary: Managed honey bee populations in the U.S. have fluctuated due to various biotic and abiotic stressors. This study surveyed parasite and pathogen species in hobbyist-managed honey bee colonies in Arkansas and found Vairimorpha ceranae and Varroa destructor to be relatively common, while Lotmaria passim was detected in a significant number of colonies. Other studied pathogens were not detected. This provides a comprehensive assessment of parasite and pathogen species in hobbyist-managed honey bee colonies at the state level.
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lea Rako, Arati Agarwal, Lixin Eow, John M. K. Roberts, Brendan C. Rodoni, Mark J. Blacket
Summary: A new molecular LAMP-based assay has been developed for the detection and identification of Varroa mites, which allows for morphological identification while keeping the mite intact. The assay is specific in detecting V. destructor and V. jacobsoni and can differentiate them from other non-target mite and insect species. It has been tested on specimens from multiple countries and is suitable for use in the field with three nondestructive DNA extraction methods. The high sensitivity of the LAMP assay allows for detection of very low levels of Varroa DNA.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
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
Biology
Zoe Langlands, Esther E. du Rand, Karl Crailsheim, Abdullahi A. Yusuf, Christian W. W. Pirk
Summary: The honeybee nest parasite Aethina tumida, or small hive beetle, uses behavioral mimicry to induce trophallactic feeding from its honeybee hosts, successfully getting worker bees to feed them protein-rich secretions from their hypopharyngeal glands. Female beetles are more successful in this induction process than males, and while females do not show preference for interacting with a specific age cohort of bees when soliciting food, males tend to avoid older bees that are more aggressive and active.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Anna Papach, Federico Cappa, Rita Cervo, Leonardo Dapporto, Rammohan Balusu, Geoffrey R. Williams, Peter Neumann
Summary: Social insects use cuticular hydrocarbons for chemical recognition and communication, but parasites can exploit this for their advantage. Small hive beetles have a similar but lower chemical profile compared to honey bee hosts, and lack colony-specific chemical profiles. This is likely due to their free-flying behavior in the field, limiting the acquisition of specific chemical profiles. Small hive beetles do not use finely tuned chemical strategies to conceal their presence in host colonies and rely on behavioral adaptations.
Review
Microbiology
Richard Galajda, Alexandra Valencakova, Monika Sucik, Petra Kandracova
Summary: Nosematosis is a honey bee disease caused by Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae, with exposure to pesticides and nutritional stress being key factors that weaken the immune response of bees and make them more susceptible to parasites. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an important method for detecting and distinguishing between the two species causing the disease.
Article
Agronomy
Anna Maria Gajda, Ewa Danuta Mazur, Andrzej Marcin Bober, Michal Czopowicz
Summary: Research findings indicate that N. ceranae is more pathogenic to A. mellifera than N. apis, and the course of type C nosemosis is more severe, resulting in shorter lifespans for bees. The presence of BQCV exacerbates the disease, making it even more dangerous for bees.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alison McAfee, David R. Tarpy, Leonard J. Foster
Summary: The study revealed that cold stress decreased stored sperm viability in queen bees, but heat stress did not significantly impact other metrics, indicating substantial variation in temperature tolerance among queens in terms of fertility impacts.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Julian Haas, Ralf Nauen
Summary: This study leveraged the research on honey bee cytochrome P450 monooxygenases to predict the interaction of different pesticides with honey bee enzymes, revealing synergistic effects between certain azole fungicides and insecticides. Biochemical data showed a correlation between the inhibition of azoles and their synergistic potential at the organismal level, providing insights into combined toxicity effects observed in the field. This novel toxicogenomics-based approach offers unprecedented screening capacity for pesticide risk assessment, addressing ecotoxicological concerns.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Amos Kipkoech, Louis Allan Okwaro, Elliud Muli, H. Michael G. Lattorff
Summary: This study determined the species and prevalence of Nosema infections in honey bees in the Comoros Archipelago. The only species detected in the two islands was Nosema ceranae, with a higher prevalence in Grande Comore (73.9%) compared to Moheli (25.0%). The intensity of infection was also higher in Grande Comore. Human interference may be a factor contributing to the differences in prevalence between the two islands.
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Milyausha Kaskinova, Elena Saltykova, Alexander Poskryakov, Alexey Nikolenko, Luisa Gaifullina
Summary: The Southern Ural Mountains are a habitat for one of the last surviving populations of the dark forest bee Apis mellifera mellifera, facing issues of hybridization with subspecies from lineage C and being affected by nosematosis. Urgent measures are needed to protect this population. Analysis revealed that 30.4% of the colonies belong to lineage C, and about half of the sampled colonies were infected with Nosema apis, posing a threat to the survival of the population.
Article
Ecology
Peter Graystock, Wee Hao Ng, Kyle Parks, Amber D. Tripodi, Paige A. Muniz, Ashley A. Fersch, Christopher R. Myers, Quinn S. McFrederick, Scott H. McArt
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Felicity Muth, Amber D. Tripodi, Rene Bonilla, James P. Strange, Anne S. Leonard
Summary: Sexual dimorphism can result in differences in morphological, physiological, and cognitive traits due to different sources of selection faced by females and males. In a study comparing wild bumblebees, it was found that male and female bumblebees did not differ in their ability to learn, indicating potential similarities in associative learning between the sexes in natural populations.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
M. A. Janowiecki, J. W. Austin, A. L. Szalanski, E. L. Vargo
Summary: In the eastern United States, there are nine species of subterranean termites, with five species of Reticulitermes being able to be quickly identified using an ISSRs genetic method. This method is cost-effective, rapid, and provides a useful technique for pest management and future ecological research.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Mary-Kate F. Williams, Dylan A. Cleary, Amber D. Tripodi, Allen L. Szalanski
Summary: A study on honey bee samples from various regions in the United States found that co-infection rates of N. ceranae and L. passim were higher in Hawaii and Utah. Infection rates were similar between managed colonies and swarms, but both were higher than feral honey bee colonies.
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Horticulture
Runshi Xie, Bin Wu, Mengmeng Gu, Stacey R. Jones, James Robbins, Allen L. Szalanski, Hongmin Qin
Summary: Crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS) is an invasive insect first discovered in the United States in 2004. This insect has a polyphagous feeding habit, allowing it to infest a wide range of plant species beyond its primary host Lagerstroemia. Research has shown that CMBS can infest not only native plants like American beautyberry, but also other economically important crops in the Amygdaloideae subfamily.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthew W. Austin, Amber D. Tripodi, James P. Strange, Aimee S. Dunlap
Summary: Human-modified landscapes can increase intraspecific trait variation. This study focuses on the body size variation of five bumble bee species across an urban gradient and finds evidence of geographic clines induced by plasticity. Low genetic diversity and inbreeding may affect the survival risk of these species.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nicholas A. Ivers, Zacchariah Jordan, Hamutahl Cohen, Amber Tripodi, Mark J. F. Brown, Heidi Liere, Brenda B. Lin, Stacy Philpott, Shalene Jha
Summary: This study investigates the impact of urban garden management and regional landscape composition on the disease dynamics of a critical native pollinator, the bumble bee Bombus vosnesenskii. The research found that higher pollinator taxonomic richness in gardens led to lower prevalence of certain parasites, indicating a dilution effect. Additionally, gardens with higher mulch use and surrounded by greater proportions of impervious urban cover had higher prevalence of certain parasites.
Article
Entomology
James P. Strange, Amber D. Tripodi, Craig Huntzinger, Joyce Knoblett, Ellen Klinger, James D. Herndon, Hoang Q. Vuong, Quinn S. McFrederick, Rebecca E. Irwin, Jay D. Evans, Jonathan J. Giacomini, Robert Ward, Lynn S. Adler
Summary: Pollen is an essential component of bee diets, but there is currently no artificial diet or economical method for large-scale pollen collection from flowers. The provenance of honey bee-collected pollen is often unknown and may cross international borders. This study tested three sterilization methods and found that ethylene oxide fumigation had the highest sterilizing properties under commercial conditions while maintaining palatability and supporting bee development.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
James P. Strange, Amber D. Tripodi, Thuy-Tien T. Lindsay, James D. Herndon, Joyce Knoblett, Morgan E. Christman, N. Pinar Barkan, Jonathan B. U. Koch
Summary: This study reported the successful nest initiation and establishment rates of 15 western North American Bombus species and generated a timeline of colony development. The results showed significant variations in nest success and colony growth dynamics among different species. This study contributes to the knowledge of systematic nesting biology of western North American Bombus species and provides valuable information for conservationists and researchers.
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Dylan Cleary, Allen L. L. Szalanski
Summary: Managed honey bee populations in the U.S. have fluctuated due to various biotic and abiotic stressors. This study surveyed parasite and pathogen species in hobbyist-managed honey bee colonies in Arkansas and found Vairimorpha ceranae and Varroa destructor to be relatively common, while Lotmaria passim was detected in a significant number of colonies. Other studied pathogens were not detected. This provides a comprehensive assessment of parasite and pathogen species in hobbyist-managed honey bee colonies at the state level.
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Haylee Campbell, Kelly Loftin, Allen Szalanski, Donald Steinkraus, Elizabeth Smith
Summary: Wild pigs are spreading throughout Arkansas and the southeastern USA, posing a threat to public and animal health due to their potential to carry various pathogens and parasites. A study on tick species parasitizing Arkansas wild pigs collected four tick species, with Amblyomma americanum being the most common.
FLORIDA ENTOMOLOGIST
(2022)
Article
Biology
Erica Sarro, Amber Tripodi, S. Hollis Woodard
Summary: Studies on the physiological states of wild-caught organisms are crucial for understanding the connections between ecology and physiology. This study investigated the relationship between ovary development and nest-searching behavior in bumble bee queens. The findings suggest that ovary development and nest-searching occur independently in bumble bee queens.
INTEGRATIVE ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Austin Goldsmith, Kelly Loftin, Donald Steinkraus, Allen Szalanski, Dylan Cleary, Louela Castrillo
Summary: The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, found in Arkansas, can be infected with Metarhizium fungi, showing potential for biological control of this tick species.
FLORIDA ENTOMOLOGIST
(2021)
