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Rinkevich FD, Danka RG, Rinderer TE, Margotta JW, Bartlett LJ, Healy KB. Relative impacts of Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata:Varroidae) infestation and pesticide exposure on honey bee colony health and survival in a high-intensity corn and soybean producing region in northern Iowa. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2024; 24:18. [PMID: 38805656 PMCID: PMC11132140 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieae054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
The negative effects of Varroa and pesticides on colony health and survival are among the most important concerns to beekeepers. To compare the relative contribution of Varroa, pesticides, and interactions between them on honey bee colony performance and survival, a 2-year longitudinal study was performed in corn and soybean growing areas of Iowa. Varroa infestation and pesticide content in stored pollen were measured from 3 apiaries across a gradient of corn and soybean production areas and compared to measurements of colony health and survival. Colonies were not treated for Varroa the first year, but were treated the second year, leading to reduced Varroa infestation that was associated with larger honey bee populations, increased honey production, and higher colony survival. Pesticide detections were highest in areas with high-intensity corn and soybean production treated with conventional methods. Pesticide detections were positively associated with honey bee population size in May 2015 in the intermediate conventional (IC) and intermediate organic (IO) apiaries. Varroa populations across all apiaries in October 2015 were negatively correlated with miticide and chlorpyrifos detections. Miticide detections across all apiaries and neonicotinoid detections in the IC apiary in May 2015 were higher in colonies that survived. In July 2015, colony survival was positively associated with total pesticide detections in all apiaries and chlorpyrifos exposure in the IC and high conventional (HC) apiaries. This research suggests that Varroa are a major cause of reduced colony performance and increased colony losses, and honey bees are resilient upon low to moderate pesticide detections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank D Rinkevich
- USDA-ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Laboratory, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Robert G Danka
- USDA-ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Laboratory, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Thomas E Rinderer
- USDA-ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Laboratory, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Joseph W Margotta
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Lewis J Bartlett
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Kristen B Healy
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
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2
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Sbaghdi T, Garneau JR, Yersin S, Chaucheyras-Durand F, Bocquet M, Moné A, El Alaoui H, Bulet P, Blot N, Delbac F. The Response of the Honey Bee Gut Microbiota to Nosema ceranae Is Modulated by the Probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici and the Neonicotinoid Thiamethoxam. Microorganisms 2024; 12:192. [PMID: 38258019 PMCID: PMC10819737 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The honey bee Apis mellifera is exposed to a variety of biotic and abiotic stressors, such as the highly prevalent microsporidian parasite Nosema (Vairimorpha) ceranae and neonicotinoid insecticides. Both can affect honey bee physiology and microbial gut communities, eventually reducing its lifespan. They can also have a combined effect on the insect's survival. The use of bacterial probiotics has been proposed to improve honey bee health, but their beneficial effect remains an open question. In the present study, western honey bees were experimentally infected with N. ceranae spores, chronically exposed to the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam, and/or supplied daily with the homofermentative bacterium Pediococcus acidilactici MA18/5M thought to improve the honey bees' tolerance to the parasite. Deep shotgun metagenomic sequencing allowed the response of the gut microbiota to be investigated with a taxonomic resolution at the species level. All treatments induced significant changes in honey bee gut bacterial communities. Nosema ceranae infection increased the abundance of Proteus mirabilis, Frischella perrara, and Gilliamella apicola and reduced the abundance of Bifidobacterium asteroides, Fructobacillus fructosus, and Lactobacillus spp. Supplementation with P. acidilactici overturned some of these alterations, bringing back the abundance of some altered species close to the relative abundance found in the controls. Surprisingly, the exposure to thiamethoxam also restored the relative abundance of some species modulated by N. ceranae. This study shows that stressors and probiotics may have an antagonistic impact on honey bee gut bacterial communities and that P. acidilactici may have a protective effect against the dysbiosis induced by an infection with N. ceranae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thania Sbaghdi
- Laboratoire “Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement”, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; (T.S.); (A.M.); (H.E.A.)
| | - Julian R. Garneau
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Campus UNIL-Sorge, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; (J.R.G.); (S.Y.)
| | - Simon Yersin
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Campus UNIL-Sorge, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; (J.R.G.); (S.Y.)
| | - Frédérique Chaucheyras-Durand
- Lallemand SAS, 19 Rue des Briquetiers, BP 59, CEDEX, F-31702 Blagnac, France;
- Microbiologie Environnement Digestif et Santé, INRAE, Université Clermont Auvergne, F-63122 Saint-Genès Champanelle, France
| | | | - Anne Moné
- Laboratoire “Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement”, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; (T.S.); (A.M.); (H.E.A.)
| | - Hicham El Alaoui
- Laboratoire “Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement”, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; (T.S.); (A.M.); (H.E.A.)
| | - Philippe Bulet
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CR Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, F-38000 Grenoble, France;
- Platform BioPark Archamps, ArchParc, F-74160 Archamps, France
| | - Nicolas Blot
- Laboratoire “Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement”, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; (T.S.); (A.M.); (H.E.A.)
| | - Frédéric Delbac
- Laboratoire “Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement”, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; (T.S.); (A.M.); (H.E.A.)
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3
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Nekoei S, Rezvan M, Khamesipour F, Mayack C, Molento MB, Revainera PD. A systematic review of honey bee (Apis mellifera, Linnaeus, 1758) infections and available treatment options. Vet Med Sci 2023. [PMID: 37335585 PMCID: PMC10357250 DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Honey bees and honeycomb bees are very valuable for wild flowering plants and economically important crops due to their role as pollinators. However, these insects confront many disease threats (viruses, parasites, bacteria and fungi) and large pesticide concentrations in the environment. Varroa destructor is the most prevalent disease that has had the most negative effects on the fitness and survival of different honey bees (Apis mellifera and A. cerana). Moreover, honey bees are social insects and this ectoparasite can be easily transmitted within and across bee colonies. OBJECTIVE This review aims to provide a survey of the diversity and distribution of important bee infections and possible management and treatment options, so that honey bee colony health can be maintained. METHODS We used PRISMA guidelines throughout article selection, published between January 1960 and December 2020. PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Ovid databases were searched. RESULTS We have collected 132 articles and retained 106 articles for this study. The data obtained revealed that V. destructor and Nosema spp. were found to be the major pathogens of honey bees worldwide. The impact of these infections can result in the incapacity of forager bees to fly, disorientation, paralysis, and death of many individuals in the colony. We find that both hygienic and chemical pest management strategies must be implemented to prevent, reduce the parasite loads and transmission of pathogens. The use of an effective miticide (fluvalinate-tau, coumaphos and amitraz) now seems to be an essential and common practice required to minimise the impact of Varroa mites and other pathogens on bee colonies. New, alternative biofriendly control methods, are on the rise, and could be critical for maintaining honey bee hive health and improving honey productivity. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that critical health control methods be adopted globally and that an international monitoring system be implemented to determine honey bee colony safety, regularly identify parasite prevalence, as well as potential risk factors, so that the impact of pathogens on bee health can be recognised and quantified on a global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahin Nekoei
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Mahsa Rezvan
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Faham Khamesipour
- Research Center for Hydatid Disease in Iran, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Christopher Mayack
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Bioengineering, Sabanci University, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Marcelo Beltrão Molento
- Laboratory of Veterinary Clinical Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
- Microbiology, Parasitology, Pathology Program, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Pablo Damián Revainera
- Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS), Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Barmak R, Stefanec M, Hofstadler DN, Piotet L, Schönwetter-Fuchs-Schistek S, Mondada F, Schmickl T, Mills R. A robotic honeycomb for interaction with a honeybee colony. Sci Robot 2023; 8:eadd7385. [PMID: 36947600 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.add7385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Robotic technologies have shown the capability to interact with living organisms and even to form integrated mixed societies composed of living and artificial agents. Biocompatible robots, incorporating sensing and actuation capable of generating and responding to relevant stimuli, can be a tool to study collective behaviors previously unattainable with traditional techniques. To investigate collective behaviors of the western honeybee (Apis mellifera), we designed a robotic system capable of observing and modulating the bee cluster using an array of thermal sensors and actuators. We initially integrated the system into a beehive populated with about 4000 bees for several months. The robotic system was able to observe the colony by continuously collecting spatiotemporal thermal profiles of the winter cluster. Furthermore, we found that our robotic device reliably modulated the superorganism's response to dynamic thermal stimulation, influencing its spatiotemporal reorganization. In addition, after identifying the thermal collapse of a colony, we used the robotic system in a "life-support" mode via its thermal actuators. Ultimately, we demonstrated a robotic device capable of autonomous closed-loop interaction with a cluster comprising thousands of individual bees. Such biohybrid societies open the door to investigation of collective behaviors that necessitate observing and interacting with the animals within a complete social context, as well as for potential applications in augmenting the survivability of these pollinators crucial to our ecosystems and our food supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Barmak
- Mobile Robotic Systems Group, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin Stefanec
- Artificial Life Lab, Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Daniel N Hofstadler
- Artificial Life Lab, Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Louis Piotet
- Mobile Robotic Systems Group, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Francesco Mondada
- Mobile Robotic Systems Group, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Schmickl
- Artificial Life Lab, Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Rob Mills
- Mobile Robotic Systems Group, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Bruckner S, Straub L, Neumann P, Williams GR. Negative but antagonistic effects of neonicotinoid insecticides and ectoparasitic mites Varroa destructor on Apis mellifera honey bee food glands. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 313:137535. [PMID: 36521752 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Collaborative brood care by workers is essential for the functionality of eusocial Apis mellifera honey bee colonies. The hypopharyngeal food glands of workers play a crucial role in this context. Even though there is consensus that ubiquitous ectoparasitic mites Varroa destructor and widespread insecticides, such as neonicotinoids, are major stressors for honey bee health, their impact alone and in combination on the feeding glands of workers is poorly understood. Here, we show that combined exposure to V. destructor and neonicotinoids antagonistically interacted on hypopharyngeal gland size, yet they did not interact on emergence body mass or survival. While the observed effects of the antagonistic interaction were less negative than expected based on the sum of the individual effects, hypopharyngeal gland size was still significantly reduced. Alone, V. destructor parasitism negatively affected emergence body mass, survival, and hypopharyngeal gland size, whereas neonicotinoid exposure reduced hypopharyngeal gland size only. Since size is associated with hypopharyngeal gland functionality, a reduction could result in inadequate brood care. As cooperative brood care is a cornerstone of eusociality, smaller glands could have adverse down-stream effects on inclusive fitness of honey bee colonies. Therefore, our findings highlight the need to further study how ubiquitous stressors like V. destructor and neonicotinoids interact to affect honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selina Bruckner
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, 301 Funchess Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
| | - Lars Straub
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3097, Liebefeld, Switzerland; Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3097, Liebefeld, Switzerland.
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3097, Liebefeld, Switzerland; Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3097, Liebefeld, Switzerland.
| | - Geoffrey R Williams
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, 301 Funchess Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
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6
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Increased Stress Levels in Caged Honeybee (Apis mellifera) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Workers. STRESSES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/stresses2040026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Honeybees, Apis mellifera, usually live in large colonies consisting of thousands of individuals. Within the colony, workers interact with their social environment frequently. The large workforce, division of labour, and other features may promote the ecological success of honeybees. For decades, artificial mini colonies in cages within the laboratory have become the gold standard, especially in experiments related to toxicology, effects of pesticides and pathogens. Experiments using caged bees and full-sized colonies yielded contradictory results. Here, the effect of cage experiments on the stress level of individual bees is analysed. Two different stress response were targeted, the heat shock response and the mobilization of energetic resources. While no differences were found for varying group sizes of bees, very strong effects emerged by comparing caged workers with bees from natural colonies. Caged workers showed increased levels of hsp expression and reduced haemolymph titres for trehalose, the energy storage sugar. These results reveal that the lack of the social environment (e.g., lack of queen, lack of sufficient group size) induce stress in caged bees, which might act synergistically when bees are challenged by additional stressors (e.g., pesticides, pathogens) resulting in higher mortality than observed under field conditions.
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7
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Straub L, Strobl V, Yañez O, Albrecht M, Brown MJ, Neumann P. Do pesticide and pathogen interactions drive wild bee declines? Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2022; 18:232-243. [PMID: 35800107 PMCID: PMC9253050 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
There is clear evidence for wild insect declines globally. Habitat loss, climate change, pests, pathogens and environmental pollution have all been shown to cause detrimental effects on insects. However, interactive effects between these stressors may be the key to understanding reported declines. Here, we review the literature on pesticide and pathogen interactions for wild bees, identify knowledge gaps, and suggest avenues for future research fostering mitigation of the observed declines. The limited studies available suggest that effects of pesticides most likely override effects of pathogens. Bees feeding on flowers and building sheltered nests, are likely less adapted to toxins compared to other insects, which potential susceptibility is enhanced by the reduced number of genes encoding detoxifying enzymes compared with other insect species. However, to date all 10 studies using a fully-crossed design have been conducted in the laboratory on social bees using Crithidia spp. or Nosema spp., identifying an urgent need to test solitary bees and other pathogens. Similarly, since laboratory studies do not necessarily reflect field conditions, semi-field and field studies are essential if we are to understand these interactions and their potential effects in the real-world. In conclusion, there is a clear need for empirical (semi-)field studies on a range of pesticides, pathogens, and insect species to better understand the pathways and mechanisms underlying their potential interactions, in particular their relevance for insect fitness and population dynamics. Such data are indispensable to drive forward robust modelling of interactive effects in different environmental settings and foster predictive science. This will enable pesticide and pathogen interactions to be put into the context of other stressors more broadly, evaluating their relative importance in driving the observed declines of wild bees and other insects. Ultimately, this will enable the development of more effective mitigation measures to protect bees and the ecosystem services they supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Straub
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Verena Strobl
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Orlando Yañez
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Mark J.F. Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
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Brown AF, Rodriguez V, Brzoska C, Pfister J, Neumann P, Retschnig G. Dream Team for Honey Bee Health: Pollen and Unmanipulated Gut Microbiota Promote Worker Longevity and Body Weight. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.864741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gut microbiota are known to foster pollen digestion in honey bee workers, Apis mellifera, thereby enhancing longevity and body weight gain. However, it is currently not known how longevity and body weight gain are effected when gut microbiota are reduced in bees with or without access to pollen. Here, using a hoarding cage set-up with freshly emerged summer workers, we manipulated the gut microbiota of half the bees with the antibiotic tetracycline (ABX), and left the other half untreated on a sucrose solution diet. Afterwards, all bees were assigned to either sucrose diets or sucrose plus ad libitum access to pollen (N = 4 treatments, N = 26 bees/treatment, N = 10 replicates/treatment, N = 1,040 total workers). The data confirm that pollen has a positive effect on longevity and body weight in workers with an unmanipulated gut microbiota. Surprisingly, the antibiotics alone also improved the longevity and body weight of the workers fed a strictly sucrose diet, potentially explained by the reduction of harmful bacteria. However, this positive effect was reversed from an observed antagonistic interaction between pollen and antibiotics, underscoring the innate value of natural microbiota on pollen digestion. In conclusion, a combination of adequate pollen supply and an unmanipulated gut microbiota appears crucial to honey bee worker health, calling for respective efforts to ensure both in managed colonies.
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9
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Ulgezen ZN, van Dooremalen C, van Langevelde F. Understanding social resilience in honeybee colonies. CURRENT RESEARCH IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 1:100021. [PMID: 36003609 PMCID: PMC9387495 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2021.100021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Honeybee colonies experience high losses, induced by several stressors that can result in the collapse of colonies. Experiments show what effects stressors, such as parasites, pathogens and pesticides, can have on individual honeybees as well as colonies. Although individuals may die, colonies do not always collapse from such disturbances. As a superorganism, the colony can maintain or return back to homeostasis through colony mechanisms. This capacity is defined as social resilience. When the colony faces a high stress load, this may lead to breakdown in mechanisms, loss in resilience and eventually colony collapse. Before social resilience can be measured in honeybees, we need to examine the mechanisms in colonies that allow recovery and maintenance after stressor exposure. Here, we discuss some of these mechanisms and how they affect the social resilience of honeybee colonies. Understanding social resilience in honeybees is essential to managing colony health and loss prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeynep N. Ulgezen
- Bees@wur, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Coby van Dooremalen
- Bees@wur, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Frank van Langevelde
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
- School of Life Sciences, Westville Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa
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10
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Straub L, Villamar‐Bouza L, Bruckner S, Chantawannakul P, Kolari E, Maitip J, Vidondo B, Neumann P, Williams GR. Negative effects of neonicotinoids on male honeybee survival, behaviour and physiology in the field. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lars Straub
- Institute of Bee Health Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern Bern Switzerland
- Swiss Bee Research CentreAgroscope Bern Switzerland
| | | | - Selina Bruckner
- Institute of Bee Health Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern Bern Switzerland
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | - Panuwan Chantawannakul
- Bee Protection Laboratory Department of Biology Faculty of Science Chiang Mai University Chiang Mai Thailand
- Environmental Science Research Center Faculty of Science Chiang Mai University Chiang Mai Thailand
| | - Eleonora Kolari
- Institute of Bee Health Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Jakkrawut Maitip
- Bee Protection Laboratory Department of Biology Faculty of Science Chiang Mai University Chiang Mai Thailand
- Faculty of Science, Energy and Environment King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok Rayong Thailand
| | - Beatriz Vidondo
- Veterinary Public Health Institute Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern Bern Switzerland
- Swiss Bee Research CentreAgroscope Bern Switzerland
| | - Geoffrey R. Williams
- Institute of Bee Health Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern Bern Switzerland
- Swiss Bee Research CentreAgroscope Bern Switzerland
- Bee Protection Laboratory Department of Biology Faculty of Science Chiang Mai University Chiang Mai Thailand
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Barascou L, Brunet JL, Belzunces L, Decourtye A, Henry M, Fourrier J, Le Conte Y, Alaux C. Pesticide risk assessment in honeybees: Toward the use of behavioral and reproductive performances as assessment endpoints. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 276:130134. [PMID: 33690036 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The growing gap between new evidence of pesticide toxicity in honeybees and conventional toxicological assays recommended by regulatory test guidelines emphasizes the need to complement current lethal endpoints with sublethal endpoints. In this context, behavioral and reproductive performances have received growing interest since the 2000s, likely due to their ecological relevance and/or the emergence of new technologies. We review the biological interests and methodological measurements of these predominantly studied endpoints and discuss their possible use in the pesticide risk assessment procedure based on their standardization level, simplicity and ecological relevance. It appears that homing flights and reproduction have great potential for pesticide risk assessment, mainly due to their ecological relevance. If exploratory research studies in ecotoxicology have paved the way toward a better understanding of pesticide toxicity in honeybees, the next objective will then be to translate the most relevant behavioral and reproductive endpoints into regulatory test methods. This will require more comparative studies and improving their ecological relevance. This latter goal may be facilitated by the use of population dynamics models for scaling up the consequences of adverse behavioral and reproductive effects from individuals to colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Barascou
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France; UMT PrADE, Avignon, France.
| | - Jean-Luc Brunet
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France; UMT PrADE, Avignon, France
| | - Luc Belzunces
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France; UMT PrADE, Avignon, France
| | - Axel Decourtye
- UMT PrADE, Avignon, France; ITSAP-Institut de L'abeille, Avignon, France
| | - Mickael Henry
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France; UMT PrADE, Avignon, France
| | - Julie Fourrier
- UMT PrADE, Avignon, France; ITSAP-Institut de L'abeille, Avignon, France
| | - Yves Le Conte
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France; UMT PrADE, Avignon, France
| | - Cedric Alaux
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France; UMT PrADE, Avignon, France.
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12
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Siviter H, Bailes EJ, Martin CD, Oliver TR, Koricheva J, Leadbeater E, Brown MJF. Agrochemicals interact synergistically to increase bee mortality. Nature 2021; 596:389-392. [PMID: 34349259 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03787-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Global concern over widely documented declines in pollinators1-3 has led to the identification of anthropogenic stressors that, individually, are detrimental to bee populations4-7. Synergistic interactions between these stressors could substantially amplify the environmental effect of these stressors and could therefore have important implications for policy decisions that aim to improve the health of pollinators3,8,9. Here, to quantitatively assess the scale of this threat, we conducted a meta-analysis of 356 interaction effect sizes from 90 studies in which bees were exposed to combinations of agrochemicals, nutritional stressors and/or parasites. We found an overall synergistic effect between multiple stressors on bee mortality. Subgroup analysis of bee mortality revealed strong evidence for synergy when bees were exposed to multiple agrochemicals at field-realistic levels, but interactions were not greater than additive expectations when bees were exposed to parasites and/or nutritional stressors. All interactive effects on proxies of fitness, behaviour, parasite load and immune responses were either additive or antagonistic; therefore, the potential mechanisms that drive the observed synergistic interactions for bee mortality remain unclear. Environmental risk assessment schemes that assume additive effects of the risk of agrochemical exposure may underestimate the interactive effect of anthropogenic stressors on bee mortality and will fail to protect the pollinators that provide a key ecosystem service that underpins sustainable agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Siviter
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK. .,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Emily J Bailes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Callum D Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Thomas R Oliver
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK.,School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK.,Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK
| | - Julia Koricheva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Ellouise Leadbeater
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Mark J F Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
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13
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Bartling MT, Thümecke S, Russert JH, Vilcinskas A, Lee KZ. Exposure to low doses of pesticides induces an immune response and the production of nitric oxide in honeybees. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6819. [PMID: 33767272 PMCID: PMC7994568 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86293-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Honeybees are essential pollinators of many agricultural crops and wild plants. However, the number of managed bee colonies has declined in some regions of the world over the last few decades, probably caused by a combination of factors including parasites, pathogens and pesticides. Exposure to these diverse biotic and abiotic stressors is likely to trigger immune responses and stress pathways that affect the health of individual honeybees and hence their contribution to colony survival. We therefore investigated the effects of an orally administered bacterial pathogen (Pseudomonas entomophila) and low-dose xenobiotic pesticides on honeybee survival and intestinal immune responses. We observed stressor-dependent effects on the mean lifespan, along with the induction of genes encoding the antimicrobial peptide abaecin and the detoxification factor cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP9E2. The pesticides also triggered the immediate induction of a nitric oxide synthase gene followed by the delayed upregulation of catalase, which was not observed in response to the pathogen. Honeybees therefore appear to produce nitric oxide as a specific defense response when exposed to xenobiotic stimuli. The immunity-related and stress-response genes we tested may provide useful stressor-dependent markers for ecotoxicological assessment in honeybee colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merle T Bartling
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich Buff Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Susanne Thümecke
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich Buff Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - José Herrera Russert
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich Buff Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich Buff Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35394, Giessen, Germany
| | - Kwang-Zin Lee
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35394, Giessen, Germany.
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14
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Bird G, Wilson AE, Williams GR, Hardy NB. Parasites and pesticides act antagonistically on honey bee health. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gwendolyn Bird
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | - Alan E. Wilson
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | | | - Nate B. Hardy
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology Auburn University Auburn AL USA
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15
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Nosema ceranae causes cellular immunosuppression and interacts with thiamethoxam to increase mortality in the stingless bee Melipona colimana. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17021. [PMID: 33046792 PMCID: PMC7550335 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74209-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae and neonicotinoid insecticides affect the health of honey bees (Apis mellifera). However, there is limited information about the effect of these stressors on other pollinators such as stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponini). We examined the separate and combined effects of N. ceranae and the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam at field-exposure levels on the survivorship and cellular immunity (hemocyte concentration) of the stingless bee Melipona colimana. Newly-emerged bees were subjected to four treatments provided in sucrose syrup: N. ceranae spores, thiamethoxam, thiamethoxam and N. ceranae, and control (bees receiving only syrup). N. ceranae developed infections of > 467,000 spores/bee in the group treated with spores only. However, in the bees subjected to both stressors, infections were < 143,000 spores/bee, likely due to an inhibitory effect of thiamethoxam on the microsporidium. N. ceranae infections did not affect bee survivorship, but thiamethoxam plus N. ceranae significantly increased mortality. Hemocyte counts were significantly lower in N. ceranae infected-bees than in the other treatments. These results suggest that N. ceranae may infect, proliferate and cause cellular immunosuppression in stingless bees, that exposure to sublethal thiamethoxam concentrations is toxic to M. colimana when infected with N. ceranae, and that thiamethoxam restrains N. ceranae proliferation. These findings have implications on pollinators' conservation.
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16
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Bartling MT, Vilcinskas A, Lee KZ. Sub-Lethal Doses of Clothianidin Inhibit the Conditioning and Biosensory Abilities of the Western Honeybee Apis mellifera. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10100340. [PMID: 31614672 PMCID: PMC6836177 DOI: 10.3390/insects10100340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Insects play an important role in the stability of ecosystems by fulfilling key functions such as pollination and nutrient cycling, as well as acting as prey for amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. The global decline of insects is therefore a cause for concern, and the role of chemical pesticides must be examined carefully. The lethal effects of insecticides are well understood, but sub-lethal concentrations have not been studied in sufficient detail. We therefore used the western honeybee Apis mellifera as a model to test the effect of the neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin on the movement, biosensory abilities and odor-dependent conditioning of insects, titrating from lethal to sub-lethal doses. Bees treated with sub-lethal doses showed no significant movement impairment compared to untreated control bees, but their ability to react to an aversive stimulus was inhibited. These results show that clothianidin is not only highly toxic to honeybees, but can, at lower doses, also disrupt the biosensory capabilities of survivors, probably reducing fitness at the individual level. In our study, sub-lethal doses of clothianidin altered the biosensory abilities of the honeybee; possible consequences at the colony level are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merle T Bartling
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, D-35394 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Kwang-Zin Lee
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Winchester Strasse 2, D-35394 Giessen, Germany.
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17
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Colin T, Meikle WG, Paten AM, Barron AB. Long-term dynamics of honey bee colonies following exposure to chemical stress. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 677:660-670. [PMID: 31071668 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Pesticide residues have been linked to reduced bee health and increased honey bee colony failure. Most research to date has investigated the role of pesticides on individual honey bees, and it is still unclear how trace levels of pesticides change colony viability and productivity over seasonal time scales. To address this question we exposed standard bee colonies to chemical stressors known to have negative effects on individual bees, and measured the productivity of bee colonies across a whole year in two environments: near Tucson Arizona and Sydney Australia. We exposed hives to a trace amount of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid and to the acaricide thymol, and measured capped brood, bee and honey production, as well as the temperature and foraging force of the colonies. The effect of imidacloprid on colony dynamics differed between the two environments. In Tucson we recorded a positive effect of imidacloprid treatment on bee and brood numbers. Thymol was associated with short-term negative effects on bee numbers at both locations, and may have affected colony survival at one location. The overall benefits of thymol for the colonies were unclear. We conclude that long-term and colony-level measures of the effects of agrochemicals are needed to properly understand risks to bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théotime Colin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - William G Meikle
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ, United States of America
| | - Amy M Paten
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Andrew B Barron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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18
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Iqbal J, Alqarni AS, Raweh HSA. Effect of Sub-lethal Doses of Imidacloprid on Learning and Memory Formation of Indigenous Arabian Bee (Apis mellifera jemenitica Ruttner) Adult Foragers. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 48:373-380. [PMID: 30478776 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-018-0651-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The indigenous bee race Apis mellifera jemenitica Ruttner of Saudi Arabia can learn and retain memories established by the classical conditioning of proboscis extension response (PER). The insecticide imidacloprid has shown a drastic effect on the olfactory behavior of A. m. jemenitica in the harsh arid climatic conditions of central Saudi Arabia. The oral feeding of single imidacloprid sub-lethal doses (1.0 ng, 0.5 ng, or 0.1 ng) under laboratory conditions significantly impaired associative learning during the 2nd and 3rd conditioning trials compared to control bees (0 ng). The memory tests also revealed significant impairment in memory formation at 1 h, 2 h, and 24 h after conditioning compared to control bees. Even the lowest dose (0.1 ng/bee) can significantly impair the bees' ability to learn and memorize. This impairment effect was dose dependent and increased with increasing doses. The higher dose (1.0 ng) completely impaired the learning but still showed a little memory and reflected the potential recovery of bees from insecticide-induced impairment with the passage of time. To our knowledge, this is the first study in A. m. jemenitica that demonstrated the drastic effect of neonicotinoids on associative learning in indigenous bees. This study further expresses the possible severity of insecticidal exposure to bees in actual field conditions and its effect on the neural functions used in important behavior involved in the foraging of bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Iqbal
- Melittology Research Lab, Dept of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud Univ, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Dept of Entomology, MNS Univ of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan.
| | - A S Alqarni
- Melittology Research Lab, Dept of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud Univ, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - H S A Raweh
- Melittology Research Lab, Dept of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud Univ, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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19
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Strobl V, Straub L, Bruckner S, Albrecht M, Maitip J, Kolari E, Chantawannakul P, Williams GR, Neumann P. Not every sperm counts: Male fertility in solitary bees, Osmia cornuta. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214597. [PMID: 30921425 PMCID: PMC6440592 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive strategies can act as strong selective forces on reproductive traits
of male insects, resulting in species-specific variation in sperm quantity and
viability. For solitary bees, basic measures of sperm quantity and viability are
scarce. Here we evaluated for the first time quantity and viability of sperm in
male Osmia cornuta solitary bees at different times after
emergence, and how they were affected by male body mass and environmental
condition (laboratory or semi-field arena). Sperm viability immediately after
adult emergence showed no significant difference compared to four day old
individuals, suggesting that O. cornuta males
are capable of mating immediately post emergence. However, sperm counts were
significantly higher in four day old individuals from the semi-field arena when
compared to newly emerged males. This might reflect a final phase of sperm
maturation. Regardless of individual male age and body mass differences,
O. cornuta males produced on average
~175’000 spermatozoa that were ~65% viable, which are both significantly lower
compared to eusocial honeybees and bumblebees. Moreover, sperm quantity, but not
viability, was positively correlated with male body mass four days after
emergence, while no such relationship was detected immediately after emergence.
Even though individuals maintained in semi-field conditions exhibited a
significantly greater loss of body mass, experimental arena had no significant
effect on male survival, sperm quality or total living sperm produced. This
suggests that the proposed laboratory design provides a cost-efficient and
simple experimental approach to assess sperm traits in solitary bees. In
conclusion, our data suggest a reduced investment in both sperm quantity and
quality by male O. cornuta, which appears to
be adaptive in light of the life history of this solitary bee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Strobl
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern,
Switzerland
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (VS); (LS)
| | - Lars Straub
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern,
Switzerland
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (VS); (LS)
| | - Selina Bruckner
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern,
Switzerland
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University,
Auburn, AL, United States of America
| | | | - Jakkrawut Maitip
- Faculty of Science, Energy and Environment, King Mongkut's University of
Technology, North Bangkok, Rayong Campus, Bankhai, Rayong,
Thailand
- Bee Protection Center, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang
Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Eleonora Kolari
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern,
Switzerland
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Panuwan Chantawannakul
- Bee Protection Center, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang
Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Environmental Science Research Center, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai
University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Geoffrey R. Williams
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern,
Switzerland
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University,
Auburn, AL, United States of America
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern,
Switzerland
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
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20
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Odemer R, Nilles L, Linder N, Rosenkranz P. Sublethal effects of clothianidin and Nosema spp. on the longevity and foraging activity of free flying honey bees. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2018; 27:527-538. [PMID: 29556938 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-018-1925-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Neonicotinoids alone or in combination with pathogens are considered to be involved in the worldwide weakening of honey bees. We here present a new approach for testing sublethal and/or synergistic effects in free flying colonies. In our experiment individually marked honey bees were kept in free flying mini-hives and chronically exposed to sublethal doses of the neonicotinoid clothianidin. Additional groups of bees were challenged with Nosema infections or with combinations of the pesticide and pathogens. Longevity and flight activity of the differentially treated bees were monitored for a period of 18 days. In contrast to previous laboratory studies, no effect of the neonicotinoid treatment on mortality or flight activity could be observed. Although the lifespan of Nosema infected bees were significantly reduced compared to non-infected bees a combination of pesticide and pathogen did not reveal any synergistic effect. Our results indicate that individual bees are less impaired by neonicotinoids if kept within the social environment of the colony. The effect of such a "social buffering" should be considered in future risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Odemer
- Apicultural State Institute, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, 70593, Germany.
| | - Lisa Nilles
- Apicultural State Institute, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, 70593, Germany
| | - Nadine Linder
- Apicultural State Institute, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, 70593, Germany
| | - Peter Rosenkranz
- Apicultural State Institute, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, 70593, Germany
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21
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Martín-Hernández R, Bartolomé C, Chejanovsky N, Le Conte Y, Dalmon A, Dussaubat C, García-Palencia P, Meana A, Pinto MA, Soroker V, Higes M. Nosema ceranaeinApis mellifera: a 12 years postdetectionperspective. Environ Microbiol 2018; 20:1302-1329. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Martín-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola. Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental de Marchamalo, (CIAPA-IRIAF), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha; Marchamalo Spain
- Instituto de Recursos Humanos para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (INCRECYT-FEDER), Fundación Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Castilla - La Mancha; Spain
| | - Carolina Bartolomé
- Medicina Xenómica, CIMUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. Xenómica Comparada de Parásitos Humanos, IDIS, 15782 Santiago de Compostela; Galicia Spain
| | - Nor Chejanovsky
- Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center; Rishon LeZion Israel
| | - Yves Le Conte
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement; F-84000 Avignon France
| | - Anne Dalmon
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement; F-84000 Avignon France
| | | | | | - Aranzazu Meana
- Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; Spain
| | - M. Alice Pinto
- Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), Polytechnic Institute of Bragança; 5300-253 Bragança Portugal
| | - Victoria Soroker
- Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center; Rishon LeZion Israel
| | - Mariano Higes
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola. Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental de Marchamalo, (CIAPA-IRIAF), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha; Marchamalo Spain
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22
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Traver BE, Feazel-Orr HK, Catalfamo KM, Brewster CC, Fell RD. Seasonal Effects and the Impact of In-Hive Pesticide Treatments on Parasite, Pathogens, and Health of Honey Bees. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 111:517-527. [PMID: 29471479 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toy026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Honey bee, Apis mellifera (L.; Hymenoptera: Apidae), populations are in decline and their losses pose a serious threat for crop pollination and food production. The specific causes of these losses are believed to be multifactorial. Pesticides, parasites and pathogens, and nutritional deficiencies have been implicated in the losses due to their ability to exert energetic stress on bees. While our understanding of the role of these factors in honey bee colony losses has improved, there is still a lack of knowledge of how they impact the immune system of the honey bee. In this study, honey bee colonies were exposed to Fumagilin-B, Apistan (tau-fluvalinate), and chlorothalonil at field realistic levels. No significant effects of the antibiotic and two pesticides were observed on the levels of varroa mite, Nosema ceranae (Fries; Microsporidia: Nosematidae), black queen cell virus, deformed wing virus, or immunity as measured by phenoloxidase and glucose oxidase activity. Any effects on the parasites, pathogens, and immunity we observed appear to be due mainly to seasonal changes within the honey bee colonies. The results suggest that Fumagilin-B, Apistan, and chlorothalonil do not significantly impact the health of honey bee colonies, based on the factors analyzed and the concentration of chemicals tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenna E Traver
- Department of Biology, Penn State Schuylkill, Schuylkill Haven, PA
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23
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Forfert N, Troxler A, Retschnig G, Gauthier L, Straub L, Moritz RFA, Neumann P, Williams GR. Neonicotinoid pesticides can reduce honeybee colony genetic diversity. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186109. [PMID: 29059234 PMCID: PMC5653293 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Neonicotinoid insecticides can cause a variety of adverse sub-lethal effects in bees. In social species such as the honeybee, Apis mellifera, queens are essential for reproduction and colony functioning. Therefore, any negative effect of these agricultural chemicals on the mating success of queens may have serious consequences for the fitness of the entire colony. Queens were exposed to the common neonicotinoid pesticides thiamethoxam and clothianidin during their developmental stage. After mating, their spermathecae were dissected to count the number of stored spermatozoa. Furthermore, their worker offspring were genotyped with DNA microsatellites to determine the number of matings and the genotypic composition of the colony. Colonies providing the male mating partners were also inferred. Both neonicotinoid and control queens mated with drones originating from the same drone source colonies, and stored similar number of spermatozoa. However, queens reared in colonies exposed to both neonicotinoids experienced fewer matings. This resulted in a reduction of the genetic diversity in their colonies (i.e. higher intracolonial relatedness). As decreased genetic diversity among worker bees is known to negatively affect colony vitality, neonicotinoids may have a cryptic effect on colony health by reducing the mating frequency of queens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadège Forfert
- Institute of Biology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Aline Troxler
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gina Retschnig
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Lars Straub
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Robin F. A. Moritz
- Institute of Biology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Social Insect Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Geoffrey R. Williams
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
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24
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Colwell MJ, Williams GR, Evans RC, Shutler D. Honey bee-collected pollen in agro-ecosystems reveals diet diversity, diet quality, and pesticide exposure. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:7243-7253. [PMID: 28944014 PMCID: PMC5606875 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2016] [Revised: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
European honey bees Apis mellifera are important commercial pollinators that have suffered greater than normal overwintering losses since 2007 in North America and Europe. Contributing factors likely include a combination of parasites, pesticides, and poor nutrition. We examined diet diversity, diet nutritional quality, and pesticides in honey bee-collected pollen from commercial colonies in the Canadian Maritime Provinces in spring and summer 2011. We sampled pollen collected by honey bees at colonies in four site types: apple orchards, blueberry fields, cranberry bogs, and fallow fields. Proportion of honey bee-collected pollen from crop versus noncrop flowers was high in apple, very low in blueberry, and low in cranberry sites. Pollen nutritional value tended to be relatively good from apple and cranberry sites and poor from blueberry and fallow sites. Floral surveys ranked, from highest to lowest in diversity, fallow, cranberry, apple, and blueberry sites. Pesticide diversity in honey bee-collected pollen was high from apple and blueberry sites and low from cranberry and fallow sites. Four different neonicotinoid pesticides were detected, but neither these nor any other pesticides were at or above LD50 levels. Pollen hazard quotients were highest in apple and blueberry sites and lowest in fallow sites. Pollen hazard quotients were also negatively correlated with the number of flower taxa detected in surveys. Results reveal differences among site types in diet diversity, diet quality, and pesticide exposure that are informative for improving honey bee and land agro-ecosystem management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan J Colwell
- Department of Biology Acadia University Wolfville NS Canada.,Present address: Department of Entomology University of Manitoba Winnipeg MB Canada R3T 2N2
| | - Geoffrey R Williams
- Department of Biology Acadia University Wolfville NS Canada.,Department of Biology Dalhousie University Halifax NS Canada.,Institute of Bee Health Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern Bern Switzerland.,Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre Bern Switzerland.,Present address: Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology Auburn University Auburn AL 36849 USA
| | - Rodger C Evans
- Department of Biology Acadia University Wolfville NS Canada
| | - Dave Shutler
- Department of Biology Acadia University Wolfville NS Canada
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Siede R, Faust L, Meixner MD, Maus C, Grünewald B, Büchler R. Performance of honey bee colonies under a long-lasting dietary exposure to sublethal concentrations of the neonicotinoid insecticide thiacloprid. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2017; 73:1334-1344. [PMID: 28168846 PMCID: PMC5485166 DOI: 10.1002/ps.4547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substantial honey bee colony losses have occurred periodically in the last decades. The drivers for these losses are not fully understood. The influence of pests and pathogens are beyond dispute, but in addition, chronic exposure to sublethal concentrations of pesticides has been suggested to affect the performance of honey bee colonies. This study aims to elucidate the potential effects of a chronic exposure to sublethal concentrations (one realistic worst-case concentration) of the neonicotinoid thiacloprid to honey bee colonies in a three year replicated colony feeding study. RESULTS Thiacloprid did not significantly affect the colony strength. No differences between treatment and control were observed for the mortality of bees, the infestation with the parasitic mite Varroa destructor and the infection levels of viruses. No colony losses occurred during the overwintering seasons. Furthermore, thiacloprid did not influence the constitutive expression of the immunity-related hymenoptaecin gene. However, upregulation of hymenoptaecin expression as a response to bacterial challenge was less pronounced in exposed bees than in control bees. CONCLUSION Under field conditions, bee colonies are not adversely affected by a long-lasting exposure to sublethal concentrations of thiacloprid. No indications were found that field-realistic and higher doses exerted a biologically significant effect on colony performance. © 2017 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinhold Siede
- Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft HessenBieneninstitut KirchhainKirchhainGermany
| | - Lena Faust
- Institut für Bienenkunde, Oberursel, Polytechnische Gesellschaft, Fachbereich BiowissenschaftenGoethe‐Universität Frankfurt am MainOberurselGermany
| | - Marina D Meixner
- Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft HessenBieneninstitut KirchhainKirchhainGermany
| | | | - Bernd Grünewald
- Institut für Bienenkunde, Oberursel, Polytechnische Gesellschaft, Fachbereich BiowissenschaftenGoethe‐Universität Frankfurt am MainOberurselGermany
| | - Ralph Büchler
- Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft HessenBieneninstitut KirchhainKirchhainGermany
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Tritschler M, Retschnig G, Yañez O, Williams GR, Neumann P. Host sharing by the honey bee parasites Lotmaria passim and Nosema ceranae. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:1850-1857. [PMID: 28331592 PMCID: PMC5355176 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The trypanosome Lotmaria passim and the microsporidian Nosema ceranae are common parasites of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, intestine, but the nature of interactions between them is unknown. Here, we took advantage of naturally occurring infections and quantified infection loads of individual workers (N = 408) originating from three apiaries (four colonies per apiary) using PCR to test for interactions between these two parasites. For that purpose, we measured the frequency of single and double infections, estimated the parasite loads of single and double infections, and determined the type of correlation between both parasites in double infections. If interactions between both parasites are strong and antagonistic, single infections should be more frequent than double infections, double infections will have lower parasite loads than single infections, and double infections will present a negative correlation. Overall, a total of 88 workers were infected with N. ceranae, 53 with L. passim, and eight with both parasites. Although both parasites were found in all three apiaries, there were significant differences among apiaries in the proportions of infected bees. The data show no significant differences between the expected and observed frequencies of single‐ and double‐infected bees. While the infection loads of individual bees were significantly higher for L. passim compared to N. ceranae, there were no significant differences in infection loads between single‐ and double‐infected hosts for both parasites. These results suggest no strong interactions between the two parasites in honey bees, possibly due to spatial separation in the host. The significant positive correlation between L. passim and N. ceranae infection loads in double‐infected hosts therefore most likely results from differences among individual hosts rather than cooperation between parasites. Even if hosts are infected by multiple parasites, this does not necessarily imply that there are any significant interactions between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Tritschler
- Institute of Bee Health Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Gina Retschnig
- Institute of Bee Health Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Orlando Yañez
- Institute of Bee Health Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Geoffrey R Williams
- Institute of Bee Health Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern Bern Switzerland; Agroscope Swiss Bee Research Centre Bern Switzerland; Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern Bern Switzerland; Agroscope Swiss Bee Research Centre Bern Switzerland
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27
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Retschnig G, Williams GR, Schneeberger A, Neumann P. Cold Ambient Temperature Promotes Nosema spp. Intensity in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera). INSECTS 2017; 8:E20. [PMID: 28208761 PMCID: PMC5371948 DOI: 10.3390/insects8010020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Interactions between parasites and environmental factors have been implicated in the loss of managed Western honey bee (=HB, Apis mellifera) colonies. Although laboratory data suggest that cold temperature may limit the spread of Nosema ceranae, an invasive species and now ubiquitous endoparasite of Western HBs, the impact of weather conditions on the distribution of this microsporidian in the field is poorly understood. Here, we conducted a survey for Nosema spp. using 18 Swiss apiaries (four colonies per apiary) over a period of up to 18 months. Samples consisting of 60 workers were collected monthly from each colony to estimate Nosema spp. intensity, i.e., the number of spores in positive samples using microscopy. Ambient apiary temperature was measured daily to estimate the proportion of days enabling HB flight (>10 °C at midday). The results show that Nosema spp. intensities were negatively correlated with the proportion of days enabling HB flight, thereby suggesting a significant and unexpected positive impact of cold ambient temperature on intensities, probably via regulation of defecation opportunities for infected hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Retschnig
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern 3003, Switzerland.
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern 3003, Switzerland.
| | - Geoffrey R Williams
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern 3003, Switzerland.
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern 3003, Switzerland.
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
| | - Annette Schneeberger
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern 3003, Switzerland.
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern 3003, Switzerland.
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern 3003, Switzerland.
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Drescher N, Klein AM, Neumann P, Yañez O, Leonhardt SD. Inside Honeybee Hives: Impact of Natural Propolis on the Ectoparasitic Mite Varroa destructor and Viruses. INSECTS 2017; 8:E15. [PMID: 28178181 PMCID: PMC5371943 DOI: 10.3390/insects8010015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Social immunity is a key factor for honeybee health, including behavioral defense strategies such as the collective use of antimicrobial plant resins (propolis). While laboratory data repeatedly show significant propolis effects, field data are scarce, especially at the colony level. Here, we investigated whether propolis, as naturally deposited in the nests, can protect honeybees against ectoparasitic mites Varroa destructor and associated viruses, which are currently considered the most serious biological threat to European honeybee subspecies, Apis mellifera, globally. Propolis intake of 10 field colonies was manipulated by either reducing or adding freshly collected propolis. Mite infestations, titers of deformed wing virus (DWV) and sacbrood virus (SBV), resin intake, as well as colony strength were recorded monthly from July to September 2013. We additionally examined the effect of raw propolis volatiles on mite survival in laboratory assays. Our results showed no significant effects of adding or removing propolis on mite survival and infestation levels. However, in relation to V. destructor, DWV titers increased significantly less in colonies with added propolis than in propolis-removed colonies, whereas SBV titers were similar. Colonies with added propolis were also significantly stronger than propolis-removed colonies. These findings indicate that propolis may interfere with the dynamics of V. destructor-transmitted viruses, thereby further emphasizing the importance of propolis for honeybee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Drescher
- Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Scharnhorststr. 1, Lüneburg D-21335, Germany.
| | - Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, Freiburg D-79106, Germany.
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, Bern CH-3003, Switzerland.
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope, Bern CH-3003, Switzerland.
| | - Orlando Yañez
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, Bern CH-3003, Switzerland.
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope, Bern CH-3003, Switzerland.
| | - Sara D Leonhardt
- Department of Animal Department of Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Biocenter-Am Hubland, Würzburg D-97074, Germany.
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Rueppell O, Yousefi B, Collazo J, Smith D. Early life stress affects mortality rate more than social behavior, gene expression or oxidative damage in honey bee workers. Exp Gerontol 2017; 90:19-25. [PMID: 28122251 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2017.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Revised: 01/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Early life stressors can affect aging and life expectancy in positive or negative ways. Individuals can adjust their behavior and molecular physiology based on early life experiences but relatively few studies have connected such mechanisms to demographic patterns in social organisms. Sociality buffers individuals from environmental influences and it is unclear how much early life stress affects later life history. Workers of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) were exposed to two stressors, Varroa parasitism and Paraquat exposure, early in life. Consequences were measured at the molecular, behavioral, and demographic level. While treatments did not significantly affect levels of oxidative damage, expression of select genes, and titers of the common deformed wing virus, most of these measures were affected by age. Some of the age effects, such as declining levels of deformed wing virus and oxidative damage, were opposite to our predictions but may be explained by demographic selection. Further analyses suggested some influences of worker behavior on mortality and indicated weak treatment effects on behavior. The latter effects were inconsistent among the two experiments. However, mortality rate was consistently reduced by Varroa mite stress during development. Thus, mortality was more responsive to early life stress than our other response variables. The lack of treatment effects on these measures may be due to the social organization of honey bees that buffers the individual from the impact of stressful developmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olav Rueppell
- Department of of Biology, 312 Eberhart Building, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 321 McIver Street, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA.
| | - Babak Yousefi
- Department of of Biology, 312 Eberhart Building, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 321 McIver Street, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA
| | - Juan Collazo
- Department of of Biology, 312 Eberhart Building, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 321 McIver Street, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA
| | - Daniel Smith
- Department of of Biology, 312 Eberhart Building, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 321 McIver Street, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA
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30
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Wells T, Wolf S, Nicholls E, Groll H, Lim KS, Clark SJ, Swain J, Osborne JL, Haughton AJ. Flight performance of actively foraging honey bees is reduced by a common pathogen. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2016; 8:728-737. [PMID: 27337097 PMCID: PMC5091639 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Sudden and severe declines in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony health in the US and Europe have been attributed, in part, to emergent microbial pathogens, however, the mechanisms behind the impact are unclear. Using roundabout flight mills, we measured the flight distance and duration of actively foraging, healthy-looking honey bees sampled from standard colonies, before quantifying the level of infection by Nosema ceranae and Deformed Wing Virus complex (DWV) for each bee. Neither the presence nor the quantity of N. ceranae were at low, natural levels of infection had any effect on flight distance or duration, but presence of DWV reduced flight distance by two thirds and duration by one half. Quantity of DWV was shown to have a significant, but weakly positive relation with flight distance and duration, however, the low amount of variation that was accounted for suggests further investigation by dose-response assays is required. We conclude that widespread, naturally occurring levels of infection by DWV weaken the flight ability of honey bees and high levels of within-colony prevalence are likely to reduce efficiency and increase the cost of resource acquisition. Predictions of implications of pathogens on colony health and function should take account of sublethal effects on flight performance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephan Wolf
- Rothamsted ResearchHarpendenUK
- Present address: School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Elizabeth Nicholls
- Rothamsted ResearchHarpendenUK
- Present address: School of Life SciencesUniversity of SussexBrightonUK
| | - Helga Groll
- Rothamsted ResearchHarpendenUK
- Present address: PPD, Granta Park, Great AbingtonCambridgeUK
| | | | | | | | - Juliet L. Osborne
- Rothamsted ResearchHarpendenUK
- Present address: Environment and Sustainability InstituteUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
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Basu P, Parui AK, Chatterjee S, Dutta A, Chakraborty P, Roberts S, Smith B. Scale dependent drivers of wild bee diversity in tropical heterogeneous agricultural landscapes. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:6983-6992. [PMID: 28725375 PMCID: PMC5513218 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Factors associated with agricultural intensification, for example, loss of seminatural vegetation and pesticide use has been shown to adversely affect the bee community. These factors may impact the bee community differently at different landscape scales. The scale dependency is expected to be more pronounced in heterogeneous landscapes. However, the scale-dependent response of the bee community to drivers of its decline is relatively understudied, especially in the tropics where the agricultural landscape is often heterogeneous. This study looked at effects of agricultural intensification on bee diversity at patch and landscape scales in a tropical agricultural landscape. Wild bees were sampled using 12 permanent pan trap stations. Patch and landscape characteristics were measured within a 100 m (patch scale) and a 500 m (landscape scale) radius of pan trap stations. Information on pesticide input was obtained from farmer surveys. Data on vegetation cover, productivity, and percentage of agricultural and fallow land (FL) were collected using satellite imagery. Intensive areas in a bee-site network were less specialized in terms of resources to attract rare bee species while the less intensive areas, which supported more rare species, were more vulnerable to disturbance. A combination of patch quality and diversity as well as pesticide use regulates species diversity at the landscape scale (500 m), whereas pesticide quantity drove diversity at the patch scale (100 m). At the landscape scale, specialization of each site in terms of resources for bees increased with increasing patch diversity and FL while at the patch scale specialization declined with increased pesticide use. Bee functional groups responded differentially to landscape characteristics as well as pesticide use. Wood nesting bees were negatively affected by the number of pesticides used but other bee functional groups were not sensitive to pesticides. Synthesis and Applications: Different factors affect wild bee diversity at the scale of landscape and patch in heterogeneous tropical agricultural systems. The differential response of bee functional groups to agricultural intensification underpins the need for guild-specific management strategies for wild bee conservation. Less intensively farmed areas support more rare species and are vulnerable to disturbance; consequently, these areas should be prioritized for conservation to maintain heterogeneity in the landscape. It is important to conserve and restore seminatural habitats to maintain complexity in the landscapes through participatory processes and to regulate synthetic chemical pesticides in farm operations to conserve the species and functional diversity of wild bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parthiba Basu
- Centre for Pollination StudiesUniversity of Calcutta35, B.C. RoadKolkata700019India
| | - Arpan Kumar Parui
- Centre for Pollination StudiesUniversity of Calcutta35, B.C. RoadKolkata700019India
| | - Soumik Chatterjee
- Centre for Pollination StudiesUniversity of Calcutta35, B.C. RoadKolkata700019India
| | - Aditi Dutta
- Centre for Pollination StudiesUniversity of Calcutta35, B.C. RoadKolkata700019India
| | - Pushan Chakraborty
- Centre for Pollination StudiesUniversity of Calcutta35, B.C. RoadKolkata700019India
| | | | - Barbara Smith
- Centre for Pollination StudiesUniversity of Calcutta35, B.C. RoadKolkata700019India
- Game and Wildlife Conservation TrustBurgate ManorFordingbridgeHampshireSP6 1EFUK
- Centre for Agroecology Water and ResilienceCoventry UniversityWolston LaneCoventryCV8 3LGUK
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Dussaubat C, Maisonnasse A, Crauser D, Tchamitchian S, Bonnet M, Cousin M, Kretzschmar A, Brunet JL, Le Conte Y. Combined neonicotinoid pesticide and parasite stress alter honeybee queens' physiology and survival. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31430. [PMID: 27578396 PMCID: PMC5005999 DOI: 10.1038/srep31430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Honeybee colony survival strongly relies on the queen to overcome worker losses exposed to combined stressors like pesticides and parasites. Queen's capacity to withstand these stressors is however very little known. The effects of the common neonicotinoid pesticide imidacloprid in a chronic and sublethal exposure together with the wide distributed parasite Nosema ceranae have therefore been investigated on queen's physiology and survivorship in laboratory and field conditions. Early physiological changes were observed on queens, particularly the increase of enzyme activities (catalase [CAT] and glutathione-S-transferase [GST] in the heads) related to protective responses to xenobiotics and oxidative stress against pesticide and parasite alone or combined. Stressors also alter the activity of two other enzymes (carboxylesterase alpha [CaE α] and carboxylesterase para [CaE p] in the midguts) involved in metabolic and detoxification functions. Furthermore, single and combined effects of pesticide and parasite decrease survivorship of queens introduced into mating hives for three months. Because colony demographic regulation relies on queen's fertility, the compromise of its physiology and life can seriously menace colony survival under pressure of combined stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Dussaubat
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et environnement, 84914, Avignon, France
- INRA, UR 546 Biostatistique et Processus Spatiaux, 84914, Avignon, France
- UMT PrADE, Site Agroparc, CS 40509, Avignon, France
| | - Alban Maisonnasse
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et environnement, 84914, Avignon, France
- UMT PrADE, Site Agroparc, CS 40509, Avignon, France
- ADAPI (Association pour le développement de l’Apiculture), 22, Avenue Henri Pontier, 13326, Aix en Provence Cedex 1, France
| | - Didier Crauser
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et environnement, 84914, Avignon, France
- UMT PrADE, Site Agroparc, CS 40509, Avignon, France
| | - Sylvie Tchamitchian
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et environnement, 84914, Avignon, France
- UMT PrADE, Site Agroparc, CS 40509, Avignon, France
| | - Marc Bonnet
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et environnement, 84914, Avignon, France
- UMT PrADE, Site Agroparc, CS 40509, Avignon, France
| | - Marianne Cousin
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et environnement, 84914, Avignon, France
- UMT PrADE, Site Agroparc, CS 40509, Avignon, France
| | - André Kretzschmar
- INRA, UR 546 Biostatistique et Processus Spatiaux, 84914, Avignon, France
- UMT PrADE, Site Agroparc, CS 40509, Avignon, France
| | - Jean-Luc Brunet
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et environnement, 84914, Avignon, France
- UMT PrADE, Site Agroparc, CS 40509, Avignon, France
| | - Yves Le Conte
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et environnement, 84914, Avignon, France
- UMT PrADE, Site Agroparc, CS 40509, Avignon, France
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Natsopoulou ME, McMahon DP, Paxton RJ. Parasites modulate within-colony activity and accelerate the temporal polyethism schedule of a social insect, the honey bee. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015; 70:1019-1031. [PMID: 27397965 PMCID: PMC4917585 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2019-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2015] [Revised: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Task allocation in social insect colonies is generally organised into an age-related division of labour, termed the temporal polyethism schedule, which may in part have evolved to reduce infection of the colony's brood by pests and pathogens. The temporal polyethism schedule is sensitive to colony perturbations that may lead to adaptive changes in task allocation, maintaining colony homeostasis. Though social insects can be infected by a range of parasites, little is known of how these parasites impact within-colony behaviour and the temporal polyethism schedule. We use honey bees (Apis mellifera) experimentally infected by two of their emerging pathogens, Deformed wing virus (DWV), which is relatively understudied concerning its behavioural impact on its host, and the exotic microsporidian Nosema ceranae. We examined parasite effects on host temporal polyethism and patterns of activity within the colony. We found that pathogens accelerated the temporal polyethism schedule, but without reducing host behavioural repertoire. Infected hosts exhibited increased hyperactivity, allocating more time to self-grooming and foraging-related tasks. The strength of behavioural alterations we observed was found to be pathogen specific; behavioural modifications were more pronounced in virus-treated hosts versus N. ceranae-treated hosts, with potential benefits for the colony in terms of reducing within-colony transmission. Investigating the effects of multiple pathogens on behavioural patterns of social insects could play a crucial role in understanding pathogen spread within a colony and their effects on colony social organisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrsini E Natsopoulou
- Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Dino P McMahon
- Institute of Biology, Free University Berlin, Schwendenerstr.1, 14195 Berlin, Germany ; Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert J Paxton
- Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
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Lundin O, Rundlöf M, Smith HG, Fries I, Bommarco R. Neonicotinoid Insecticides and Their Impacts on Bees: A Systematic Review of Research Approaches and Identification of Knowledge Gaps. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136928. [PMID: 26313444 PMCID: PMC4552548 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that the widespread use of neonicotinoid insecticides threatens bees, but research on this topic has been surrounded by controversy. In order to synthesize which research approaches have been used to examine the effect of neonicotinoids on bees and to identify knowledge gaps, we systematically reviewed research on this subject that was available on the Web of Science and PubMed in June 2015. Most of the 216 primary research studies were conducted in Europe or North America (82%), involved the neonicotinoid imidacloprid (78%), and concerned the western honey bee Apis mellifera (75%). Thus, little seems to be known about neonicotinoids and bees in areas outside Europe and North America. Furthermore, because there is considerable variation in ecological traits among bee taxa, studies on honey bees are not likely to fully predict impacts of neonicotinoids on other species. Studies on crops were dominated by seed-treated maize, oilseed rape (canola) and sunflower, whereas less is known about potential side effects on bees from the use of other application methods on insect pollinated fruit and vegetable crops, or on lawns and ornamental plants. Laboratory approaches were most common, and we suggest that their capability to infer real-world consequences are improved when combined with information from field studies about realistic exposures to neonicotinoids. Studies using field approaches often examined only bee exposure to neonicotinoids and more field studies are needed that measure impacts of exposure. Most studies measured effects on individual bees. We suggest that effects on the individual bee should be linked to both mechanisms at the sub-individual level and also to the consequences for the colony and wider bee populations. As bees are increasingly facing multiple interacting pressures future research needs to clarify the role of neonicotinoids in relative to other drivers of bee declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ola Lundin
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
- University of California, Department of Entomology and Nematology, Davis, California 95616, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Maj Rundlöf
- Lund University, Department of Biology, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Henrik G. Smith
- Lund University, Department of Biology, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Lund University, Centre for Environmental and Climate Research, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ingemar Fries
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Riccardo Bommarco
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
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van der Zee R, Gray A, Pisa L, de Rijk T. An Observational Study of Honey Bee Colony Winter Losses and Their Association with Varroa destructor, Neonicotinoids and Other Risk Factors. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0131611. [PMID: 26154346 PMCID: PMC4496033 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
This article presents results of an analysis of honey bee losses over the winter of 2011-2012 in the Netherlands, from a sample of 86 colonies, located at 43 apiaries. The apiaries were selected using spatially stratified random sampling. Colony winter loss data were collected and related to various measures of colony strength recorded in summer, as well as data from laboratory analysis of sample material taken from two selected colonies in each of the 43 apiaries. The logistic regression model which best explained the risk of winter loss included, in order of statistical importance, the variables (1) Varroa destructor mite infestation rate in October 2011, (2) presence of the cyano-substituted neonicotinoids acetamiprid or thiacloprid in the first 2 weeks of August 2011 in at least one of the honey bee matrices honey, bees or bee bread (pollen), (3) presence of Brassica napus (oilseed rape) or Sinapis arvensis (wild mustard) pollen in bee bread in early August 2011, and (4) a measure of the unexplained winter losses for the postal code area where the colonies were located, obtained from a different dataset. We consider in the discussion that reduced opportunities for foraging in July and August because of bad weather may have added substantially to the adverse effects of acetamiprid and thiacloprid. A novel feature of this work is its use of postal code random effects from two other independent datasets collected in the annual national monitoring by questionnaires of winter losses of honey bees in the Netherlands. These were used to plan the sample selection and also in the model fitting of the data in this study. It should however be noted that the results of the present pilot study are based on limited data, which may consequently reveal strong factors but fail to demonstrate possible interaction effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alison Gray
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Lennard Pisa
- Netherlands Centre for Bee Research, Tersoal, Netherlands
| | - Theo de Rijk
- RIKILT Wageningen UR, Institute of Food Safety, Wageningen, Netherlands
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Statement on the suitability of the BEEHAVE model for its potential use in a regulatory context and for the risk assessment of multiple stressors in honeybees at the landscape level. EFSA J 2015. [DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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Hartmann U, Forsgren E, Charrière JD, Neumann P, Gauthier L. Dynamics of Apis mellifera Filamentous Virus (AmFV) Infections in Honey Bees and Relationships with Other Parasites. Viruses 2015; 7:2654-67. [PMID: 26008705 PMCID: PMC4452924 DOI: 10.3390/v7052654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Apis mellifera filamentous virus (AmFV) is a large double stranded DNA virus of honey bees, but its relationship with other parasites and prevalence are poorly known. We analyzed individual honey bees from three colonies at different times post emergence in order to monitor the dynamics of the AmFV gut colonization under natural conditions. Prevalence and loads of microsporidia and trypanosomes were also recorded, as well as five common honey bee RNA viruses. The results show that a high proportion of bees get infected with AmFV during the first week post-emergence (75%) and that AmFV DNA levels remained constant. A similar pattern was observed for microsporidia while trypanosomes seem to require more time to colonize the gut. No significant associations between these three infections were found, but significant positive correlations were observed between AmFV and RNA viruses. In parallel, the prevalence of AmFV in France and Sweden was assessed from pooled honey bee workers. The data indicate that AmFV is almost ubiquitous, and does not seem to follow seasonal patterns, although higher viral loads were significantly detected in spring. A high prevalence of AmFV was also found in winter bees, without obvious impact on overwintering of the colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Hartmann
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Center, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, Bern 3003, Switzerland.
| | - Eva Forsgren
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden.
| | - Jean-Daniel Charrière
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Center, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, Bern 3003, Switzerland.
| | - Peter Neumann
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Center, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, Bern 3003, Switzerland.
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern 3001, Switzerland.
| | - Laurent Gauthier
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Center, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, Bern 3003, Switzerland.
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