Susceptibility of small honey bee colonies to invasion by the small hive beetle, <i>Aethina tumida</i> (Coleoptera, Nitidulidae)

Mustafa, Sandra; Spiewok, Sebastian; Duncan, Michael; Spooner-Hart, Robert; Rosenkranz, Peter

doi:10.1111/jen.12111

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Both sexes of the beetle had similar responses to odors of the various meliponine bee species (except M. ferruginea) and the separate hive components. Odors from an intact colony may readily provide long-range olfactory cues to inform either female or male beetles of the host status, especially regarding the quality and quantity of food resources, colony size, queen state, and caste developmental stages (Mustafa et al, 2014). Also, the amount of stored honey, pollen, cerumen, and propolis present in a colony would contribute to the quality of the odor signal and to the behavioral response elicited in both sexes of the beetle, as has been shown in several studies using honeybees and bumble bees (Suazo et al, 2003;Spiewok & Neumann, 2006;Graham et al, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), is a parasitic pest of African honey bees. Adults of the small hive beetle live up to 6 months in honey bee colonies (Torto et al, 2005;Mustafa et al, 2014;Neumann et al, 2016), typically occurring at the bottom board of a hive, where the females locate cracks and crevices to lay massive numbers of eggs after mating (Neumann & Elzen, 2004;Hoffmann et al, 2008). The beetles inflict negligible damage to its host but, upon hatching, the larvae feed on pollen and honey, putrefying hive products as they simultaneously defecate leading to comb honey contamination and sometimes colony collapse in severe cases (Figure 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The beetles inflict negligible damage to its host but, upon hatching, the larvae feed on pollen and honey, putrefying hive products as they simultaneously defecate leading to comb honey contamination and sometimes colony collapse in severe cases (Figure 1). In the past two decades, it has become an invasive pest of European honey bees in the Americas, Australia, and Asia (Ellis et al, 2002;Neumann & Elzen, 2004;Ellis & Hepburn, 2006;Spiewok & Neumann, 2006;Graham et al, 2011;Pirk & Neumann, 2013;Mustafa et al, 2014), and most recently Europe (Palmeri et al, 2015). The SHB has also been found in the nests of other Apidae members such as the bumble bee Bombus impatiens Cresson (Stanghellini et al, 2000;Spiewok & Neumann, 2006;Mustafa et al, 2014) and some neotropical meliponine bee species of the genera Trigona and Dactylurina in various parts of the world, such as Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa (Greco et al, 2010;Halcroft et al, 2011;Neumann et al, 2016;Nkoba et al, 2012;Peña et al, 2014;Anguilet et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Behavioral responses of the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, to odors of three meliponine bee species and honey bees, Apis mellifera scutellata

Bobadoye

Fombong

Kiatoko

et al. 2018

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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Recent studies have shown that honey bees, bumble bees, and some meliponine bee species of the genera Trigona, Meliponula, and Dactylurina are hosts of the small hive beetle (SHB) Aethina tumidaMurray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), a pest of honey bee colonies in various regions of the world. Olfaction has been implicated in SHB infestations of honey bee and bumble bee colonies. We used olfactometer bioassays to investigate responses of adult male and female SHBs to odors from intact colonies and separate hive components (pot honey, pot pollen, cerumen, and propolis) of three African meliponine bee species, Meliponula ferruginea (Lepeletier) (black morphospecies), M. ferruginea (reddish brown morphospecies), and Meliponula bocandei (Spinola) (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Although both sexes of the beetle strongly preferred intact colony, pot honey, and pot pollen odors, there was no evidence of attraction to propolis and cerumen odors from the three meliponine bee species. Both sexes of SHB also strongly preferred odors from honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), over odors from the three meliponine bee species. Our results provide substantial evidence of the host potential of African meliponine bees for the SHB, and we discuss this complex association of the SHB with species within the Apidae family.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Behavioral responses of the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, to odors of three meliponine bee species and honey bees, Apis mellifera scutellata

Bobadoye

Fombong

Kiatoko

et al. 2018

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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“…Ensuring strong, healthy, well-populated colonies with a young productive queen is very important within a SHB-infested area where eradication is no longer the objective. Weak or queen-less colonies should be destroyed or merged with strong, healthy, well-populated colonies that are less susceptible to SHB infestation (Mustafa et al, 2014). Unoccupied space in the hives for the bees to manage should be limited, so that bees occupy both sides of the comb with little room left unoccupied.…”

Section: Good Beekeeping Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survival, spread and establishment of the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida)

2015

EFS2

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The small hive beetle (SHB) is still present in Calabria one year after its first detection in September 2014. Detailed epidemiological studies would improve our knowledge of the survival, spread and establishment of the pest. Movement of an infested hive could spread SHB rapidly over large distances. Modelling of SHB spread in absence of movement of hives, suggests that natural spread of the beetle alone will take more than hundred years to reach Abruzzo from Calabria (around 250 km). A model considering the ownership of multiple apiaries per beekeeper indicates that spread would be 10 times faster. Opportunity maps indicate that, once introduced, the SHB could complete its life cycle in all EU Member States between May and September. It is recommended that restrictions on the movement of honey bees, bumblebees and commodities from infested to non‐infested areas be maintained until SHB is eradicated, to prevent spread of the pest. Strengthening visual inspection, preventing infestation using a fine mesh and issuing a health certificate for intra‐EU trade of queen bees, within 24 hours before dispatch, could reduce the risk of SHB transmission via consignments. In general, visual inspection of the beehive, as described in this document, is the preferred method of detecting SHB. Traps could help to detect and reduce SHB infestation levels. Maintaining good honey house hygiene and good beekeeping practices are the most important measures to control SHB where eradication is no longer the objective, given that no approved veterinary medicine is available in the EU. A field experiment found natural infestation of commercial bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) colonies placed next to SHB‐infested honey bee hives. However, there are no data published on SHB infestation in natural bumblebee colonies. Studies are needed of the capacity of B. terrestris, occurring in Europe, to act as a SHB host.

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“…Honey bee behaviors include running off adult beetles, removing eggs and larvae, or encasing adults in propolis jails in by the process of social encapsulation [7,8]. Smaller nucleus honey bee colonies are more susceptible to failure due to SHB infestation compared to full sized colonies [9]. Honey bee genetics play a role in SHB infestation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In silico identification and assessment of insecticide target sites in the genome of the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida

Rinkevich

Bourgeois

2020

BMC Genomics

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Background: The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, is a rapidly emerging global pest of honey bee colonies. Small hive beetle infestation can be extremely destructive, which may cause honey bees to abscond and render colony infrastructure unusable. Due to the impacts small hive beetles have on honey bees, a wide variety of physical, cultural, and chemical control measures have been implemented to manage small hive beetle infestations. The use of insecticides to control small hive beetle populations is an emerging management tactic. Currently, very little genomic information exists on insecticide target sites in the small hive beetle. Therefore, the objective of this study is to utilize focused in silico comparative genomics approaches to identify and assess the potential insecticide sensitivity of the major insecticide target sites in the small hive beetle genome. Results: No previously described resistance mutations were identified in any orthologs of insecticide target sites. Alternative exon use and A-to-I RNA editing were absent in AtumSC1. The ryanodine receptor in small hive beetle (Atum_Ryr) was highly conserved and no previously described resistance mutations were identified. A total of 12 nAChR subunits were identified with similar alternative exon use in other insects. Alternative exon use and critical structural features of the GABA-gated chloride channel subunits (Atum_RDL, Atum_GRD, and Atum_LCCH3) were conserved. Five splice variants were found for the glutamate-gated chloride channel subunit. Exon 3c of Atum_ GluCl may be a beetle-specific alternative exon. The co-occurrence of exons 9a and 9b in the pH-sensitive chloride channel (Atum_pHCl) is a unique combination that introduces sites of post-translational modification. The repertoire and alternative exon use for histamine-gated chloride channels (Atum-HisCl), octopamine (Atum_OctR) and tyramine receptors (Atum_TAR) were conserved. Conclusions: The recently published small hive beetle genome likely serves as a reference for insecticidesusceptible versions of insecticide target sites. These comparative in silico studies are the first step in discovering targets that can be exploited for small hive beetle-specific control as well as tracking changes in the frequency of resistance alleles as part of a resistance monitoring program. Comparative toxicity alongside honey bees is required to verify these in silico predictions.

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Susceptibility of small honey bee colonies to invasion by the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida (Coleoptera, Nitidulidae)

Cited by 10 publications

References 10 publications

Behavioral responses of the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, to odors of three meliponine bee species and honey bees, Apis mellifera scutellata

Behavioral responses of the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, to odors of three meliponine bee species and honey bees, Apis mellifera scutellata

Survival, spread and establishment of the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida)

In silico identification and assessment of insecticide target sites in the genome of the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida

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