Hygienic Behavior of Cape and European &lt;I&gt;Apis mellifera&lt;/I&gt; (Hymenoptera: Apidae) toward &lt;I&gt;Aethina tumida&lt;/I&gt; (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) Eggs Oviposited in Sealed Bee Brood

Ellis, James D.; Delaplane, Keith S.; Richards, C. S.; Hepburn, Randall; Berry, Jennifer A.; Elzen, Patti J.

doi:10.1603/0013-8746(2004)097[0860:hbocae]2.0.co;2

Cited by 27 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…However, only in very few functional colonies were SHB eggs (0.9%) or larvae on combs (1.4%) found, emphasizing that in most infected colonies no SHB offspring are present. African and European colonies seem to have efficient defensive strategies to prevent SHB reproduction (Ellis et al, 2004a;cf. Neumann and Elzen, 2004;Spiewok and Neumann, 2006b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Small hive beetle,Aethina tumida, populations I: Infestation levels of honeybee colonies, apiaries and regions

Spiewok¹,

Pettis²,

Duncan³

et al. 2007

Apidologie

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-The small hive beetle (SHB) is a parasite and scavenger of honeybee colonies. Here we provide the first comprehensive systematic data on colony infestation levels with adult SHB for 226 colonies at 31 apiaries in South Africa, Australia, Florida and Maryland. Inside colonies, SHB distribution was influenced by the presence of bees with more SHB in the brood nest in the absence of bees. SHB distribution among colonies at an apiary was different from a random distribution but colony phenotypes (number of bees, amount of brood or stores) did not influence infestation levels. Apiaries next to large scale honey extraction facilities (honey houses) showed higher infestation levels and regions with more damage had higher SHB population levels. Consequently, methods of reducing SHB populations, such as the removal of dead colonies and the prevention of SHB reproduction in honey houses, seem to be important for pest management.Aethina tumida / Apis mellifera / honeybees / infestation level / small hive beetle

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since bee brood is an oviposition substrate (Ellis et al, 2004a) and the favourite food source (Elzen et al, 2000), the brood nest might be the preferred withinhive location of SHB. However, Schmolke (1974) found only low SHB numbers on the combs of an African colony.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small hive beetle,Aethina tumida, populations I: Infestation levels of honeybee colonies, apiaries and regions

Spiewok¹,

Pettis²,

Duncan³

et al. 2007

Apidologie

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“…A range of different behavioural defence strategies against the small hive beetle have been documented in honeybees: social encapsulation (Neumann et al, 2001a;Ellis et al, 2003aEllis et al, , 2004a, removal of beetle eggs (Ellis et al, 2003b(Ellis et al, , 2004bNeumann and Härtel, 2004;Spiewok and Neumann, 2006b) and larvae (jettisoning behaviour: Lundie, 1940;Schmolke, 1974;Neumann and Härtel, 2004;Spiewok and Neumann, 2006b), aggression (Schmolke, 1974;Elzen et al, 2001) and absconding (Hepburn and Radloff, 1998;Hood, 2000). Since all these mechanisms have been observed not only in African honeybees, which share a co-evolutionary history with the small hive beetle, but also in European subspecies that only recently came into contact with this novel pest, they must be part of the suite of general defensive behaviours present in all honeybees (Michener, 1974;Thompson, 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential host shift of the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) to bumblebee colonies (Bombus impatiens)

Hoffmann

Pettis²,

Neumann

2008

Insect. Soc.

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Here we explored the potential for host shift from honeybee, Apis mellifera, colonies to bumblebee, Bombus impatiens, colonies by the small hive beetle, a nest parasite/scavenger native to sub-Saharan Africa. We investigated small hive beetle host choice, bumblebee colony defence as well as individual defensive behaviour of honeybee and bumblebee workers. Our findings show that in its new range in North America, bumblebees are potential alternate hosts for the small hive beetle. We found that small hive beetles do invade bumblebee colonies and readily oviposit there. Honeybee colonies are not preferred over bumblebee colonies. But even though bumblebees lack a co-evolutionary history with the small hive beetle, they are able to defend their colonies against this nest intruder by removal of beetle eggs and larvae and stinging of the latter. Hence, the observed behavioural mechanisms must be part of a generalistic defence system suitable for defence against multiple attackers. Nevertheless, there are quantitative (worker force) and qualitative differences (hygienic behaviour) between A. mellifera and B. impatiens.

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“…Secondly, Ellis et al (2003a, d) showed that female beetles will bite holes in the waxy cappings of brood cells (or along the cell wall) and oviposit on bee pre-pupa/pupa in the cell. Honey bees can detect this ruse and remove brood oviposited on in this way (Ellis et al 2003d(Ellis et al , 2004c. As such, female beetles ovipositing on brood stimulates the removal of infected brood, thus decreasing brood area.…”

Section: An Ecological Tug-of-warmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of this, it is very likely that the presence of pathogens confers some selection pressure on natural hosts. If true, it is reasonable to expect that the expression of hygienic behavior of African bees toward beetle eggs oviposited in bee brood (Ellis et al, 2003d(Ellis et al, , 2004c and the removal of beetle larvae from colonies by African bees (Neumann and Härtel, 2004) may have resulted from selection pressures exerted by beetles. We recognize that hygienic behavior is a universal trait among A. mellifera (indeed, European honey bees also show hygienic removal of beetle eggs: Ellis et al, 2004c) so if beetle presence has boosted hygienic expression in African bees, it may have only done so at small levels.…”

Section: Selection Pressures On Honey Beesmentioning

confidence: 99%

An ecological digest of the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida), a symbiont in honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera)

Ellis

Hepburn

2006

Insect. Soc.

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The small hive beetle (Aethina tumida Murray) is an endemic scavenger in colonies of western honey bee subspecies (Apis mellifera L.) inhabiting sub-Saharan Africa where it only occasionally damages host colonies. Such damage is usually restricted to weakened/diseased colonies or is associated with after absconding events (all bees, including the queen, leave the hive) due to behavioral resistance mechanisms of its host. In sharp contrast, the beetle has proven deleterious to honey bee colonies in introduced ranges of the United States and Australia. With this review we synthesize the existing data in a manner that allows us to discuss the beetle's natural history from an ecological perspective. A thorough exploration of beetle ecology allows us to 1) illuminate the unique symbiotic relationship it and its host share and understand how this relationship is fostered, 2) place this relationship in context with those of other arthropods inhabiting social insect colonies, 3) understand its natural reliance on honey bee colonies, 4) predict its spread outside its native range, and 5) predict its effects on non-African honey bees and non-target species. Here we present an amalgamation of information that will contribute to a more thorough and appropriate understanding of not only small hive beetles as symbionts, but of social insect symbionts in general.

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Hygienic Behavior of Cape and European <I>Apis mellifera</I> (Hymenoptera: Apidae) toward <I>Aethina tumida</I> (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) Eggs Oviposited in Sealed Bee Brood

Cited by 27 publications

References 10 publications

Small hive beetle,Aethina tumida, populations I: Infestation levels of honeybee colonies, apiaries and regions

Small hive beetle,Aethina tumida, populations I: Infestation levels of honeybee colonies, apiaries and regions

Potential host shift of the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) to bumblebee colonies (Bombus impatiens)

An ecological digest of the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida), a symbiont in honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera)

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