1
|
Boonmee T, Sinpoo C, Wongthaveethong L, Disayathanoowat T, Suanpoot P, Pettis JS, Chaimanee V. Properties of essential oils absorbed on the surface of cardboard pieces after using atmospheric-pressure plasma treatments to develop long-lasting Varroa miticides in honeybees (Apis mellifera). PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297980. [PMID: 38329992 PMCID: PMC10852235 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor is the most serious widespread pest of managed honeybees (Apis mellifera). Several acaricide products, which include essential oils, have been proposed for mite control. In this study, we aimed to apply atmospheric-pressure plasma to modify a cardboard piece surface in order to prolong the delivery of essential oils for controlling Varroa in honeybee colonies. Absorption capacity, release rates and evaporation rates of essential oils were determined. Cardboard piece showed a higher absorption capacity of cinnamon compared to citronella and clove. Surface modification of cardboard pieces using argon plasma at different gas flow rates and treatment durations, significantly affected the absorption of clove oil. Additionally, the release rate of cinnamon, citronella and clove was significantly enhanced after argon plasma treatments. Evaporation of cinnamon was dramatically increased by plasma treatment at 6-h of incubation. The highest evaporation rate was obtained by plasma-treated cardboard piece at a gas flow rate of 0.5 Lpm for 60 s (0.2175 ± 0.0148 μl/g•h). Efficiency of plasma-treated cardboard piece, impregnated with essential oils, was also investigated for Varroa control in honeybee colonies. In the first experiment, formic acid 65% (v/v) showed the highest efficiency of 90.60% and 81.59% with the percent of mite infestation was 0.23 ± 0.13% and 0.47 ± 0.19% at 21 and 35 days, respectively after treatment. The efficacy of cardamon oil (5% (v/v)) delivered using plasma-treated cardboard pieces was 57.71% (0.70 ± 0.16% of mite infestation) at day 21 of experiment. However, the delivery of cardamon oil at the concentration of 1% and 5% (v/v) by untreated cardboard piece had 16.93% and 24.05% of efficacy to control mites. In the 2nd experiment, the application of plasma-treated cardboard pieces impregnated with 5% (v/v) clove oil induced a 38.10% reduction in the population of Varroa mites followed by 5% (v/v) of cardamon with 30% efficiency. Although, the infestation rate of Varroa in colonies was not significant different between treatments, essential oils delivered using plasma-treated cardboard pieces tended to decrease Varroa population in the treated colonies. Hence, atmospheric-pressure plasma for the modification of other materials, should be further investigated to provide alternative control treatment applications against honeybee mites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thummanoon Boonmee
- Department of Agro-Industrial Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Phrae, Thailand
| | - Chainarong Sinpoo
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Office of Research Administration, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Research Center of Deep Technology in Beekeeping and Bee Products for Sustainable Development Goals (SMART BEE SDGs), Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | | | - Terd Disayathanoowat
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Research Center of Deep Technology in Beekeeping and Bee Products for Sustainable Development Goals (SMART BEE SDGs), Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Pradoong Suanpoot
- Department of Forest Industry Technology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Phrae, Thailand
| | - Jeffery S. Pettis
- Pettis and Assoc. LLC, Salisbury, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Veeranan Chaimanee
- Department of Agro-Industrial Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Phrae, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Boonmee T, Sinpoo C, Thayatham K, Suanpoot P, Disayathanoowat T, Pettis JS, Chaimanee V. Atmospheric non-thermal plasma inactivation of Ascosphaera apis, the causative agent of chalkbrood disease in honeybee. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1831. [PMID: 38246935 PMCID: PMC10800336 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52221-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Ascosphaera apis is a worldwide pathogenic fungi of honeybees that can cause a decline in bee populations. In this study, we investigated the antifungal activity of non-thermal plasma on fungal growth. Spore inactivation after exposure to gas plasma by liquid phase and plasma activated water (PAW) and pathogenicity of A. apis in vivo were also examined. The results demonstrated that the mycelial growth of fungi was completely inhibited after argon plasma treatment. Both gas plasma and PAW exposures resulted in a significant decrease of A. apis spore numbers, maximum reduction of 1.71 and 3.18-fold, respectively. Germinated fungal spores on potato dextrose agar were also reduced after plasma treatment. SEM analysis revealed a disruption in the morphological structure of the fungal spores. The pathogenicity of A. apis on honeybee larvae was decreased after spores treated by gas plasma and PAW with a disease inhibition of 63.61 ± 7.28% and 58.27 ± 5.87%, respectively after 7 days of cultivation. Chalkbrood in honey bees have limited control options and our findings are encouraging. Here, we demonstrate a possible alternative control method using non-thermal plasma for chalkbrood disease in honeybees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thummanoon Boonmee
- Department of Agro-Industrial Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Phrae, 54140, Thailand
| | - Chainarong Sinpoo
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
- Office of Research Administration, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
- Research Center of Deep Technology in Beekeeping and Bee Products for Sustainable Development Goals (SMART BEE SDGs), Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Kunlada Thayatham
- Department of Agro-Industrial Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Phrae, 54140, Thailand
| | - Pradoong Suanpoot
- Department of Forest Industry Technology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Phrae, 54140, Thailand
| | - Terd Disayathanoowat
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
- Research Center of Deep Technology in Beekeeping and Bee Products for Sustainable Development Goals (SMART BEE SDGs), Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | | | - Veeranan Chaimanee
- Department of Agro-Industrial Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Phrae, 54140, Thailand.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Phokasem P, Sinpoo C, Attasopa K, Krongdang S, Chantaphanwattana T, Ling TC, Pettis JS, Chantawannakul P, Chaimanee V, Disayathanoowat T. Preliminary Survey of Pathogens in the Asian Honey Bee ( Apis cerana) in Thailand. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13020438. [PMID: 36836795 PMCID: PMC9965378 DOI: 10.3390/life13020438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Widespread parasites, along with emerging threats, globalization, and climate change, have greatly affected honey bees' health, leading to colony losses worldwide. In this study, we investigated the detection of biotic stressors (i.e., viruses, microsporidian, bacteria, and fungi) in Apis cerana by surveying the colonies across different regions of Thailand (Chiang Mai in the north, Nong Khai and Khon Kaen in the northeast, and Chumphon and Surat Thani in the south, in addition to the Samui and Pha-ngan islands). In this study, we detected ABPV, BQCV, LSV, and Nosema ceranae in A. cerana samples through RT-PCR. ABPV was only detected from the samples of Chiang Mai, whereas we found BQCV only in those from Chumphon. LSV was detected only in the samples from the Samui and Pha-ngan islands, where historically no managed bees are known. Nosema ceranae was found in all of the regions except for Nong Khai and Khon Kaen in northeastern Thailand. Paenibacillus larvae and Ascosphaera apis were not detected in any of the A. cerana samples in this survey. The phylogenetic tree analysis of the pathogens provided insights into the pathogens' movements and their distribution ranges across different landscapes, indicating the flow of pathogens among the honey bees. Here, we describe the presence of emerging pathogens in the Asian honey bee as a valuable step in our understanding of these pathogens in terms of the decline in eastern honey bee populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patcharin Phokasem
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Environmental Science Research Center, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Chainarong Sinpoo
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Korrawat Attasopa
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Sasiprapa Krongdang
- Faculty of Science and Social Sciences, Burapha University Sa Kaeo Campus, Sa Kaeo 27160, Thailand
| | - Thunyarat Chantaphanwattana
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Tial C. Ling
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | | | - Panuwan Chantawannakul
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Environmental Science Research Center, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Veeranan Chaimanee
- Department of Agro-Industrial Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Phrae 54140, Thailand
- Correspondence: (V.C.); (T.D.); Tel.: +66-871744049 (V.C.); +66-817249624 (T.D.)
| | - Terd Disayathanoowat
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Correspondence: (V.C.); (T.D.); Tel.: +66-871744049 (V.C.); +66-817249624 (T.D.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chaimanee V, Kasem A, Nuanjohn T, Boonmee T, Siangsuepchart A, Malaithong W, Sinpoo C, Disayathanoowat T, Pettis JS. Natural extracts as potential control agents for Nosema ceranae infection in honeybees, Apis mellifera. J Invertebr Pathol 2021; 186:107688. [PMID: 34728218 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2021.107688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Nosema disease is one factor that can cause colony decline in honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) worldwide. Nosema ceranae has outcompeted Nosema apis in the Western honeybee (A. mellifera) which is its original host. Fumagilin is an effective antibiotic treatment to control Nosema infection but currently it is forbidden in many countries. In this study, 12 plant extracts were evaluated for their toxicity to adult bees and antimicrosporidian activity under laboratory and field conditions. N. ceranae-infected adult bees were fed ad libitum with 50% sucrose solution containing 1% and 5% (w/v) of each plant extract. Bee mortality in N. ceranae-infected groups fed with plant extracts was higher than that in the control group treated with fumagilin. The results demonstrated that 9 of 12 extracts had high antimicrosporidian activity against N. ceranae and their efficacies were comparable to fumagilin. Spore reduction in infected bees was 4-6 fold less after extract treatment. Following laboratory screening, Annona squamosa, Ocimum basilicum, Psidium guajava and Syzygium jambos were tested in honeybee colonies. Plant extracts of 2% concentration (w/v) inhibited the development of Nosema spores after 30 days of treatment. At the end of experiment (90 days), spores in the plant extract treated groups were lower than in group treated with fumagilin but there was no significant difference. Although, extracts tested in this study showed high toxicity to bee in laboratory cages, they did not show negative affects on bees under whole colony conditions. Therefore, the effectiveness of plant extracts tested in this study was notable and warrants further study as potential Nosema control agents in honey bees. Plant extracts would offer a non-antibiotic alternative for Nosema control and help reduce the overuse of antibiotics in livestock.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Veeranan Chaimanee
- Department of Agro-Industrial Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Rong Kwang, Phrae 54140, Thailand.
| | - Aticha Kasem
- Department of Agro-Industrial Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Rong Kwang, Phrae 54140, Thailand
| | - Tananya Nuanjohn
- Department of Agro-Industrial Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Rong Kwang, Phrae 54140, Thailand
| | - Thummanoon Boonmee
- Department of Agro-Industrial Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Rong Kwang, Phrae 54140, Thailand
| | - Apiradee Siangsuepchart
- Department of Agro-Industrial Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Rong Kwang, Phrae 54140, Thailand
| | - Worasin Malaithong
- Department of Animal Production, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Rong Kwang, Phrae 54140, Thailand
| | - Chainarong Sinpoo
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Terd Disayathanoowat
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
McAfee A, Milone J, Chapman A, Foster LJ, Pettis JS, Tarpy DR. Candidate stress biomarkers for queen failure diagnostics. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:571. [PMID: 32819278 PMCID: PMC7441638 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-06992-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Queen failure is a persistent problem in beekeeping operations, but in the absence of overt symptoms it is often difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain the root cause. Stressors like heat-shock, cold-shock, and sublethal pesticide exposure can reduce stored sperm viability and lead to cryptic queen failure. Previously, we suggested candidate protein markers indicating heat-shock in queens. Here, we further investigate these heat-shock markers and test new stressors to identify additional candidate protein markers. Results We found that heat-shocking queens for upwards of 1 h at 40 °C was necessary to induce significant changes in the two strongest candidate heat-shock markers, and that relative humidity significantly influenced the degree of activation. In blind heat-shock experiments, we tested the efficiency of these markers at assigning queens to their respective treatment groups and found that one marker was sufficient to correctly assign queens 75% of the time. Finally, we compared cold-shocked queens at 4 °C and pesticide-exposed queens to controls to identify candidate markers for these additional stressors, and compared relative abundances of all markers to queens designated as ‘healthy’ and ‘failing’ by beekeepers. Queens that failed in the field had higher expression of both heat-shock and pesticide protein markers, but not cold-shock markers. Conclusions This work offers some of the first steps towards developing molecular diagnostic tools to aid in determining cryptic causes of queen failure. Further work will be necessary to determine how long after the stress event a marker’s expression remains elevated, and how accurate these markers will be for field diagnoses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alison McAfee
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Joseph Milone
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Abigail Chapman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Leonard J Foster
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - David R Tarpy
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yongsawas R, Chaimanee V, Pettis JS, Boncristiani Junior HF, Lopez D, In-on A, Chantawannakul P, Disayathanoowat T. Impact of Sacbrood Virus on Larval Microbiome of Apis mellifera and Apis cerana. Insects 2020; 11:insects11070439. [PMID: 32668740 PMCID: PMC7411915 DOI: 10.3390/insects11070439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we examined the impact of Sacbrood virus (SBV), the cause of larval honeybee (Apis mellifera) death, producing a liquefied a larva sac, on the gut bacterial communities on two larval honeybee species, Apis mellifera and Apis cerana. SBV was added into a worker jelly food mixture and bee larvae were grafted into each of the treatment groups for 24 h before DNA/RNA extraction. Confirmation of SBV infection was achieved using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and visual symptomology. The 16S rDNA was sequenced by Illumina sequencing. The results showed the larvae were infected with SBV. The gut communities of infected A. cerana larvae exhibited a dramatic change compared with A. mellifera. In A. mellifera larvae, the Illumina sequencing revealed the proportion of Gilliamella, Snodgrassella and Fructobacillus was not significantly different, whereas in A. cerana, Gilliamella was significantly decreased (from 35.54% to 2.96%), however, with significant increase in Snodgrassella and Fructobacillus. The possibility of cross-infection should be further investigated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rujipas Yongsawas
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (R.Y.); (P.C.)
| | - Veeranan Chaimanee
- Department of Agro-Industrial Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Rong Kwang, Phrae 54140, Thailand
- Correspondence: (V.C.); (T.D.); Tel.: +66-81-7249624 (T.D.)
| | | | | | - Dawn Lopez
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA;
| | - Ammarin In-on
- Bioinformatics & Systems Biology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (Bang Khun Thian Campus), Bang Khun Thian, Bangkok 10150, Thailand;
| | - Panuwan Chantawannakul
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (R.Y.); (P.C.)
| | - Terd Disayathanoowat
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (R.Y.); (P.C.)
- Research Center in Bioresources for Agriculture, Industry and Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Correspondence: (V.C.); (T.D.); Tel.: +66-81-7249624 (T.D.)
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Withrow JM, Pettis JS, Tarpy DR. Effects of Temperature During Package Transportation on Queen Establishment and Survival in Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). J Econ Entomol 2019; 112:1043-1049. [PMID: 30753530 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toz003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Honey bee (Apis mellifera) (Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) queens, the reproductive female caste, are crucial for colony success, and many management problems that beekeepers face are related to their diminished reproductive quality and premature failure. Previous research has suggested that temperature extremes may affect the viability of stored sperm in queens' spermathecae, thus the abiotic conditions of queens during transport may be germane to these problems. We recorded the temperatures experienced by queens during 2 yr of package transportation and tracked the newly installed colonies through establishment and buildup. During this critical 6-8 wk period, we observed typically high rates of queen failure (~25%) but found no indication that these postinstallation queen events were driven by temperature-related damage to stored sperm (an essential component of queen quality) incurred during transportation. We also found no indication of significant hot or cold zones across the truckloads of packages that would suggest a problem in how packages are insulated during transportation. However, we did observe significantly higher temperatures (31.2 vs. 29.9°C) and lower temperature variance (8.8 vs. 12.2) in queens that ultimately failed during the observation period, indicating that workers may respond differently to these queens in a way that manifests as more insulating clusters around queen cages. If so, then the collective process by which workers accept or reject a foreign queen may already be detectable even if it does not ultimately conclude until some weeks later. Nevertheless, it remains unclear why large numbers of otherwise high-quality queens are failing in newly installed packages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James M Withrow
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Graduate Program in Biology-Ecology & Evolution, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | | | - David R Tarpy
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Graduate Program in Biology-Ecology & Evolution, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
Honey bees are experts at refuting societal norms. Their matriarchal hives are headed by queens, backed by an all-female workforce, and males die soon after copulation. But the biochemical basis of how these distinct castes and sexes (queens, workers, and drones) arise is poorly understood, partly due to a lack of efficient tools for genetic manipulation. Now, Roth and colleagues have used clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) to knock out two key genes (feminizer and doublesex) that guide sexual development. Their technique yielded remarkably low rates of genetic mosaicism and offers a promising tool for engineering and phenotyping bees for diverse applications. This Primer explores the implications of a new study that uses CRISPR gene editing to investigate genetic switches controlling sex determination in the honey bee, Apis mellifera.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alison McAfee
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jeffery S. Pettis
- Pettis and Associates, Salisbury, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David R. Tarpy
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Leonard J. Foster
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Pettis JS, Rose R, Chaimanee V. Chemical and cultural control of Tropilaelaps mercedesae mites in honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies in Northern Thailand. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188063. [PMID: 29125881 PMCID: PMC5681254 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
At least two parasitic mites have moved from Asian species of honeybees to infest Apis mellifera. Of these two, Varroa destructor is more widespread globally while Tropilaelaps mercedesae has remained largely in Asia. Tropilaelaps mites are most problematic when A. mellifera is managed outside its native range in contact with Asian species of Apis. In areas where this occurs, beekeepers of A. mellifera treat aggressively for Tropilaelaps and Varroa is either outcompeted or is controlled as a result of the aggressive treatment regime used against Tropilaelaps. Many mite control products used worldwide may in fact control both mites but environmental conditions differ globally and thus a control product that works well in one area may be less or ineffective in other areas. This is especially true of volatile compounds. In the current research we tested several commercial products known to control Varroa and powdered sulfur for efficacy against Tropilaelaps. Additionally, we tested the cultural control method of making a hive division to reduce Tropilaelaps growth in both the parent and offspring colony. Making a split or nucleus colony significantly reduced mite population in both the parent and nucleus colony when compared to un-manipulated control colonies. The formic acid product, Mite-Away Quick Strips®, was the only commercial product that significantly reduced mite population 8 weeks after initiation of treatment without side effects. Sulfur also reduced mite populations but both sulfur and Hopguard® significantly impacted colony growth by reducing adult bee populations. Apivar® (amitraz) strips had no effect on mite or adult bee populations under the conditions tested.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery S. Pettis
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Robyn Rose
- Plant Protection and Quarantine, USDA-APHIS, Riverdale, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Veeranan Chaimanee
- Department of Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Rong Kwang, Phrae, Thailand
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Dively GP, Embrey MS, Kamel A, Hawthorne DJ, Pettis JS. Correction: Assessment of Chronic Sublethal Effects of Imidacloprid on Honey Bee Colony Health. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181297. [PMID: 28686738 PMCID: PMC5501674 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
|
11
|
Krongdang S, Evans JD, Pettis JS, Chantawannakul P. Multilocus sequence typing, biochemical and antibiotic resistance characterizations reveal diversity of North American strains of the honey bee pathogen Paenibacillus larvae. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176831. [PMID: 28467471 PMCID: PMC5415181 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Paenibacillus larvae is a Gram positive bacterium and the causative agent of the most widespread fatal brood disease of honey bees, American foulbrood (AFB). A total of thirty-three independent Paenibacillus larvae isolates from various geographical origins in North America and five reference strains were investigated for genetic diversity using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). This technique is regarded to be a powerful tool for epidemiological studies of pathogenic bacteria and is widely used in genotyping assays. For MLST, seven housekeeping gene loci, ilvD (dihydroxy-acid dyhydrogenase), tri (triosephosphate isomerase), purH (phospharibosyl-aminoimidazolecarboxamide), recF (DNA replication and repair protein), pyrE (orotate phosphoribosyltransferase), sucC (succinyl coenzyme A synthetase β subunit) and glpF (glycerol uptake facilitator protein) were studied and applied for primer designs. Previously, ERIC type DNA fingerprinting was applied to these same isolates and the data showed that almost all represented the ERIC I type, whereas using BOX-PCR gave an indication of more diversity. All isolates were screened for resistance to four antibiotics used by U.S. beekeepers, showing extensive resistance to tetracycline and the first records of resistance to tylosin and lincomycin. Our data highlight the intraspecies relationships of P. larvae and the potential application of MLST methods in enhancing our understanding of epidemiological relationships among bacterial isolates of different origins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sasiprapa Krongdang
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Jay D. Evans
- USDA-ARS, Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, United States of America
| | - Jeffery S. Pettis
- USDA-ARS, Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, United States of America
| | - Panuwan Chantawannakul
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Material Science Research Center, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Smart MD, Cornman RS, Iwanowicz DD, McDermott-Kubeczko M, Pettis JS, Spivak MS, Otto CRV. A Comparison of Honey Bee-Collected Pollen From Working Agricultural Lands Using Light Microscopy and ITS Metabarcoding. Environ Entomol 2017; 46:38-49. [PMID: 28062536 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvw159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Taxonomic identification of pollen has historically been accomplished via light microscopy but requires specialized knowledge and reference collections, particularly when identification to lower taxonomic levels is necessary. Recently, next-generation sequencing technology has been used as a cost-effective alternative for identifying bee-collected pollen; however, this novel approach has not been tested on a spatially or temporally robust number of pollen samples. Here, we compare pollen identification results derived from light microscopy and DNA sequencing techniques with samples collected from honey bee colonies embedded within a gradient of intensive agricultural landscapes in the Northern Great Plains throughout the 2010-2011 growing seasons. We demonstrate that at all taxonomic levels, DNA sequencing was able to discern a greater number of taxa, and was particularly useful for the identification of infrequently detected species. Importantly, substantial phenological overlap did occur for commonly detected taxa using either technique, suggesting that DNA sequencing is an appropriate, and enhancing, substitutive technique for accurately capturing the breadth of bee-collected species of pollen present across agricultural landscapes. We also show that honey bees located in high and low intensity agricultural settings forage on dissimilar plants, though with overlap of the most abundantly collected pollen taxa. We highlight practical applications of utilizing sequencing technology, including addressing ecological issues surrounding land use, climate change, importance of taxa relative to abundance, and evaluating the impact of conservation program habitat enhancement efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M D Smart
- U.S. Geological Survey Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND (; )
| | - R S Cornman
- U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO
| | - D D Iwanowicz
- U.S. Geological Survey Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV
| | | | - J S Pettis
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD
| | - M S Spivak
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (; )
| | - C R V Otto
- U.S. Geological Survey Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND (; )
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Chaimanee V, Evans JD, Chen Y, Jackson C, Pettis JS. Sperm viability and gene expression in honey bee queens (Apis mellifera) following exposure to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid and the organophosphate acaricide coumaphos. J Insect Physiol 2016; 89:1-8. [PMID: 26979384 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Honey bee population declines are of global concern. Numerous factors appear to cause these declines including parasites, pathogens, malnutrition and pesticides. Residues of the organophosphate acaricide coumaphos and the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, widely used to combat Varroa mites and for crop protection in agriculture, respectively, have been detected in wax, pollen and comb samples. Here, we assess the effects of these compounds at different doses on the viability of sperm stored in the honey bee queens' spermatheca. Our results demonstrate that sub-lethal doses of imidacloprid (0.02ppm) decreased sperm viability by 50%, 7days after treatment. Sperm viability was a downward trend (about 33%) in queens treated with high doses of coumaphos (100ppm), but there was not significant difference. The expression of genes that are involved in development, immune responses and detoxification in honey bee queens and workers exposed to chemicals was measured by qPCR analysis. The data showed that expression levels of specific genes were triggered 1day after treatment. The expression levels of P450 subfamily genes, CYP306A1, CYP4G11 and CYP6AS14 were decreased in honey bee queens treated with low doses of coumaphos (5ppm) and imidacloprid (0.02ppm). Moreover, these two compounds suppressed the expression of genes related to antioxidation, immunity and development in queens at day 1. Up-regulation of antioxidants by these compounds in worker bees was observed at day 1. Coumaphos also caused a repression of CYP306A1 and CYP4G11 in workers. Antioxidants appear to prevent chemical damage to honey bees. We also found that DWV replication increased in workers treated with imidacloprid. This research clearly demonstrates that chemical exposure can affect sperm viability in queen honey bees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Veeranan Chaimanee
- Department of Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Rong Kwang, Phrae 54140, Thailand.
| | - Jay D Evans
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Yanping Chen
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Caitlin Jackson
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Jeffery S Pettis
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Devos Y, Gaugitsch H, Gray AJ, Maltby L, Martin J, Pettis JS, Romeis J, Rortais A, Schoonjans R, Smith J, Streissl F, Suter GW. Advancing environmental risk assessment of regulated products under EFSA's remit. EFSA J 2016. [DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2016.s0508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jörg Romeis
- Institute for Sustainability Sciences, Agroscope
| | | | | | - Joe Smith
- Advisor in Regulation, Science and Government (formerly Office of the Gene Technology Regulator)
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Pettis JS, Rice N, Joselow K, vanEngelsdorp D, Chaimanee V. Correction: Colony Failure Linked to Low Sperm Viability in Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Queens and an Exploration of Potential Causative Factors. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155833. [PMID: 27171003 PMCID: PMC4865089 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
|
16
|
Ziska LH, Pettis JS, Edwards J, Hancock JE, Tomecek MB, Clark A, Dukes JS, Loladze I, Polley HW. Rising atmospheric CO2 is reducing the protein concentration of a floral pollen source essential for North American bees. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20160414. [PMID: 27075256 PMCID: PMC4843664 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
At present, there is substantive evidence that the nutritional content of agriculturally important food crops will decrease in response to rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, Ca However, whether Ca-induced declines in nutritional quality are also occurring for pollinator food sources is unknown. Flowering late in the season, goldenrod (Solidago spp.) pollen is a widely available autumnal food source commonly acknowledged by apiarists to be essential to native bee (e.g. Bombus spp.) and honeybee (Apis mellifera) health and winter survival. Using floral collections obtained from the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, we quantified Ca-induced temporal changes in pollen protein concentration of Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), the most wide spread Solidago taxon, from hundreds of samples collected throughout the USA and southern Canada over the period 1842-2014 (i.e. a Ca from approx. 280 to 398 ppm). In addition, we conducted a 2 year in situtrial of S. Canadensis populations grown along a continuous Ca gradient from approximately 280 to 500 ppm. The historical data indicated a strong significant correlation between recent increases in Ca and reductions in pollen protein concentration (r(2)= 0.81). Experimental data confirmed this decrease in pollen protein concentration, and indicated that it would be ongoing as Ca continues to rise in the near term, i.e. to 500 ppm (r(2)= 0.88). While additional data are needed to quantify the subsequent effects of reduced protein concentration for Canada goldenrod on bee health and population stability, these results are the first to indicate that increasing Ca can reduce protein content of a floral pollen source widely used by North American bees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lewis H Ziska
- Crop Systems and Global Change Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Jeffery S Pettis
- Research Entomologist, Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Joan Edwards
- Department of Biology, Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267, USA
| | - Jillian E Hancock
- Department of Biology, Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267, USA
| | - Martha B Tomecek
- Crop Systems and Global Change Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Andrew Clark
- US National Herbarium, Smithsonian Institution, MRC 166, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Dukes
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47097, USA Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47097, USA
| | - Irakli Loladze
- Bryan College of Health Sciences, Bryan Medical Center, Lincoln, NE 68506, USA
| | - H Wayne Polley
- Grassland, Soil and Water Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Temple, TX 76502, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Pettis JS, Rice N, Joselow K, vanEngelsdorp D, Chaimanee V. Colony Failure Linked to Low Sperm Viability in Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Queens and an Exploration of Potential Causative Factors. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147220. [PMID: 26863438 PMCID: PMC4749221 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Queen health is closely linked to colony performance in honey bees as a single queen is normally responsible for all egg laying and brood production within the colony. In the U. S. in recent years, queens have been failing at a high rate; with 50% or greater of queens replaced in colonies within 6 months when historically a queen might live one to two years. This high rate of queen failure coincides with the high mortality rates of colonies in the US, some years with >50% of colonies dying. In the current study, surveys of sperm viability in US queens were made to determine if sperm viability plays a role in queen or colony failure. Wide variation was observed in sperm viability from four sets of queens removed from colonies that beekeepers rated as in good health (n = 12; average viability = 92%), were replacing as part of normal management (n = 28; 57%), or where rated as failing (n = 18 and 19; 54% and 55%). Two additional paired set of queens showed a statistically significant difference in viability between colonies rated by the beekeeper as failing or in good health from the same apiaries. Queens removed from colonies rated in good health averaged high viability (ca. 85%) while those rated as failing or in poor health had significantly lower viability (ca. 50%). Thus low sperm viability was indicative of, or linked to, colony performance. To explore the source of low sperm viability, six commercial queen breeders were surveyed and wide variation in viability (range 60-90%) was documented between breeders. This variability could originate from the drones the queens mate with or temperature extremes that queens are exposed to during shipment. The role of shipping temperature as a possible explanation for low sperm viability was explored. We documented that during shipment queens are exposed to temperature spikes (<8 and > 40°C) and these spikes can kill 50% or more of the sperm stored in queen spermathecae in live queens. Clearly low sperm viability is linked to colony performance and laboratory and field data provide evidence that temperature extremes are a potential causative factor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery S. Pettis
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Nathan Rice
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Katie Joselow
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Dennis vanEngelsdorp
- Entomology Department, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Veeranan Chaimanee
- Department of Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Rong Kwang, Phrae, Thailand
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Cornman RS, Otto CRV, Iwanowicz D, Pettis JS. Taxonomic Characterization of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Pollen Foraging Based on Non-Overlapping Paired-End Sequencing of Nuclear Ribosomal Loci. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145365. [PMID: 26700168 PMCID: PMC4689544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying plant taxa that honey bees (Apis mellifera) forage upon is of great apicultural interest, but traditional methods are labor intensive and may lack resolution. Here we evaluate a high-throughput genetic barcoding approach to characterize trap-collected pollen from multiple North Dakota apiaries across multiple years. We used the Illumina MiSeq platform to generate sequence scaffolds from non-overlapping 300-bp paired-end sequencing reads of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (ITS). Full-length sequence scaffolds represented ~530 bp of ITS sequence after adapter trimming, drawn from the 5’ of ITS1 and the 3’ of ITS2, while skipping the uninformative 5.8S region. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were picked from scaffolds clustered at 97% identity, searched by BLAST against the nt database, and given taxonomic assignments using the paired-read lowest common ancestor approach. Taxonomic assignments and quantitative patterns were consistent with known plant distributions, phenology, and observational reports of pollen foraging, but revealed an unexpected contribution from non-crop graminoids and wetland plants. The mean number of plant species assignments per sample was 23.0 (+/- 5.5) and the mean species diversity (effective number of equally abundant species) was 3.3 (+/- 1.2). Bray-Curtis similarities showed good agreement among samples from the same apiary and sampling date. Rarefaction plots indicated that fewer than 50,000 reads are typically needed to characterize pollen samples of this complexity. Our results show that a pre-compiled, curated reference database is not essential for genus-level assignments, but species-level assignments are hindered by database gaps, reference length variation, and probable errors in the taxonomic assignment, requiring post-hoc evaluation. Although the effective per-sample yield achieved using custom MiSeq amplicon primers was less than the machine maximum, primarily due to lower “read2” quality, further protocol optimization and/or a modest reduction in multiplex scale should offset this difficulty. As small quantities of pollen are sufficient for amplification, our approach might be extendable to other questions or species for which large pollen samples are not available.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Scott Cornman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, United States of America
| | - Clint R V Otto
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711 37th Street Southeast, Jamestown, ND, 58401, United States of America
| | - Deborah Iwanowicz
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, United States of America
| | - Jeffery S Pettis
- U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Bee Research Laboratory, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD, 20705, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Dively GP, Embrey MS, Kamel A, Hawthorne DJ, Pettis JS. Correction: Assessment of Chronic Sublethal Effects of Imidacloprid on Honey Bee Colony Health. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126043. [PMID: 25910070 PMCID: PMC4409400 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
|
20
|
Dively GP, Embrey MS, Kamel A, Hawthorne DJ, Pettis JS. Assessment of chronic sublethal effects of imidacloprid on honey bee colony health. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118748. [PMID: 25786127 PMCID: PMC4364903 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 01/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we present results of a three-year study to determine the fate of imidacloprid residues in hive matrices and to assess chronic sublethal effects on whole honey bee colonies fed supplemental pollen diet containing imidacloprid at 5, 20 and 100 μg/kg over multiple brood cycles. Various endpoints of colony performance and foraging behavior were measured during and after exposure, including winter survival. Imidacloprid residues became diluted or non-detectable within colonies due to the processing of beebread and honey and the rapid metabolism of the chemical. Imidacloprid exposure doses up to 100 μg/kg had no significant effects on foraging activity or other colony performance indicators during and shortly after exposure. Diseases and pest species did not affect colony health but infestations of Varroa mites were significantly higher in exposed colonies. Honey stores indicated that exposed colonies may have avoided the contaminated food. Imidacloprid dose effects was delayed later in the summer, when colonies exposed to 20 and 100 μg/kg experienced higher rates of queen failure and broodless periods, which led to weaker colonies going into the winter. Pooled over two years, winter survival of colonies averaged 85.7, 72.4, 61.2 and 59.2% in the control, 5, 20 and 100 μg/kg treatment groups, respectively. Analysis of colony survival data showed a significant dose effect, and all contrast tests comparing survival between control and treatment groups were significant, except for colonies exposed to 5 μg/kg. Given the weight of evidence, chronic exposure to imidacloprid at the higher range of field doses (20 to 100 μg/kg) in pollen of certain treated crops could cause negative impacts on honey bee colony health and reduced overwintering success, but the most likely encountered high range of field doses relevant for seed-treated crops (5 μg/kg) had negligible effects on colony health and are unlikely a sole cause of colony declines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Galen P. Dively
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Michael S. Embrey
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Alaa Kamel
- Analytical Chemistry Branch, Biological and Economic Analysis Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, US EPA, Fort George G. Meade, MD, United States of America
| | - David J. Hawthorne
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Jeffery S. Pettis
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Chen YP, Pettis JS, Corona M, Chen WP, Li CJ, Spivak M, Visscher PK, DeGrandi-Hoffman G, Boncristiani H, Zhao Y, vanEngelsdorp D, Delaplane K, Solter L, Drummond F, Kramer M, Lipkin WI, Palacios G, Hamilton MC, Smith B, Huang SK, Zheng HQ, Li JL, Zhang X, Zhou AF, Wu LY, Zhou JZ, Lee ML, Teixeira EW, Li ZG, Evans JD. Israeli acute paralysis virus: epidemiology, pathogenesis and implications for honey bee health. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004261. [PMID: 25079600 PMCID: PMC4117608 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) is a widespread RNA virus of honey bees that has been linked with colony losses. Here we describe the transmission, prevalence, and genetic traits of this virus, along with host transcriptional responses to infections. Further, we present RNAi-based strategies for limiting an important mechanism used by IAPV to subvert host defenses. Our study shows that IAPV is established as a persistent infection in honey bee populations, likely enabled by both horizontal and vertical transmission pathways. The phenotypic differences in pathology among different strains of IAPV found globally may be due to high levels of standing genetic variation. Microarray profiles of host responses to IAPV infection revealed that mitochondrial function is the most significantly affected biological process, suggesting that viral infection causes significant disturbance in energy-related host processes. The expression of genes involved in immune pathways in adult bees indicates that IAPV infection triggers active immune responses. The evidence that silencing an IAPV-encoded putative suppressor of RNAi reduces IAPV replication suggests a functional assignment for a particular genomic region of IAPV and closely related viruses from the Family Dicistroviridae, and indicates a novel therapeutic strategy for limiting multiple honey bee viruses simultaneously and reducing colony losses due to viral diseases. We believe that the knowledge and insights gained from this study will provide a new platform for continuing studies of the IAPV–host interactions and have positive implications for disease management that will lead to mitigation of escalating honey bee colony losses worldwide. The mysterious outbreak of honey bee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in the US in 2006–2007 has attracted massive media attention and created great concerns over the effects of various risk factors on bee health. Understanding the factors that are linked to the honey bee colony declines may provide insights for managing similar incidents in the future. We conducted this study to elucidate traits of a key honey bee virus, Israeli acute paralysis virus. We then developed an innovative strategy to control virus levels. The knowledge and insights gained from this study will have positive implications for bee disease management, helping to mitigate worldwide colony losses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Ping Chen
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, BARC-East Building, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jeffery S. Pettis
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, BARC-East Building, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Miguel Corona
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, BARC-East Building, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Wei Ping Chen
- Microarray Core Facility, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Cong Jun Li
- USDA-ARS Bovine Functional Genomic Laboratory, BARC-East Building, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Marla Spivak
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - P. Kirk Visscher
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | | | - Humberto Boncristiani
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Yan Zhao
- USDA-ARS Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Dennis vanEngelsdorp
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Keith Delaplane
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Leellen Solter
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Francis Drummond
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, United States of America
| | - Matthew Kramer
- USDA-ARS Biometrical Consulting Services, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - W. Ian Lipkin
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Gustavo Palacios
- National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Disease, George Mason University, Manassas, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Michele C. Hamilton
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, BARC-East Building, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Barton Smith
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, BARC-East Building, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Shao Kang Huang
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, People‚s Republic of China
| | - Huo Qing Zheng
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People‚s Republic of China
| | - Ji Lian Li
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, People‚s Republic of China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- Eastern Bee Research Institute, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, People‚s Republic of China
| | - Ai Fen Zhou
- Institute for Environmental Genomics (IEG), University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Li You Wu
- Institute for Environmental Genomics (IEG), University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Ji Zhong Zhou
- Institute for Environmental Genomics (IEG), University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Myeong-L. Lee
- Sericulture and Apiculture Department, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Erica W. Teixeira
- Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios/SAA-SP, Pindamonhangaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Zhi Guo Li
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People‚s Republic of China
| | - Jay D. Evans
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, BARC-East Building, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Pettis JS, Rose R, Lichtenberg EM, Chantawannakul P, Buawangpong N, Somana W, Sukumalanand P, Vanengelsdorp D. A rapid survey technique for Tropilaelaps mite (Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) detection. J Econ Entomol 2013; 106:1535-1544. [PMID: 24020263 DOI: 10.1603/ec12339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic Tropilaelaps (Delfinado and Baker) mites are a damaging pest of European honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in Asia. These mites represent a significant threat if introduced to other regions of the world, warranting implementation of Tropilaelaps mite surveillance in uninfested regions. Current Tropilaelaps mite-detection methods are unsuitable for efficient large scale screening. We developed and tested a new bump technique that consists of firmly rapping a honey bee brood frame over a collecting pan. Our method was easier to implement than current detection tests, reduced time spent in each apiary, and minimized brood destruction. This feasibility increase overcomes the test's decreased rate of detecting infested colonies (sensitivity; 36.3% for the bump test, 54.2% and 56.7% for the two most sensitive methods currently used in Asia). Considering this sensitivity, we suggest that screening programs sample seven colonies per apiary (independent of apiary size) and 312 randomly selected apiaries in a region to be 95% sure of detecting an incipient Tropilaelaps mite invasion. Further analyses counter the currently held view that Tropilaelaps mites prefer drone bee brood cells. Tropilaelaps mite infestation rate was 3.5 +/- 0.9% in drone brood and 5.7 +/- 0.6% in worker brood. We propose the bump test as a standard tool for monitoring of Tropilaelaps mite presence in regions thought to be free from infestation. However, regulators may favor the sensitivity of the Drop test (collecting mites that fall to the bottom of a hive on sticky boards) over the less time-intensive Bump test.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery S Pettis
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Bldg. 476 BARC-E, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Pettis JS, Lichtenberg EM, Andree M, Stitzinger J, Rose R, Vanengelsdorp D. Crop pollination exposes honey bees to pesticides which alters their susceptibility to the gut pathogen Nosema ceranae. PLoS One 2013. [PMID: 23894612 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070182;] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent declines in honey bee populations and increasing demand for insect-pollinated crops raise concerns about pollinator shortages. Pesticide exposure and pathogens may interact to have strong negative effects on managed honey bee colonies. Such findings are of great concern given the large numbers and high levels of pesticides found in honey bee colonies. Thus it is crucial to determine how field-relevant combinations and loads of pesticides affect bee health. We collected pollen from bee hives in seven major crops to determine 1) what types of pesticides bees are exposed to when rented for pollination of various crops and 2) how field-relevant pesticide blends affect bees' susceptibility to the gut parasite Nosema ceranae. Our samples represent pollen collected by foragers for use by the colony, and do not necessarily indicate foragers' roles as pollinators. In blueberry, cranberry, cucumber, pumpkin and watermelon bees collected pollen almost exclusively from weeds and wildflowers during our sampling. Thus more attention must be paid to how honey bees are exposed to pesticides outside of the field in which they are placed. We detected 35 different pesticides in the sampled pollen, and found high fungicide loads. The insecticides esfenvalerate and phosmet were at a concentration higher than their median lethal dose in at least one pollen sample. While fungicides are typically seen as fairly safe for honey bees, we found an increased probability of Nosema infection in bees that consumed pollen with a higher fungicide load. Our results highlight a need for research on sub-lethal effects of fungicides and other chemicals that bees placed in an agricultural setting are exposed to.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery S Pettis
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Pettis JS, Lichtenberg EM, Andree M, Stitzinger J, Rose R, vanEngelsdorp D. Crop pollination exposes honey bees to pesticides which alters their susceptibility to the gut pathogen Nosema ceranae. PLoS One 2013; 8:e70182. [PMID: 23894612 PMCID: PMC3722151 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 230] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2013] [Accepted: 06/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent declines in honey bee populations and increasing demand for insect-pollinated crops raise concerns about pollinator shortages. Pesticide exposure and pathogens may interact to have strong negative effects on managed honey bee colonies. Such findings are of great concern given the large numbers and high levels of pesticides found in honey bee colonies. Thus it is crucial to determine how field-relevant combinations and loads of pesticides affect bee health. We collected pollen from bee hives in seven major crops to determine 1) what types of pesticides bees are exposed to when rented for pollination of various crops and 2) how field-relevant pesticide blends affect bees’ susceptibility to the gut parasite Nosema ceranae. Our samples represent pollen collected by foragers for use by the colony, and do not necessarily indicate foragers’ roles as pollinators. In blueberry, cranberry, cucumber, pumpkin and watermelon bees collected pollen almost exclusively from weeds and wildflowers during our sampling. Thus more attention must be paid to how honey bees are exposed to pesticides outside of the field in which they are placed. We detected 35 different pesticides in the sampled pollen, and found high fungicide loads. The insecticides esfenvalerate and phosmet were at a concentration higher than their median lethal dose in at least one pollen sample. While fungicides are typically seen as fairly safe for honey bees, we found an increased probability of Nosema infection in bees that consumed pollen with a higher fungicide load. Our results highlight a need for research on sub-lethal effects of fungicides and other chemicals that bees placed in an agricultural setting are exposed to.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery S. Pettis
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Elinor M. Lichtenberg
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Michael Andree
- Cooperative Extension Butte County, University of California, Oroville, California, United States of America
| | - Jennie Stitzinger
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Robyn Rose
- USDA-APHIS, Riverdale, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Dennis vanEngelsdorp
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Chaimanee V, Pettis JS, Chen Y, Evans JD, Khongphinitbunjong K, Chantawannakul P. Susceptibility of four different honey bee species to Nosema ceranae. Vet Parasitol 2013; 193:260-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2012] [Revised: 11/30/2012] [Accepted: 12/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
|
26
|
vanEngelsdorp D, Tarpy DR, Lengerich EJ, Pettis JS. Idiopathic brood disease syndrome and queen events as precursors of colony mortality in migratory beekeeping operations in the eastern United States. Prev Vet Med 2012; 108:225-33. [PMID: 22939774 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2012.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2011] [Revised: 08/01/2012] [Accepted: 08/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Using standard epidemiological methods, this study set out to quantify the risk associated with exposure to easily diagnosed factors on colony mortality and morbidity in three migratory beekeeping operations. Fifty-six percent of all colonies monitored during the 10-month period died. The relative risk (RR) that a colony would die over the short term (∼50 days) was appreciably increased in colonies diagnosed with Idiopathic Brood Disease Syndrome (IBDS), a condition where brood of different ages appear molten on the bottom of cells (RR=3.2), or with a "queen event" (e.g., evidence of queen replacement or failure; RR=3.1). We also found that several risk factors-including the incidence of a poor brood pattern, chalkbood (CB), deformed wing virus (DWV), sacbrood virus (SBV), and exceeding the threshold of 5 Varroa mites per 100 bees-were differentially expressed in different beekeeping operations. Further, we found that a diagnosis of several factors were significantly more or less likely to be associated with a simultaneous diagnosis of another risk factor. These finding support the growing consensus that the causes of colony mortality are multiple and interrelated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dennis vanEngelsdorp
- Department of Entomology, Plant Science Building, University of Maryland, MD 20742, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Chaimanee V, Chantawannakul P, Chen Y, Evans JD, Pettis JS. Differential expression of immune genes of adult honey bee (Apis mellifera) after inoculated by Nosema ceranae. J Insect Physiol 2012; 58:1090-1095. [PMID: 22609362 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2012.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2012] [Revised: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 04/27/2012] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Nosema ceranae is a microsporidium parasite infecting adult honey bees (Apis mellifera) and is known to affects at both the individual and colony level. In this study, the expression levels were measured for four antimicrobial peptide encoding genes that are associated with bee humoral immunity (defensin, abaecin, apidaecin, and hymenoptaecin), eater gene which is a transmembrane protein involved cellular immunity and gene encoding female-specific protein (vitellogenin) in honey bees when inoculated by N. ceranae. The results showed that four of these genes, defensin, abaecin, apidaecin and hymenoptaecin were significantly down-regulated 3 and 6days after inoculations. Additionally, antimicrobial peptide expressions did not significantly differ between control and inoculated bees after 12days post inoculation. Moreover, our results revealed that the mRNA levels of eater and vitellogenin did not differ significantly following N. ceranae inoculation. Therefore, in this study we reaffirmed that N. ceranae infection induces host immunosuppression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Veeranan Chaimanee
- Bee Protection Center, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Pettis JS, vanEngelsdorp D, Johnson J, Dively G. Pesticide exposure in honey bees results in increased levels of the gut pathogen Nosema. Naturwissenschaften 2012; 99:153-8. [PMID: 22246149 PMCID: PMC3264871 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-011-0881-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2011] [Revised: 12/25/2011] [Accepted: 12/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Global pollinator declines have been attributed to habitat destruction, pesticide use, and climate change or some combination of these factors, and managed honey bees, Apis mellifera, are part of worldwide pollinator declines. Here we exposed honey bee colonies during three brood generations to sub-lethal doses of a widely used pesticide, imidacloprid, and then subsequently challenged newly emerged bees with the gut parasite, Nosema spp. The pesticide dosages used were below levels demonstrated to cause effects on longevity or foraging in adult honey bees. Nosema infections increased significantly in the bees from pesticide-treated hives when compared to bees from control hives demonstrating an indirect effect of pesticides on pathogen growth in honey bees. We clearly demonstrate an increase in pathogen growth within individual bees reared in colonies exposed to one of the most widely used pesticides worldwide, imidacloprid, at below levels considered harmful to bees. The finding that individual bees with undetectable levels of the target pesticide, after being reared in a sub-lethal pesticide environment within the colony, had higher Nosema is significant. Interactions between pesticides and pathogens could be a major contributor to increased mortality of honey bee colonies, including colony collapse disorder, and other pollinator declines worldwide.
Collapse
|
29
|
Williams GR, Tarpy DR, vanEngelsdorp D, Chauzat MP, Cox-Foster DL, Delaplane KS, Neumann P, Pettis JS, Rogers REL, Shutler D. Colony Collapse Disorder in context. Bioessays 2010; 32:845-6. [PMID: 20730842 PMCID: PMC3034041 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201000075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey R Williams
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Mullin CA, Frazier M, Frazier JL, Ashcraft S, Simonds R, Vanengelsdorp D, Pettis JS. High levels of miticides and agrochemicals in North American apiaries: implications for honey bee health. PLoS One 2010; 5:e9754. [PMID: 20333298 PMCID: PMC2841636 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 784] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2009] [Accepted: 02/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent declines in honey bees for crop pollination threaten fruit, nut, vegetable and seed production in the United States. A broad survey of pesticide residues was conducted on samples from migratory and other beekeepers across 23 states, one Canadian province and several agricultural cropping systems during the 2007–08 growing seasons. Methodology/Principal Findings We have used LC/MS-MS and GC/MS to analyze bees and hive matrices for pesticide residues utilizing a modified QuEChERS method. We have found 121 different pesticides and metabolites within 887 wax, pollen, bee and associated hive samples. Almost 60% of the 259 wax and 350 pollen samples contained at least one systemic pesticide, and over 47% had both in-hive acaricides fluvalinate and coumaphos, and chlorothalonil, a widely-used fungicide. In bee pollen were found chlorothalonil at levels up to 99 ppm and the insecticides aldicarb, carbaryl, chlorpyrifos and imidacloprid, fungicides boscalid, captan and myclobutanil, and herbicide pendimethalin at 1 ppm levels. Almost all comb and foundation wax samples (98%) were contaminated with up to 204 and 94 ppm, respectively, of fluvalinate and coumaphos, and lower amounts of amitraz degradates and chlorothalonil, with an average of 6 pesticide detections per sample and a high of 39. There were fewer pesticides found in adults and brood except for those linked with bee kills by permethrin (20 ppm) and fipronil (3.1 ppm). Conclusions/Significance The 98 pesticides and metabolites detected in mixtures up to 214 ppm in bee pollen alone represents a remarkably high level for toxicants in the brood and adult food of this primary pollinator. This represents over half of the maximum individual pesticide incidences ever reported for apiaries. While exposure to many of these neurotoxicants elicits acute and sublethal reductions in honey bee fitness, the effects of these materials in combinations and their direct association with CCD or declining bee health remains to be determined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Mullin
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Boncristiani HF, Di Prisco G, Pettis JS, Hamilton M, Chen YP. Molecular approaches to the analysis of deformed wing virus replication and pathogenesis in the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Virol J 2009; 6:221. [PMID: 20003360 PMCID: PMC2797523 DOI: 10.1186/1743-422x-6-221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2009] [Accepted: 12/11/2009] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background For years, the understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms that underlie honey bee viral diseases has been severely hindered because of the lack of a cell culture system for virus propagation. As a result, it is very imperative to develop new methods that would permit the in vitro pathogenesis study of honey bee viruses. The identification of virus replication is an important step towards the understanding of the pathogenesis process of viruses in their respective hosts. In the present study, we developed a strand-specific RT-PCR-based method for analysis of Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) replication in honey bees and in honey bee parasitic mites, Varroa Destructor. Results The results shows that the method developed in our study allows reliable identification of the virus replication and solves the problem of falsely-primed cDNA amplifications that commonly exists in the current system. Using TaqMan real-time quantitative RT-PCR incorporated with biotinylated primers and magnetic beads purification step, we characterized the replication and tissue tropism of DWV infection in honey bees. We provide evidence for DWV replication in the tissues of wings, head, thorax, legs, hemolymph, and gut of honey bees and also in Varroa mites. Conclusion The strategy reported in the present study forms a model system for studying bee virus replication, pathogenesis and immunity. This study should be a significant contribution to the goal of achieving a better understanding of virus pathogenesis in honey bees and to the design of appropriate control measures for bee populations at risk to virus infections.
Collapse
|
32
|
vanEngelsdorp D, Evans JD, Saegerman C, Mullin C, Haubruge E, Nguyen BK, Frazier M, Frazier J, Cox-Foster D, Chen Y, Underwood R, Tarpy DR, Pettis JS. Colony collapse disorder: a descriptive study. PLoS One 2009; 4:e6481. [PMID: 19649264 PMCID: PMC2715894 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 588] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2009] [Accepted: 06/29/2009] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Over the last two winters, there have been large-scale, unexplained losses of managed honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies in the United States. In the absence of a known cause, this syndrome was named Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) because the main trait was a rapid loss of adult worker bees. We initiated a descriptive epizootiological study in order to better characterize CCD and compare risk factor exposure between populations afflicted by and not afflicted by CCD. Methods and Principal Findings Of 61 quantified variables (including adult bee physiology, pathogen loads, and pesticide levels), no single measure emerged as a most-likely cause of CCD. Bees in CCD colonies had higher pathogen loads and were co-infected with a greater number of pathogens than control populations, suggesting either an increased exposure to pathogens or a reduced resistance of bees toward pathogens. Levels of the synthetic acaricide coumaphos (used by beekeepers to control the parasitic mite Varroa destructor) were higher in control colonies than CCD-affected colonies. Conclusions/Significance This is the first comprehensive survey of CCD-affected bee populations that suggests CCD involves an interaction between pathogens and other stress factors. We present evidence that this condition is contagious or the result of exposure to a common risk factor. Potentially important areas for future hypothesis-driven research, including the possible legacy effect of mite parasitism and the role of honey bee resistance to pesticides, are highlighted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dennis vanEngelsdorp
- Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jay D. Evans
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Claude Saegerman
- Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Epidemiology and Risk analysis applied to the Veterinary Sciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Chris Mullin
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Eric Haubruge
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agricultural University, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Bach Kim Nguyen
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agricultural University, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Maryann Frazier
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jim Frazier
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Diana Cox-Foster
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Yanping Chen
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Robyn Underwood
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - David R. Tarpy
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jeffery S. Pettis
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Cornman RS, Chen YP, Schatz MC, Street C, Zhao Y, Desany B, Egholm M, Hutchison S, Pettis JS, Lipkin WI, Evans JD. Genomic analyses of the microsporidian Nosema ceranae, an emergent pathogen of honey bees. PLoS Pathog 2009; 5:e1000466. [PMID: 19503607 PMCID: PMC2685015 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2009] [Accepted: 05/05/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent steep declines in honey bee health have severely impacted the beekeeping industry, presenting new risks for agricultural commodities that depend on insect pollination. Honey bee declines could reflect increased pressures from parasites and pathogens. The incidence of the microsporidian pathogen Nosema ceranae has increased significantly in the past decade. Here we present a draft assembly (7.86 MB) of the N. ceranae genome derived from pyrosequence data, including initial gene models and genomic comparisons with other members of this highly derived fungal lineage. N. ceranae has a strongly AT-biased genome (74% A+T) and a diversity of repetitive elements, complicating the assembly. Of 2,614 predicted protein-coding sequences, we conservatively estimate that 1,366 have homologs in the microsporidian Encephalitozoon cuniculi, the most closely related published genome sequence. We identify genes conserved among microsporidia that lack clear homology outside this group, which are of special interest as potential virulence factors in this group of obligate parasites. A substantial fraction of the diminutive N. ceranae proteome consists of novel and transposable-element proteins. For a majority of well-supported gene models, a conserved sense-strand motif can be found within 15 bases upstream of the start codon; a previously uncharacterized version of this motif is also present in E. cuniculi. These comparisons provide insight into the architecture, regulation, and evolution of microsporidian genomes, and will drive investigations into honey bee–Nosema interactions. Honey bee colonies are in decline in many parts of the world, in part due to pressures from a diverse assemblage of parasites and pathogens. The range and prevalence of the microsporidian pathogen Nosema ceranae has increased significantly in the past decade. Here we describe the N. ceranae genome, presenting genome traits, gene models and regulatory motifs. N. ceranae has an extremely reduced and AT-biased genome, yet one with substantial numbers of repetitive elements. We identify novel genes that appear to be conserved among microsporidia but undetected outside this phylum, which are of special interest as potential virulence factors for these obligate pathogens. A previously unrecognized motif is found upstream of many start codons and likely plays a role in gene regulation across the microsporidia. These and other comparisons provide insight into the architecture, regulation, and evolution of microsporidian genomes, and provide the first genetic tools for understanding how this pathogen interacts with honey bee hosts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R. Scott Cornman
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Lab, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Yan Ping Chen
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Lab, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Michael C. Schatz
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Craig Street
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Yan Zhao
- USDA-ARS Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Brian Desany
- 454 Life Sciences/Roche Applied Sciences, Branford, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Michael Egholm
- 454 Life Sciences/Roche Applied Sciences, Branford, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Stephen Hutchison
- 454 Life Sciences/Roche Applied Sciences, Branford, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Jeffery S. Pettis
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Lab, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - W. Ian Lipkin
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Jay D. Evans
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Lab, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Chen Y, Evans JD, Zhou L, Boncristiani H, Kimura K, Xiao T, Litkowski AM, Pettis JS. Asymmetrical coexistence of Nosema ceranae and Nosema apis in honey bees. J Invertebr Pathol 2009; 101:204-9. [PMID: 19467238 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2009.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2008] [Revised: 05/11/2009] [Accepted: 05/13/2009] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Globalization has provided opportunities for parasites/pathogens to cross geographic boundaries and expand to new hosts. Recent studies showed that Nosema ceranae, originally considered a microsporidian parasite of Eastern honey bees, Apis cerana, is a disease agent of nosemosis in European honey bees, Apis mellifera, along with the resident species, Nosema apis. Further studies indicated that disease caused by N. ceranae in European honey bees is far more prevalent than that caused by N. apis. In order to gain more insight into the epidemiology of Nosema parasitism in honey bees, we conducted studies to investigate infection of Nosema in its original host, Eastern honey bees, using conventional PCR and duplex real time quantitative PCR methods. Our results showed that A. cerana was infected not only with N. ceranae as previously reported [Fries, I., Feng, F., Silva, A.D., Slemenda, S.B., Pieniazek, N.J., 1996. Nosema ceranae n. sp. (Microspora, Nosematidae), morphological and molecular characterization of a microsporidian parasite of the Asian honey bee Apis cerana (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Eur. J. Protistol. 32, 356-365], but also with N. apis. Both microsporidia produced single and mixed infections. Overall and at each location alone, the prevalence of N. ceranae was higher than that of N. apis. In all cases of mixed infections, the number of N. ceranae gene copies (corresponding to the parasite load) significantly out numbered those of N. apis. Phylogenetic analysis based on a variable region of small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSUrRNA) showed four distinct clades of N. apis and five clades of N. ceranae and that geographical distance does not appear to influence the genetic diversity of Nosema populations. The results from this study demonstrated that duplex real-time qPCR assay developed in this study is a valuable tool for quantitative measurement of Nosema and can be used to monitor the progression of microsprodian infections of honey bees in a timely and cost efficient manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanping Chen
- USDA-ARS, Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
vanEngelsdorp D, Evans JD, Donovall L, Mullin C, Frazier M, Frazier J, Tarpy DR, Hayes J, Pettis JS. "Entombed Pollen": A new condition in honey bee colonies associated with increased risk of colony mortality. J Invertebr Pathol 2009; 101:147-9. [PMID: 19361513 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2009.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2008] [Revised: 03/14/2009] [Accepted: 03/30/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Here we describe a new phenomenon, entombed pollen, which is highly associated with increased colony mortality. Entombed pollen is sunken, capped cells amidst "normal", uncapped cells of stored pollen, and some of the pollen contained within these cells is brick red in color. There appears to be a lack of microbial agents in the pollen, and larvae and adult bees do not have an increased rate of mortality when they are fed diets supplemented with entombed pollen in vitro, suggesting that the pollen itself is not directly responsible for increased colony mortality. However, the increased incidence of entombed pollen in reused wax comb suggests that there is a transmittable factor common to the phenomenon and colony mortality. In addition, there were elevated pesticide levels, notably of the fungicide chlorothalonil, in entombed pollen. Additional studies are needed to determine if there is a causal relationship between entombed pollen, chemical residues, and colony mortality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dennis vanEngelsdorp
- Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Penn State University, Harrisburg, 17074, United States.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Lopez MI, Pettis JS, Smith IB, Chu PS. Multiclass determination and confirmation of antibiotic residues in honey using LC-MS/MS. J Agric Food Chem 2008; 56:1553-1559. [PMID: 18257525 DOI: 10.1021/jf073236w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
A multiclass method has been developed for the determination and confirmation in honey of tetracyclines (chlortetracycline, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline), fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, danofloxacin, difloxacin, enrofloxacin, and sarafloxacin), macrolides (tylosin), lincosamides (lincomycin), aminoglycosides (streptomycin), sulfonamides (sulfathiazole), phenicols (chloramphenicol), and fumagillin residues using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Erythromycin (a macrolide) and monensin (an ionophore) can be detected and confirmed but not quantitated. Honey samples (approximately 2 g) are dissolved in 10 mL of water and centrifuged. An aliquot of the supernatant is used to determine streptomycin. The remaining supernatant is filtered through a fine-mesh nylon fabric and cleaned up by solid phase extraction. After solvent evaporation and sample reconstitution, 15 antibiotics are assayed by LC-MS/MS using electrospray ionization (ESI) in positive ion mode. Afterward, chloramphenicol is assayed using ESI in negative ion mode. The method has been validated at the low part per billion levels for most of the drugs with accuracies between 65 and 104% and coefficients of variation less than 17%. The evaluation of matrix effects caused by honey of different floral origin is presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mayda I Lopez
- Center for Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 8401 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, Maryland 20708, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Chen Y, Evans JD, Smith IB, Pettis JS. Nosema ceranae is a long-present and wide-spread microsporidian infection of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) in the United States. J Invertebr Pathol 2008; 97:186-8. [PMID: 17880997 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2007.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 276] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2007] [Revised: 07/17/2007] [Accepted: 07/23/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Honey bee samples collected between 1995 and 2007 from 12 states were examined for the presence of Nosema infections. Our results showed that Nosema ceranae is a wide-spread infection of the European honey bee, Apis mellifera in the United States. The discovery of N. ceranae in bees collected a decade ago indicates that N. ceranae was transferred from its original host, Apis cerana to A. mellifera earlier than previously recognized. The spread of N. ceranae infection in A. mellifera warrants further epidemiological studies to identify conditions that resulted in such a widespread infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanping Chen
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Bldg. 476, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Cox-Foster DL, Conlan S, Holmes EC, Palacios G, Evans JD, Moran NA, Quan PL, Briese T, Hornig M, Geiser DM, Martinson V, vanEngelsdorp D, Kalkstein AL, Drysdale A, Hui J, Zhai J, Cui L, Hutchison SK, Simons JF, Egholm M, Pettis JS, Lipkin WI. A Metagenomic Survey of Microbes in Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder. Science 2007; 318:283-7. [PMID: 17823314 DOI: 10.1126/science.1146498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 946] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
In colony collapse disorder (CCD), honey bee colonies inexplicably lose their workers. CCD has resulted in a loss of 50 to 90% of colonies in beekeeping operations across the United States. The observation that irradiated combs from affected colonies can be repopulated with naive bees suggests that infection may contribute to CCD. We used an unbiased metagenomic approach to survey microflora in CCD hives, normal hives, and imported royal jelly. Candidate pathogens were screened for significance of association with CCD by the examination of samples collected from several sites over a period of 3 years. One organism, Israeli acute paralysis virus of bees, was strongly correlated with CCD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana L Cox-Foster
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Abstract
Transmission mechanisms of six honeybee viruses, including acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), deformed wing virus (DWV), Kashmir bee virus (KBV), and sacbrood bee virus (SBV), in honey bee colonies were investigated by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) methods. The virus status of individual queens was evaluated by examining the presence of viruses in the queens' feces and tissues, including hemolymph, gut, ovaries, spermatheca, head, and eviscerated body. Except for head tissue, all five tissues as well as queen feces were found to be positive for virus infections. When queens in bee colonies were identified as positive for BQCV, DWV, CBPV, KBV, and SBV, the same viruses were detected in their offspring, including eggs, larvae, and adult workers. On the other hand, when queens were found positive for only two viruses, BQCV and DWV, only these two viruses were detected in their offspring. The presence of viruses in the tissue of ovaries and the detection of the same viruses in queens' eggs and young larvae suggest vertical transmission of viruses from queens to offspring. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of vertical transmission of viruses in honeybee colonies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Y P Chen
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Bldg. 476, BARC East, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Abstract
Social insects have evolved both communal and individual traits that reduce the impacts of their numerous parasites and pathogens. Among the individual traits, innate-immune responses have the potential to reduce both individual mortality and the spread of pathogens among colony members. An understanding of the costs and benefits of such responses can provide a more complete understanding of a primary risk of social life, horizontal disease transmission among colony members. Here we assess the impacts of individual immunity on colony-level disease in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies following exposure to an important bacterial pathogen (Paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae, cause of the disease American foulbrood). Colony-level disease rates were negatively correlated with the immune responsiveness of colony members, as assessed by larval transcript levels for the gene encoding the antibacterial peptide abaecin. Concomitantly, colonies whose members mounted a stronger abaecin response showed significantly lower productivity, indicating a colony-level cost to this immune response. The results show considerable variation across colonies in an immune trait important for survival, and point toward a significant trade-off between this trait and colony productivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jay D Evans
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Chen Y, Pettis JS, Feldlaufer MF. Detection of multiple viruses in queens of the honey bee Apis mellifera L. J Invertebr Pathol 2005; 90:118-21. [PMID: 16214161 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2005.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2005] [Revised: 08/04/2005] [Accepted: 08/06/2005] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Individual honey bee Apis mellifera L. queens were examined for the presence of six honey bee viruses including acute bee paralysis virus, chronic bee paralysis virus, black queen cell virus, deformed wing virus, Kashmir bee virus, and sacbrood virus. All viruses, except ABPV, were detected in the samples. Among queens examined for virus infections, 93% had multiple virus infections. The detection of viruses in queens raises the possibility of a vertical transmission pathway wherein infected queens can pass virus through their eggs to their offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanping Chen
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Bee Research Laboratory, Building 476, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
|
43
|
Ochoa R, Pettis JS, Erbe E, Wergin WP. Observations on the honey bee tracheal mite Acarapis woodi (Acari: Tarsonemidae) using low-temperature scanning electron microscopy. Exp Appl Acarol 2005; 35:239-249. [PMID: 15792103 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-004-5080-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Observations were made of cryo-preserved honey bee tracheal mites Acarapis woodi (Rennie) using scanning electron microscopy. We describe various new morphological attributes of A. woodi based on the ability of the cryo-technique to capture live mites in natural positions and observe the Low-Temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy (LT-SEM) photographs under a 3-D viewer. Most striking was the observation that each leg has the ability to independently twist its segments with the ambulacrum rotating a minimum of 180 degrees during locomotion; this is a more sophisticated form of locomotion than has been proposed for the Acari. Adult daughter mites are known to be the dispersal instar moving from the tracheal tube to the thoracic hairs of the bee and then transferring to a new bee. We hypothesize that adult tarsal claws and setae on the legs play a role in attachment to hairs during dispersal. However, our evidence is that none of the life stases use their tarsal claws within the tracheal tubes. Larvae were observed to be 'freely moving' within the tracheal system, their tarsal claws rendered inoperative due to an enlarged swollen pulvillar pad. The solenidia of leg I are now known to have striations and the famulus is bifurcated. The bifurcated famulus, solenidial striations, and segmentation of leg IV of females may have taxonomic implications in the family Tarsonemidae. The body and leg setae of adults appear to be used as a tactile tool to sense the amount of space within the tracheal tubes; most of the setae are oriented distally and may help the mite to measure the space or radius of the tracheal tubes. The modified caudal region of the male revealed remnants of the h1 and h2 setae and a smooth clean surface, void of a film, supporting that pharate nymphs are not attached in this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Ochoa
- Systematic Entomology Laboratory, BARC-West, Bldg. 005, Room 137, Agriculture Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Pettis JS, Kochansky J, Feldlaufer MF. Larval Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) mortality after topical application of antibiotics and dusts. J Econ Entomol 2004; 97:171-176. [PMID: 15154433 DOI: 10.1093/jee/97.2.171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Beekeepers apply various dusts to honey bee, Apis mellifera L., colonies to dislodge parasitic mites and control bacterial brood diseases. Anecdotal reports by beekeepers indicate that the antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) can be toxic when applied in powdered sugar to cells containing immature bee brood, but it was not known whether the purported toxicity is caused by the antibiotic or the sugar carrier. Additionally, the toxicity of various dusts, proposed for parasitic mite control, is poorly known. In the current studies, we tested OTC and two other antibiotics (tylosin and lincomycin, candidate compounds for use in honey bee colonies) in a powdered sugar carrier for larval toxicity. We also tested for larval toxicity, several dusts that have been proposed for mite control. OTC caused significant brood mortality of approximately 80% at the concentrations used in the hive (200 mg in 20 g sugar). In contrast, tylosin and lincomycin at the 200 mg dose were both similar to untreated controls, and only five times that concentration (1000 mg) caused significant brood mortality of approximately 65%. The addition of dusts, wheat flour, talc, and a commercially available protein supplement, BeePro, resulted in mortality levels between 65 and 80%, similar to that seen with OTC. The common antibiotic carrier, powered confectioners sugar, was nontoxic. The use of 100 unsealed brood cells was demonstrated to be a reliable means of assessing potential adverse affects of dry compounds on larval honey bees. Two new candidate antibiotics for use in honey bee colonies were less toxic to larval bees than the currently labeled antibiotic, OTC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J S Pettis
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|