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Small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, as a potential biological vector of honeybee viruses

Le Petit coléoptère des ruches, Aethina tumida, vecteur potentiel des virus de l’Abeille domestique

Der Kleine Beutenkäfer, Aethina tumida, ist ein potentieller Vektor von Viren der Honigbienen

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Abstract

The small hive beetle (SHB, Aethina tumida) is a parasite and scavenger of honeybee colonies. Here, we conducted laboratory experiments to investigate the potential of SHB as a vector of honeybee viruses. Using RT-PCR methods, Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) was detected in adult SHBs that: (1) were fed with dead workers with deformed wings, (2) were fed with DWV-positive brood, and (3) were associated with DWV-contaminated wax. SHB became significantly more often infected through feeding on virus infected workers, brood and the virus contaminated wax compared to pollen and the controls, where no infections were found. DWV was also detected in adult SHB after trophallaxis with infected workers. Further, among SHBs identified as DWV-positive, 40% of beetles carried negative stranded RNA of DWV, indicating virus replication. Our results suggest that SHB can be infected with honeybee viruses via food-borne transmission and have the potential of being a biological vector of honeybee viruses.

Zusammenfassung

Der Kleine Beutenkäfer, Aethina tumida (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), ist ein Parasit von Völkern der Honigbiene, Apis mellifera, der sich als invasive Art rasch ausbreitet. Die Käfer paaren und vermehren sich innerhalb des Bienenstocks und können somit über verschiedene Kontaminierungswege mit Viren der Honigbiene infiziert werden. Wir präsentieren hier, mit Hilfe von RT-PCR Methoden, den ersten Nachweis von Honigbienenviren im Kleinen Beutenkäfer und in Bienenwachs. Der Kleine Beutenkäfer wurde in Käfigexperimenten mit dem Flügeldeformations-Virus (DWV) infiziert über: (1) Fütterung mit toten Arbeiterinnen mit klinischen Symptomen (deformierte Flügel), (2) Fütterung mit DWV positiver Bienenbrut, (3) Assoziation mit DWV kontaminiertem Wachs und (4) Trophallaxis mit infizierten Arbeiterinnen (Abb. 1). Wir fanden jedoch keinen Hinweis für eine orale Infektion über DWV kontaminierten Pollen (Abb. 1). In 40 % der DWV positiven Käferproben konnte der minus RNA Strang des DWV nachgewiesen werden (Abb. 2), was ein Hinweis dafür ist, dass sich das +RNA Virus im Käfer vermehren kann. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen zum ersten Mal, dass eine orale Infektion mit Honigbienenviren über Wachs möglich ist. Darüber hinaus ist der Kleine Beutenkäfer ein potentieller biologischer Vektor von Honigbienenviren, was für deren Verbreitung innerhalb und zwischen Völkern relevant sein kann.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux Research Station ALP, 3003, Bern, Switzerland

    Michael Eyer, Marc Oliver Schäfer & Peter Neumann

  2. USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, 20705, Beltsville, MD, USA

    Yan Ping Chen & Jeff Pettis

  3. Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt Freiburg (CVUA), Fachgebiet Bienen, Am Moosweiher 2, 79108, Freiburg, Germany

    Marc Oliver Schäfer

  4. Eastern Bee Research Institute of Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

    Peter Neumann

  5. Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, 6140, Grahamstown, South Africa

    Peter Neumann

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  1. Michael Eyer
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  2. Yan Ping Chen
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  3. Marc Oliver Schäfer
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  4. Jeff Pettis
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  5. Peter Neumann
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Correspondence to Peter Neumann.

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Manuscript editor: David Tarpy

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Eyer, M., Chen, Y.P., Schäfer, M.O. et al. Small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, as a potential biological vector of honeybee viruses. Apidologie 40, 419–428 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2008051

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