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Caldas-Garcia GB, Santos VC, Fonseca PLC, de Almeida JPP, Costa MA, Aguiar ERGR. The Viromes of Six Ecosystem Service Provider Parasitoid Wasps. Viruses 2023; 15:2448. [PMID: 38140687 PMCID: PMC10747428 DOI: 10.3390/v15122448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitoid wasps are fundamental insects for the biological control of agricultural pests. Despite the importance of wasps as natural enemies for more sustainable and healthy agriculture, the factors that could impact their species richness, abundance, and fitness, such as viral diseases, remain almost unexplored. Parasitoid wasps have been studied with regard to the endogenization of viral elements and the transmission of endogenous viral proteins that facilitate parasitism. However, circulating viruses are poorly characterized. Here, RNA viromes of six parasitoid wasp species are studied using public libraries of next-generation sequencing through an integrative bioinformatics pipeline. Our analyses led to the identification of 18 viruses classified into 10 families (Iflaviridae, Endornaviridae, Mitoviridae, Partitiviridae, Virgaviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Chuviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Xinmoviridae, and Narnaviridae) and into the Bunyavirales order. Of these, 16 elements were described for the first time. We also found a known virus previously identified on a wasp prey which suggests viral transmission between the insects. Altogether, our results highlight the importance of virus surveillance in wasps as its service disruption can affect ecology, agriculture and pest management, impacting the economy and threatening human food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela B. Caldas-Garcia
- Virus Bioinformatics Laboratory, Centro de Biotecnologia e Genética, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45662-900, Brazil; (G.B.C.-G.); (P.L.C.F.)
| | - Vinícius Castro Santos
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30270-901, Brazil; (V.C.S.); (J.P.P.d.A.)
| | - Paula Luize Camargos Fonseca
- Virus Bioinformatics Laboratory, Centro de Biotecnologia e Genética, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45662-900, Brazil; (G.B.C.-G.); (P.L.C.F.)
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30270-901, Brazil
| | - João Paulo Pereira de Almeida
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30270-901, Brazil; (V.C.S.); (J.P.P.d.A.)
| | - Marco Antônio Costa
- Departament of Biological Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45662-900, Brazil;
| | - Eric Roberto Guimarães Rocha Aguiar
- Virus Bioinformatics Laboratory, Centro de Biotecnologia e Genética, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45662-900, Brazil; (G.B.C.-G.); (P.L.C.F.)
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Farnan H, Yeeles P, Lach L. Sublethal doses of insecticide reduce thermal tolerance of a stingless bee and are not avoided in a resource choice test. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230949. [PMID: 38026031 PMCID: PMC10663796 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Insecticides and climate change are among the multiple stressors that bees face, but little is known about their synergistic effects, especially for non-Apis bee species. In laboratory experiments, we tested whether the stingless bee Tetragonula hockingsi avoids insecticide in sucrose solutions and how T. hockingsi responds to insecticide and heat stress combined. We found that T. hockingsi neither preferred nor avoided sucrose solutions with either low (2.5 × 10-4 ng µl-1 imidacloprid or 1.0 × 10-4 ng µl-1 fipronil) or high (2.5 × 10-3 ng µl-1 imidacloprid or 1.0 × 10-3 ng µl-1 fipronil) insecticide concentrations when offered alongside sucrose without insecticide. In our combined stress experiment, the smallest dose of imidacloprid (7.5 × 10-4 ng) did not significantly affect thermal tolerance (CTmax). However, CTmax significantly reduced by 0.8°C (±0.16 SE) and by 0.5°C (±0.16 SE) when bees were fed as little as 7.5 × 10-3 ng of imidacloprid or 3.0 × 10-4 ng of fipronil, respectively, and as much as 1.5°C (±0.16 SE) and 1.2°C (±0.16 SE) when bees were fed 7.5 × 10-2 ng of imidacloprid or 3.0 × 10-2 ng of fipronil, respectively. Predictions of temperature increase, and increased insecticide use in the tropics suggest that T. hockingsi will be at increased risk of the effects of both stressors in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Farnan
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
| | - Peter Yeeles
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
| | - Lori Lach
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
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3
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Zbrozek M, Fearon ML, Weise C, Tibbetts EA. Honeybee visitation to shared flowers increases Vairimorpha ceranae prevalence in bumblebees. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10528. [PMID: 37736280 PMCID: PMC10511299 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Vairimorpha (=Nosema) ceranae is a widespread pollinator parasite that commonly infects honeybees and wild pollinators, including bumblebees. Honeybees are highly competent V. ceranae hosts and previous work in experimental flight cages suggests V. ceranae can be transmitted during visitation to shared flowers. However, the relationship between floral visitation in the natural environment and the prevalence of V. ceranae among multiple bee species has not been explored. Here, we analyzed the number and duration of pollinator visits to particular components of squash flowers-including the petals, stamen, and nectary-at six farms in southeastern Michigan, USA. We also determined the prevalence of V. ceranae in honeybees and bumblebees at each site. Our results showed that more honeybee flower contacts and longer duration of contacts with pollen and nectar were linked with greater V. ceranae prevalence in bumblebees. Honeybee visitation patterns appear to have a disproportionately large impact on V. ceranae prevalence in bumblebees even though honeybees are not the most frequent flower visitors. Floral visitation by squash bees or other pollinators was not linked with V. ceranae prevalence in bumblebees. Further, V. ceranae prevalence in honeybees was unaffected by floral visitation behaviors by any pollinator species. These results suggest that honeybee visitation behaviors on shared floral resources may be an important contributor to increased V. ceranae spillover to bumblebees in the field. Understanding how V. ceranae prevalence is influenced by pollinator behavior in the shared floral landscape is critical for reducing parasite spillover into declining wild bee populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryellen Zbrozek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Michelle L. Fearon
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Chloe Weise
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Elizabeth A. Tibbetts
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
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4
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Deutsch KR, Graham JR, Boncristiani HF, Bustamante T, Mortensen AN, Schmehl DR, Wedde AE, Lopez DL, Evans JD, Ellis JD. Widespread distribution of honey bee-associated pathogens in native bees and wasps: Trends in pathogen prevalence and co-occurrence. J Invertebr Pathol 2023; 200:107973. [PMID: 37479057 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2023.107973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Pollinators have experienced significant declines in the past decade, in part due to emerging infectious diseases. Historically, studies have primarily focused on pathogens in the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera. However, recent work has demonstrated that these pathogens are shared by other pollinators and can negatively affect their health. Here, we surveyed honey bees and 15 native bee and wasp species for 13 pathogens traditionally associated with honey bees. The native bee and wasp species included 11 species not previously screened for pathogens. We found at least one honey bee-associated pathogen in 53% of native bee and wasp samples. The most widely distributed and commonly detected pathogens were the microsporidian Nosema ceranae, the bacterium Melissococcus plutonius, and the viruses deformed wing virus and black queen cell virus. The prevalence of viruses was generally higher in honey bees than in native bees and wasps. However, the prevalence of M. plutonius and the brood fungus Ascosphaera apis was significantly higher in some native bee species than in honey bees. The data also reveal novel trends in the association between co-occurring pathogens in honey bees and native bees and wasps at the pathogen community level. These results can inform the assessment of risks that native pollinator species face from pathogen stress, and indicate that many non-viral pathogens, notably M. plutonius and N. ceranae, are far more widely distributed and commonly found in native bees and wasps than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jason R Graham
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Planet Bee Foundation, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Humberto F Boncristiani
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Inside The Hive Media, Consulting Inc., Odenton, MD 21113, USA
| | - Tomas Bustamante
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Independent Collaborator, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ashley N Mortensen
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Bisley Road, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand
| | - Daniel R Schmehl
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Bayer CropScience LP, 700 Chesterfield Pwky. W., Chesterfield, MO 63017, USA
| | - Ashlyn E Wedde
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Driscoll's Global R&D, Watsonville, CA, USA
| | - Dawn L Lopez
- Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Jay D Evans
- Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - James D Ellis
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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5
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Tejerina MR, Cabana MJ, Cruz NM, Enríquez PA, Benitez-Ahrendts MR, Fonseca MI. Fungal microbiota isolated from native stingless bee species inhibited pathogens of Apis mellifera. Fungal Biol 2023; 127:1267-1275. [PMID: 37821148 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2023.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Social bees can establish interactions with microorganisms to keep their colonies free of pathogens and parasites by developing different protection strategies. We explored the fungal microbiota isolated from three species of stingless bees, Tetragonisca fiebrigi, Plebeias sp., and Scaptotrigona jujuyensis, and its potential ability to suppress pathogenic microorganisms of A. mellifera, namely Paenibacillus larvae, Ascosphaera apis and Aspergillus flavus, which were tested and evaluated. Six filamentous fungal strains, Trametes hirsuta, Alternaria alternata, Curvularia spicifera, Skeletocutis sp., Alternaria tenuissima, Monascus spp., as well as the yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus, were selected for trials and isolated from the heads of foraging bees. The fungal strains were identified by macroscopic and microscopic taxonomic characteristics and by sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of ribosomal DNA. All fungal strains inhibited these pathogens of A. mellifera. We also evaluated the effect of the secondary metabolites extracted with and without ethanol. Both metabolites showed antimicrobial properties, and our results suggest that fungi isolated from stingless bees produce bioactive compounds with antibacterial and antifungal effects that could be used to treat Apis mellifera colony diseases and maintain colony health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Raúl Tejerina
- Cátedra de Microbiología, Sanidad apícola y Meliponícola, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Alberdi 47, 4600, Jujuy, Argentina; Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas (INECOA)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Avenida Bolivia 1239, Jujuy, Argentina.
| | - María José Cabana
- Cátedra de Microbiología, Sanidad apícola y Meliponícola, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Alberdi 47, 4600, Jujuy, Argentina
| | - Nancy Marina Cruz
- Cátedra de Microbiología, Sanidad apícola y Meliponícola, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Alberdi 47, 4600, Jujuy, Argentina
| | - Pablo Adrián Enríquez
- Cátedra de Microbiología, Sanidad apícola y Meliponícola, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Alberdi 47, 4600, Jujuy, Argentina
| | - Marcelo Rafael Benitez-Ahrendts
- Cátedra de Microbiología, Sanidad apícola y Meliponícola, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Alberdi 47, 4600, Jujuy, Argentina; Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas (INECOA)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Avenida Bolivia 1239, Jujuy, Argentina
| | - María Isabel Fonseca
- Universidad Nacional de Misiones, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Biotecnología "Dra. María Ebe Reca" (INBIOMIS), Laboratorio de Biotecnología Molecular, Misiones, Argentina; CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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6
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Abstract
Stingless bees form perennial colonies of honey-making insects. The >600 species of stingless bees, mainly Neotropical, live throughout tropical latitudes. Foragers influence floral biology, plant reproduction, microbe dispersal, and diverse ecosystem functions. As tropical forest residents since the upper Cretaceous, they have had a long evolutionary history without competition from honey bees. Most stingless bees are smaller than any Apis species and recruit nest mates to resources, while their defense strategies exclude stinging behavior but incorporate biting. Stingless bees have diversified ecologically; excel in nesting site selection and mutualisms with plants, arthropods, and microbes; and display opportunism, including co-opting plant defenses. As their biology becomes better known, applications to human endeavors are imposing selective pressures from exploitation and approaches to conservation that entail colony extraction from wildlands. Although some meliponines can adjust to new conditions, their populations shall require tropical diversity for survival and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Roubik
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panamá;
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7
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Fertility costs of cryptic viral infections in a model social insect. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15857. [PMID: 36151143 PMCID: PMC9508145 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20330-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Declining insect populations emphasize the importance of understanding the drivers underlying reductions in insect fitness. Here, we investigated viruses as a threat to social insect reproduction, using honey bees as a model species. We report that in two independent surveys (N = 93 and N = 54, respectively) of honey bee (Apis mellifera) queens taken from a total of ten beekeeping operations across British Columbia, high levels of natural viral infection are associated with decreased ovary mass. Failed (poor quality) queens displayed higher levels of viral infection, reduced sperm viability, smaller ovaries, and altered ovary protein composition compared to healthy queens. We experimentally infected queens with Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) and found that the ovary masses of IAPV-injected queens were significantly smaller than control queens, demonstrating a causal relationship between viral infection and ovary size. Queens injected with IAPV also had significantly lower expression of vitellogenin, the main source of nutrition deposited into developing oocytes, and higher levels of heat-shock proteins, which are part of the honey bee’s antiviral response. This work together shows that viral infections occurring naturally in the field are compromising queen reproductive success.
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8
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Martínez-López V, Ruiz C, Muñoz I, Ornosa C, Higes M, Martín-Hernández R, De la Rúa P. Detection of Microsporidia in Pollinator Communities of a Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot for Wild Bees. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022; 84:638-642. [PMID: 34585291 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01854-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Insect pollination is crucial for the maintenance of natural and managed ecosystems but the functioning of this ecosystem service is threatened by a worldwide decline of pollinators. Key factors in this situation include the spread and interspecific transmission of pathogens worldwide through the movement of managed pollinators. Research on this field has been mainly conducted in some particular species, while studies assessing the interspecific transmission of pathogens at a community level are scarce. However, this information is pivotal to design strategies to protect pollinators. Herein, we analysed the prevalence of two common microsporidia pathogens of managed honey bees (Nosema ceranae and N. apis) in bee communities of semiarid Mediterranean areas from the Southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. Our results confirm the ability of N. ceranae to disperse across wild bee communities in semiarid Mediterranean ecosystems since it was detected in 36 Apoidea species (39% of the sampling; for the first time in nine genera). The prevalence of the pathogen did not show any phylogenetic signal which suggests a superfamily host range of the pathogen or that wild bees may be acting only as vectors of N. ceranae. In addition, N. apis was detected in an Eucera species, which is the second time it has been detected by molecular techniques in a host other than the honey bee. Our study represents the primary assessment of the prevalence of microsporidia at community level in Mediterranean areas and provides outstanding results on the ability of Nosema pathogens to spread across the landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Martínez-López
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK.
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, University of Murcia, Murcia, 30100, Spain.
| | - Carlos Ruiz
- Department of Animal Biology and Edaphology and Geology, University of La Laguna, San Cristobal de la Laguna, 38200, Spain
| | - Irene Muñoz
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, University of Murcia, Murcia, 30100, Spain
| | - Concepción Ornosa
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - Mariano Higes
- Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental (CIAPA), Honey Bee Pathology Laboratory, Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal (IRIAF), Marchamalo, 19180, Guadalajara, Spain
| | - Raquel Martín-Hernández
- Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental (CIAPA), Honey Bee Pathology Laboratory, Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal (IRIAF), Marchamalo, 19180, Guadalajara, Spain
- Instituto de Recursos Humanos para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (INCRECYT, ESF), Fundación Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Albacete, Albacete, 02006, Spain
| | - Pilar De la Rúa
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, University of Murcia, Murcia, 30100, Spain
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Iwasaki JM, Hogendoorn K. Mounting evidence that managed and introduced bees have negative impacts on wild bees: an updated review. CURRENT RESEARCH IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 2:100043. [PMID: 36003276 PMCID: PMC9387436 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2022.100043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide, the use of managed bees for crop pollination and honey production has increased dramatically. Concerns about the pressures of these increases on native ecosystems has resulted in a recent expansion in the literature on this subject. To collate and update current knowledge, we performed a systematic review of the literature on the effects of managed and introduced bees on native ecosystems, focusing on the effects on wild bees. To enable comparison over time, we used the same search terms and focused on the same impacts as earlier reviews. This review covers: (a) interference and resource competition between introduced or managed bees and native bees; (b) effects of introduced or managed bees on pollination of native plants and weeds; and (c) transmission and infectivity of pathogens; and classifies effects into positive, negative, or neutral. Compared to a 2017 review, we found that the number of papers on this issue has increased by 47%. The highest increase was seen in papers on pathogen spill-over, but in the last five years considerable additional information about competition between managed and wild bees has also become available. Records of negative effects have increased from 53% of papers reporting negative effects in 2017 to 66% at present. The majority of these studies investigated effects on visitation and foraging behaviour. While only a few studies experimentally assessed impacts on wild bee reproductive output, 78% of these demonstrated negative effects. Plant composition and pollination was negatively affected in 7% of studies, and 79% of studies on pathogens reported potential negative effects of managed or introduced bees on wild bees. Taken together, the evidence increasingly suggests that managed and introduced bees negatively affect wild bees, and this knowledge should inform actions to prevent further harm to native ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay M. Iwasaki
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide SA 5064, Australia
| | - Katja Hogendoorn
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide SA 5064, Australia
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10
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Cilia G, Flaminio S, Zavatta L, Ranalli R, Quaranta M, Bortolotti L, Nanetti A. Occurrence of Honey Bee ( Apis mellifera L.) Pathogens in Wild Pollinators in Northern Italy. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:907489. [PMID: 35846743 PMCID: PMC9280159 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.907489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Diseases contribute to the decline of pollinator populations, which may be aggravated by the interspecific transmission of honey bee pests and pathogens. Flowers increase the risk of transmission, as they expose the pollinators to infections during the foraging activity. In this study, both the prevalence and abundance of 21 honey bee pathogens (11 viruses, 4 bacteria, 3 fungi, and 3 trypanosomatids) were assessed in the flower-visiting entomofauna sampled from March to September 2021 in seven sites in the two North-Italian regions, Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont. A total of 1,028 specimens were collected, identified, and analysed. Of the twenty-one pathogens that were searched for, only thirteen were detected. Altogether, the prevalence of the positive individuals reached 63.9%, with Nosema ceranae, deformed wing virus (DWV), and chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) as the most prevalent pathogens. In general, the pathogen abundance averaged 5.15 * 106 copies, with CBPV, N. ceranae, and black queen cell virus (BQCV) as the most abundant pathogens, with 8.63, 1.58, and 0.48 * 107 copies, respectively. All the detected viruses were found to be replicative. The sequence analysis indicated that the same genetic variant was circulating in a specific site or region, suggesting that interspecific transmission events among honey bees and wild pollinators are possible. Frequently, N. ceranae and DWV were found to co-infect the same individual. The circulation of honey bee pathogens in wild pollinators was never investigated before in Italy. Our study resulted in the unprecedented detection of 72 wild pollinator species as potential hosts of honey bee pathogens. Those results encourage the implementation of monitoring actions aiming to improve our understanding of the environmental implications of such interspecific transmission events, which is pivotal to embracing a One Health approach to pollinators' welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Rosa Ranalli
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Bologna, Italy
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11
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Withers AJ, Rice A, de Boer J, Donkersley P, Pearson AJ, Chipabika G, Karangwa P, Uzayisenga B, Mensah BA, Mensah SA, Nkunika POY, Kachigamba D, Smith JA, Jones CM, Wilson K. The distribution of covert microbial natural enemies of a globally invasive crop pest, fall armyworm, in Africa: Enemy release and spillover events. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1826-1841. [PMID: 35678697 PMCID: PMC9544759 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Invasive species pose a significant threat to biodiversity and agriculture world‐wide. Natural enemies play an important part in controlling pest populations, yet we understand very little about the presence and prevalence of natural enemies during the early invasion stages. Microbial natural enemies of fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda are known in its native region, however, they have not yet been identified in Africa where fall armyworm has been an invasive crop pest since 2016. Larval samples were screened from Malawi, Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, Sudan and Ghana for the presence of four different microbial natural enemies; two nucleopolyhedroviruses, Spodoptera frugiperda NPV (SfMNPV) and Spodoptera exempta NPV (SpexNPV); the fungal pathogen Metarhizium rileyi; and the bacterium Wolbachia. This study aimed to identify which microbial pathogens are present in invasive fall armyworm, and determine the geographical, meteorological and temporal variables that influence prevalence. Within 3 years of arrival, fall armyworm was exposed to all four microbial natural enemies. SfMNPV probably arrived with fall armyworm from the Americas, but this is the first putative evidence of host spillover from Spodoptera exempta (African armyworm) to fall armyworm for the endemic pathogen SpexNPV and for Wolbachia. It is also the first confirmed incidence of M. rileyi infecting fall armyworm in Africa. Natural enemies were localised, with variation being observed both nationally and temporally. The prevalence of SfMNPV (the most common natural enemy) was predominantly explained by variables associated with the weather; declining with increasing rainfall and increasing with temperature. However, virus prevalence also increased as the growing season progressed. The infection of an invasive species with a natural enemy from its native range and novel pathogens specific to its new range has important consequences for understanding the population ecology of invasive species and insect–pathogen interactions. Additionally, while it is widely known that temporal and geographic factors affect insect populations, this study reveals that these are important in understanding the distribution of microbial natural enemies associated with invasive pests during the early stages of invasion, and provide baseline data for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy J Withers
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.,Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK
| | - Annabel Rice
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Patrick Karangwa
- Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board, Rubona, Rwanda
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Christopher M Jones
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.,Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Kenneth Wilson
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
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12
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Tehel A, Streicher T, Tragust S, Paxton RJ. Experimental cross species transmission of a major viral pathogen in bees is predominantly from honeybees to bumblebees. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212255. [PMID: 35168401 PMCID: PMC8848241 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cross-species transmission of a pathogen from a reservoir to a recipient host species, spillover, can have major impacts on biodiversity, domestic species and human health. Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a panzootic RNA virus in honeybees that is causal in their elevated colony losses, and several correlative field studies have suggested spillover of DWV from managed honeybees to wild bee species such as bumblebees. Yet unequivocal demonstration of DWV spillover is lacking, while spillback, the transmission of DWV from a recipient back to the reservoir host, is rarely considered. Here, we show in fully crossed laboratory experiments that the transmission of DWV (genotype A) from honeybees to bumblebees occurs readily, yet we neither detected viral transmission from bumblebees to honeybees nor onward transmission from experimentally infected to uninoculated bumblebees. Our results support the potential for viral spillover from honeybees to other bee species in the field when robbing resources from heterospecific nests or when visiting the same flowers. They also underscore the importance of studies on the virulence of DWV in wild bee species so as to evaluate viral impact on individual and population fitness as well as viral adaption to new host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Tehel
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Tabea Streicher
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Simon Tragust
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Robert J. Paxton
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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13
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Santos CF, Acosta AL, Halinski R, Souza‐Santos PD, Borges RC, Gianinni TC, Blochtein B. The widespread trade in stingless beehives may introduce them into novel places and could threaten species. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charles Fernando Santos
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução da Biodiversidade Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Brazil
| | - André Luis Acosta
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de BiociênciasLaboratório de Ecologia de Paisagens e Conservação ‐ LEPACUniversidade de São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - Rosana Halinski
- Escola Politécnica Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Brazil
| | - Patrick Douglas Souza‐Santos
- Departamento de Biologia Laboratório de Biologia do Desenvolvimento de Abelhas Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Brazil
| | - Rafael Cabral Borges
- Instituto Tecnológico Vale Belém Brazil
- Universidade Federal do Pará Belém Brazil
| | | | - Betina Blochtein
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução da Biodiversidade Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Brazil
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14
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Polymorphism of 16s rRNA Gene: Any Effect on the Biomolecular Quantitation of the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L., 1758) Pathogen Nosema ceranae? APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12010422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The microsporidian Nosema ceranae is a severe threat to the western honey bee Apis mellifera, as it is responsible for nosemosis type C, which leads the colonies to dwindle and collapse. Infection quantification is essential to clinical and research aims. Assessment is made often with molecular assays based on rRNA genes, which are present in the N. ceranae genome as multiple and polymorphic copies. This study aims to compare two different methods of Real-Time PCR (qPCR), respectively relying on the 16S rRNA and Hsp70 genes, the first of which is described as a multiple and polymorphic gene. Young worker bees, hatched in the laboratory and artificially inoculated with N. ceranae spores, were incubated at 33 °C and subject to different treatment regimens. Samples were taken post-infection and analyzed with both qPCR methods. Compared to Hsp70, the 16S rRNA method systematically detected higher abundance. Straightforward conversion between the two methods is made impossible by erratic 16s rRNA/Hsp70 ratios. The 16s rRNA polymorphism showed an increase around the inoculated dose, where a higher prevalence of ungerminated spores was expected due to the treatment effects. The possible genetic background of that irregular distribution is discussed in detail. The polymorphic nature of 16S rRNA showed to be a limit in the infection quantification. More reliably, the N. ceranae abundance can be assessed in honey bee samples with methods based on the single-copy gene Hsp70.
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15
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Brettell LE, Martin SJ, Riegler M, Cook JM. Vulnerability of island insect pollinator communities to pathogens. J Invertebr Pathol 2021; 186:107670. [PMID: 34560107 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2021.107670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Island ecosystems, which often contain undescribed insects and small populations of single island endemics, are at risk from diverse threats. The spread of pathogens is a major factor affecting not just pollinator species themselves, but also posing significant knock-on effects to often fragile island ecosystems through disruption of pollination networks. Insects are vulnerable to diverse pathogens and these can be introduced to islands in a number of ways, e.g. via the introduction of infected managed pollinator hosts (e.g. honey bees and their viruses, in particular Deformed wing virus), long-range migrants (e.g. monarch butterflies and their protozoan parasite, Ophryocystit elektroscirrha) and invasive species (e.g. social wasps are common invaders and are frequently infected with multi-host viruses such as Kashmir bee virus and Moku virus). Furthermore, these introductions can negatively affect island ecosystems through outcompeting native taxa for resources. As such, the greatest threat to island pollinator communities is not one particular pathogen, but the combination of pathogens and introduced and invasive insects that will likely carry them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Brettell
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia; Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place L3 5QA, UK.
| | - Stephen J Martin
- School of Environment and life Sciences, University of Salford, Manchester M5 4WT, UK
| | - Markus Riegler
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
| | - James M Cook
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
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16
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Nanetti A, Bortolotti L, Cilia G. Pathogens Spillover from Honey Bees to Other Arthropods. Pathogens 2021; 10:1044. [PMID: 34451508 PMCID: PMC8400633 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10081044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bees, and pollinators in general, play a major role in the health of ecosystems. There is a consensus about the steady decrease in pollinator populations, which raises global ecological concern. Several drivers are implicated in this threat. Among them, honey bee pathogens are transmitted to other arthropods populations, including wild and managed pollinators. The western honey bee, Apis mellifera, is quasi-globally spread. This successful species acted as and, in some cases, became a maintenance host for pathogens. This systematic review collects and summarizes spillover cases having in common Apis mellifera as the mainteinance host and some of its pathogens. The reports are grouped by final host species and condition, year, and geographic area of detection and the co-occurrence in the same host. A total of eighty-one articles in the time frame 1960-2021 were included. The reported spillover cases cover a wide range of hymenopteran host species, generally living in close contact with or sharing the same environmental resources as the honey bees. They also involve non-hymenopteran arthropods, like spiders and roaches, which are either likely or unlikely to live in close proximity to honey bees. Specific studies should consider host-dependent pathogen modifications and effects on involved host species. Both the plasticity of bee pathogens and the ecological consequences of spillover suggest a holistic approach to bee health and the implementation of a One Health approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Bortolotti
- Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics Analysis, Centre for Agriculture and Environment Research (CREA-AA), Via di Saliceto 80, 40128 Bologna, Italy; (A.N.); (G.C.)
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17
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Betti M, Shaw K. A Multi-Scale Model of Disease Transfer in Honey Bee Colonies. INSECTS 2021; 12:700. [PMID: 34442266 PMCID: PMC8396591 DOI: 10.3390/insects12080700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Inter-colony disease transfer poses a serious hurdle to successfully managing healthy honeybee colonies. In this study, we build a multi-scale model of two interacting honey bee colonies. The model considers the effects of forager and drone drift, guarding behaviour, and resource robbing of dying colonies on the spread of disease between colonies. Our results show that when drifting is high, disease can spread rapidly between colonies, that guarding behaviour needs to be particularly efficient to be effective, and that for dense apiaries drifting is of greater concern than robbing. We show that while disease can put an individual colony at greater risk, drifting can help less the burden of disease in a colony. We posit some evolutionary questions that come from this study that can be addressed with this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Betti
- Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB E4L 1E2, Canada
| | - Karalyne Shaw
- Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS B3H 3C3, Canada;
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18
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Agroecological Strategies to Safeguard Insect Pollinators in Biodiversity Hotspots: Chile as a Case Study. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13126728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Industrial agriculture (IA) has been recognized among the main drivers of biodiversity loss, climate change, and native pollinator decline. Here we summarize the known negative effects of IA on pollinator biodiversity and illustrate these problems by considering the case of Chile, a “world biodiversity hotspot” (WBH) where food exports account for a considerable share of the economy in this country. Most of Chile’s WBH area is currently being replaced by IA at a fast pace, threatening local biodiversity. We present an agroecological strategy for sustainable food production and pollinator conservation in food-producing WBHs. In this we recognize native pollinators as internal inputs that cannot be replaced by IA technological packages and support the development of agroecological and biodiversity restorative practices to protect biodiversity. We suggest four fundamental pillars for food production change based on: (1) sharing the land, restoring and protecting; (2) ecological intensification; (3) localized knowledge, research, and technological development; and (4) territorial planning and implementation of socio-agroecological policies. This approach does not need modification of native pollination services that sustain the world with food and basic subsistence goods, but a paradigm change where the interdependency of nature and human wellbeing must be recognized for ensuring the world’s food security and sovereignty.
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19
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Proesmans W, Albrecht M, Gajda A, Neumann P, Paxton RJ, Pioz M, Polzin C, Schweiger O, Settele J, Szentgyörgyi H, Thulke HH, Vanbergen AJ. Pathways for Novel Epidemiology: Plant-Pollinator-Pathogen Networks and Global Change. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:623-636. [PMID: 33865639 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Multiple global change pressures, and their interplay, cause plant-pollinator extinctions and modify species assemblages and interactions. This may alter the risks of pathogen host shifts, intra- or interspecific pathogen spread, and emergence of novel population or community epidemics. Flowers are hubs for pathogen transmission. Consequently, the structure of plant-pollinator interaction networks may be pivotal in pathogen host shifts and modulating disease dynamics. Traits of plants, pollinators, and pathogens may also govern the interspecific spread of pathogens. Pathogen spillover-spillback between managed and wild pollinators risks driving the evolution of virulence and community epidemics. Understanding this interplay between host-pathogen dynamics and global change will be crucial to predicting impacts on pollinators and pollination underpinning ecosystems and human wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem Proesmans
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRAE, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France.
| | | | - Anna Gajda
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology and Veterinary Diagnostics, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Robert J Paxton
- General Zoology, Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Maryline Pioz
- Abeilles et Environnement, INRAE, 84140 Avignon, France
| | - Christine Polzin
- Department of Environmental Politics, UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Oliver Schweiger
- UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Josef Settele
- UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany; iDiv, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines, 4031 Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Hajnalka Szentgyörgyi
- Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Hans-Hermann Thulke
- Department of Ecological Modelling, UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04138 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Adam J Vanbergen
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRAE, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France.
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20
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Adler LS, Irwin RE, McArt SH, Vannette RL. Floral traits affecting the transmission of beneficial and pathogenic pollinator-associated microbes. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 44:1-7. [PMID: 32866657 PMCID: PMC7914268 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Flowers provide resources for pollinators, and can also be transmission venues for beneficial or pathogenic pollinator-associated microbes. Floral traits could mediate transmission similarly for beneficial and pathogenic microbes, although some beneficial microbes can grow in flowers while pathogenic microbes may only survive until acquired by a new host. In spite of conceptual similarities, research on beneficial and pathogenic pollinator-associated microbes has progressed mostly independently. Recent advances demonstrate that floral traits are associated with transmission of beneficial and pathogenic microbes, with consequences for pollinator populations and communities. However, there is a near-absence of experimental manipulations of floral traits to determine causal effects on transmission, and a need to understand how floral, microbe and host traits interact to mediate transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn S Adler
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 221 Morrill Science Center, 611 N. Pleasant St., Amherst MA 01002 USA.
| | - Rebecca E Irwin
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, 127 David Clark Labs, 100 Eugene Brooks Ave., Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
| | - Scott H McArt
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 4132 Comstock Hall, 129 Garden Ave., Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Rachel L Vannette
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, 43 Briggs Hall, Davis CA 95616 USA
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21
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Gómez-Moracho T, Durand T, Pasquaretta C, Heeb P, Lihoreau M. Artificial Diets Modulate Infection Rates by Nosema ceranae in Bumblebees. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9010158. [PMID: 33445614 PMCID: PMC7827189 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9010158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites alter the physiology and behaviour of their hosts. In domestic honey bees, the microsporidia Nosema ceranae induces energetic stress that impairs the behaviour of foragers, potentially leading to colony collapse. Whether this parasite similarly affects wild pollinators is little understood because of the low success rates of experimental infection protocols. Here, we present a new approach for infecting bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) with controlled amounts of N. ceranae by briefly exposing individual bumblebees to parasite spores before feeding them with artificial diets. We validated our protocol by testing the effect of two spore dosages and two diets varying in their protein to carbohydrate ratio on the prevalence of the parasite (proportion of PCR-positive bumblebees), the intensity of parasites (spore count in the gut and the faeces), and the survival of bumblebees. Overall, insects fed a low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet showed the highest parasite prevalence (up to 70%) but lived the longest, suggesting that immunity and survival are maximised at different protein to carbohydrate ratios. Spore dosage did not affect parasite infection rate and host survival. The identification of experimental conditions for successfully infecting bumblebees with N. ceranae in the lab will facilitate future investigations of the sub-lethal effects of this parasite on the behaviour and cognition of wild pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Gómez-Moracho
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France; (T.D.); (C.P.); (M.L.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Tristan Durand
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France; (T.D.); (C.P.); (M.L.)
| | - Cristian Pasquaretta
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France; (T.D.); (C.P.); (M.L.)
| | - Philipp Heeb
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, UMR 5174 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paul Sabatier, ENSFEA, 31062 Toulouse, France;
| | - Mathieu Lihoreau
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France; (T.D.); (C.P.); (M.L.)
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22
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Nosema ceranae causes cellular immunosuppression and interacts with thiamethoxam to increase mortality in the stingless bee Melipona colimana. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17021. [PMID: 33046792 PMCID: PMC7550335 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74209-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae and neonicotinoid insecticides affect the health of honey bees (Apis mellifera). However, there is limited information about the effect of these stressors on other pollinators such as stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponini). We examined the separate and combined effects of N. ceranae and the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam at field-exposure levels on the survivorship and cellular immunity (hemocyte concentration) of the stingless bee Melipona colimana. Newly-emerged bees were subjected to four treatments provided in sucrose syrup: N. ceranae spores, thiamethoxam, thiamethoxam and N. ceranae, and control (bees receiving only syrup). N. ceranae developed infections of > 467,000 spores/bee in the group treated with spores only. However, in the bees subjected to both stressors, infections were < 143,000 spores/bee, likely due to an inhibitory effect of thiamethoxam on the microsporidium. N. ceranae infections did not affect bee survivorship, but thiamethoxam plus N. ceranae significantly increased mortality. Hemocyte counts were significantly lower in N. ceranae infected-bees than in the other treatments. These results suggest that N. ceranae may infect, proliferate and cause cellular immunosuppression in stingless bees, that exposure to sublethal thiamethoxam concentrations is toxic to M. colimana when infected with N. ceranae, and that thiamethoxam restrains N. ceranae proliferation. These findings have implications on pollinators' conservation.
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23
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Ngor L, Palmer-Young EC, Burciaga Nevarez R, Russell KA, Leger L, Giacomini SJ, Pinilla-Gallego MS, Irwin RE, McFrederick QS. Cross-infectivity of honey and bumble bee-associated parasites across three bee families. Parasitology 2020; 147:1290-1304. [PMID: 32616082 PMCID: PMC7477370 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182020001018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Recent declines of wild pollinators and infections in honey, bumble and other bee species have raised concerns about pathogen spillover from managed honey and bumble bees to other pollinators. Parasites of honey and bumble bees include trypanosomatids and microsporidia that often exhibit low host specificity, suggesting potential for spillover to co-occurring bees via shared floral resources. However, experimental tests of trypanosomatid and microsporidial cross-infectivity outside of managed honey and bumble bees are scarce. To characterize potential cross-infectivity of honey and bumble bee-associated parasites, we inoculated three trypanosomatids and one microsporidian into five potential hosts - including four managed species - from the apid, halictid and megachilid bee families. We found evidence of cross-infection by the trypanosomatids Crithidia bombi and C. mellificae, with evidence for replication in 3/5 and 3/4 host species, respectively. These include the first reports of experimental C. bombi infection in Megachile rotundata and Osmia lignaria, and C. mellificae infection in O. lignaria and Halictus ligatus. Although inability to control amounts inoculated in O. lignaria and H. ligatus hindered estimates of parasite replication, our findings suggest a broad host range in these trypanosomatids, and underscore the need to quantify disease-mediated threats of managed social bees to sympatric pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyna Ngor
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Evan C. Palmer-Young
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | | | - Kaleigh A. Russell
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Laura Leger
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Sara June Giacomini
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | | | - Rebecca E. Irwin
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Quinn S. McFrederick
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
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24
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Cilia G, Garrido C, Bonetto M, Tesoriero D, Nanetti A. Effect of Api-Bioxal ® and ApiHerb ® Treatments against Nosema ceranae Infection in Apis mellifera Investigated by Two qPCR Methods. Vet Sci 2020; 7:vetsci7030125. [PMID: 32899611 PMCID: PMC7558000 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci7030125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Nosema ceranae is a worldwide distributed midgut parasite of western honey bees, leading to dwindling colonies and their collapse. As a treatment, only fumagillin is available, causing issues like resistance and hampered bee physiology. This study aimed to evaluate ApiHerb® and Api-Bioxal® as treatments against N. ceranae. The efficacy was tested using two qPCR methods based on the 16S rRNA and Hsp70 genes. In addition, these methods were compared for their aptitude for the quantification of the infection. For this, 19 colonies were selected based on the presence of N. ceranae infections. The colonies were divided into three groups: treated with ApiHerb, Api-Bioxal with previous queen caging and an untreated control. All colonies were sampled pre- and post-treatment. The bees were analyzed individually and in duplicate with both qPCR methods. All bees in the pre-treatment tested positive for N. ceranae. Both treatments reduced the abundance of N. ceranae, but ApiHerb also decreased the prevalence of infected bees. Analysis with the 16S rRNA method resulted in several orders of magnitude more copies than analysis with the Hsp70 method. We conclude that both products are suitable candidates for N. ceranae treatment. From our analysis, the qPCR method based on the Hsp70 gene results as more apt for the exact quantification of N. ceranae as is needed for the development of veterinary medicinal products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Cilia
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Saliceto 80, 40128 Bologna, Italy; (M.B.); (D.T.); (A.N.)
| | - Claudia Garrido
- BeeSafe-Bee Health Consulting for Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, 59071 Hamm, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Martina Bonetto
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Saliceto 80, 40128 Bologna, Italy; (M.B.); (D.T.); (A.N.)
| | - Donato Tesoriero
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Saliceto 80, 40128 Bologna, Italy; (M.B.); (D.T.); (A.N.)
| | - Antonio Nanetti
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Saliceto 80, 40128 Bologna, Italy; (M.B.); (D.T.); (A.N.)
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25
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Tehel A, Streicher T, Tragust S, Paxton RJ. Experimental infection of bumblebees with honeybee-associated viruses: no direct fitness costs but potential future threats to novel wild bee hosts. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:200480. [PMID: 32874644 PMCID: PMC7428241 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Pathogen spillover represents an important cause of biodiversity decline. For wild bee species such as bumblebees, many of which are in decline, correlational data point towards viral spillover from managed honeybees as a potential cause. Yet, impacts of these viruses on wild bees are rarely evaluated. Here, in a series of highly controlled laboratory infection assays with well-characterized viral inocula, we show that three viral types isolated from honeybees (deformed wing virus genotype A, deformed wing virus genotype B and black queen cell virus) readily replicate within hosts of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris. Impacts of these honeybee-derived viruses - either injected or fed - on the mortality of B. terrestris workers were, however, negligible and probably dependent on host condition. Our results highlight the potential threat of viral spillover from honeybees to novel wild bee species, though they also underscore the importance of additional studies on this and other wild bee species under field-realistic conditions to evaluate whether pathogen spillover has a negative impact on wild bee individuals and population fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Tehel
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Tabea Streicher
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Simon Tragust
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Robert J. Paxton
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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26
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European Foulbrood in stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) in Brazil: Old disease, renewed threat. J Invertebr Pathol 2020; 172:107357. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2020.107357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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27
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Guimarães-Cestaro L, Martins MF, Martínez LC, Alves MLTMF, Guidugli-Lazzarini KR, Nocelli RCF, Malaspina O, Serrão JE, Teixeira ÉW. Occurrence of virus, microsporidia, and pesticide residues in three species of stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) in the field. Naturwissenschaften 2020; 107:16. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-020-1670-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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28
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Occurrence of honey bee-associated pathogens in Varroa-free pollinator communities. J Invertebr Pathol 2020; 171:107344. [PMID: 32081716 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2020.107344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Australia remains the last significant land mass free of Varroa, a parasitic mite which has caused dramatic honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony losses across the globe, due to its association with the pathogenic deformed wing virus (DWV). As such, Australia continues to maintain relatively healthy honey bee populations, despite recent work showing apiaries harbor a surprisingly high prevalence of microbial pathogens. We sought to determine the prevalence of these microbial pathogens in honey bees and native pollinators actively co-foraging on mass flowering crops and to understand the extent to which they may be shared between taxa. We found high prevalences of black queen cell virus (BQCV) and sacbrood virus (SBV) in the honey bees (88% and 41% respectively), and correspondingly, these were the most common honey bee pathogens detected in native pollinator taxa, albeit at much lower prevalence; the maximum prevalence for any pathogen in a native pollinator group was 24% (BQCV in Halictidae spp.). The viral pathogens Israeli acute paralysis virus and Lake Sinai viruses 1 and 2, and the fungal parasites Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae, were only rarely detected. Phylogenetic analyses of the most common pathogens revealed similar genotypes circulating between species. Our data suggest that, in Australian orchards, pathogen prevalence in honey bees is a good predictor of pathogen prevalence in native pollinators, which raises concerns about how the viral landscape may change in native taxa if, or when, Varroa arrives.
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29
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Bailes EJ, Bagi J, Coltman J, Fountain MT, Wilfert L, Brown MJF. Host density drives viral, but not trypanosome, transmission in a key pollinator. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20191969. [PMID: 31910787 PMCID: PMC7003466 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Supplemental feeding of wildlife populations can locally increase the density of individuals, which may in turn impact disease dynamics. Flower strips are a widely used intervention in intensive agricultural systems to nutritionally support pollinators such as bees. Using a controlled experimental semi-field design, we asked how density impacts transmission of a virus and a trypanosome parasite in bumblebees. We manipulated bumblebee density by using different numbers of colonies within the same area of floral resource. In high-density compartments, slow bee paralysis virus was transmitted more quickly, resulting in higher prevalence and level of infection in bumblebee hosts. By contrast, there was no impact of density on the transmission of the trypanosome Crithidia bombi, which may reflect the ease with which this parasite is transmitted. These results suggest that agri-environment schemes such as flower strips, which are known to enhance the nutrition and survival of bumblebees, may also have negative impacts on pollinators through enhanced disease transmission. Future studies should assess how changing the design of these schemes could minimize disease transmission and thus maximise their health benefits to wild pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Bailes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Bourne Building, Egham TW20 0EX, UK.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Judit Bagi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Bourne Building, Egham TW20 0EX, UK.,Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, UK
| | - Jake Coltman
- Expedia Group, Angel Building, 407 St John Street, London EC1V 4AD, UK
| | | | - Lena Wilfert
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm, Germany
| | - Mark J F Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Bourne Building, Egham TW20 0EX, UK
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30
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Tapia-González JM, Morfin N, Macías-Macías JO, De la Mora A, Tapia-Rivera JC, Ayala R, Contreras-Escareño F, Gashout HA, Guzman-Novoa E. Evidence of presence and replication of honey bee viruses among wild bee pollinators in subtropical environments. J Invertebr Pathol 2019; 168:107256. [PMID: 31614126 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2019.107256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
We determined the presence of six viruses in different bee species collected in subtropical environments. Deformed wing virus (DWV) and black queen cell virus (BQCV) were detected in >90% of honey bee samples and in 50-100% of four stingless bee, two bumble bee and one solitary bee species. Additionally, minus DWV and BQCV RNA strands were detected, indicating that the viruses replicate in several hosts. This is the first report of honey bee viruses replicating in six wild bee species in the tropics. If pathogenic to them, viral infections could result in negative impacts in agricultural and unmanaged ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Tapia-González
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Naturaleza, Centro Universitario del Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Av. Enrique Arreola Silva No. 883, Cd. Guzman, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Nuria Morfin
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - José O Macías-Macías
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Naturaleza, Centro Universitario del Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Av. Enrique Arreola Silva No. 883, Cd. Guzman, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Alvaro De la Mora
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - José C Tapia-Rivera
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Naturaleza, Centro Universitario del Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Av. Enrique Arreola Silva No. 883, Cd. Guzman, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Ricardo Ayala
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 21, Sn. Patricio, Jal., Mexico
| | - Francisca Contreras-Escareño
- Departamento de Producción Agrícola, Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Avenida Independencia Nacional No. 161, Autlan, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Hanan A Gashout
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Ernesto Guzman-Novoa
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Naturaleza, Centro Universitario del Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Av. Enrique Arreola Silva No. 883, Cd. Guzman, Jalisco, Mexico; School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
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31
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Alger SA, Burnham PA, Brody AK. Flowers as viral hot spots: Honey bees (Apis mellifera) unevenly deposit viruses across plant species. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221800. [PMID: 31532764 PMCID: PMC6750573 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA viruses, once considered specific to honey bees, are suspected of spilling over from managed bees into wild pollinators; however, transmission routes are largely unknown. A widely accepted yet untested hypothesis states that flowers serve as bridges in the transmission of viruses between bees. Here, using a series of controlled experiments with captive bee colonies, we examined the role of flowers in bee virus transmission. We first examined if honey bees deposit viruses on flowers and whether bumble bees become infected after visiting contaminated flowers. We then examined whether plant species differ in their propensity to harbor viruses and if bee visitation rates increase the likelihood of virus deposition on flowers. Our experiment demonstrated, for the first time, that honey bees deposit viruses on flowers. However, the two viruses we examined, black queen cell virus (BQCV) and deformed wing virus (DWV), were not equally distributed across plant species, suggesting that differences in floral traits, virus ecology and/or foraging behavior may mediate the likelihood of deposition. Bumble bees did not become infected after visiting flowers previously visited by honey bees suggesting that transmission via flowers may be a rare occurrence and contingent on multiplicative factors and probabilities such as infectivity of virus strain across bee species, immunocompetence, virus virulence, virus load, and the probability a bumble bee will contact a virus particle on a flower. Our study is among the first to experimentally examine the role of flowers in bee virus transmission and uncovers promising avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha A. Alger
- Biology Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - P. Alexander Burnham
- Biology Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Alison K. Brody
- Biology Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
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