The Honey Bee Pathosphere of Mongolia: European Viruses in Central Asia

Parasites and pathogens are apparent key factors for the detrimental health of managed European honey bee subspecies, Apis mellifera. Apicultural trade is arguably the main factor for the almost global distribution of most honey bee diseases, thereby increasing chances for multiple infestations/infections of regions, apiaries, colonies and even individual bees. This imposes difficulties to evaluate the effects of pathogens in isolation, thereby creating demand to survey remote areas. Here, we conducted the first comprehensive survey for 14 honey bee pathogens in Mongolia (N = 3 regions, N = 9 locations, N = 151 colonies), where honey bee colonies depend on humans to overwinter. In Mongolia, honey bees, Apis spp., are not native and colonies of European A. mellifera subspecies have been introduced ~60 years ago. Despite the high detection power and large sample size across Mongolian regions with beekeeping, the mite Acarapis woodi, the bacteria Melissococcus plutonius and Paenibacillus larvae, the microsporidian Nosema apis, Acute bee paralysis virus, Kashmir bee virus, Israeli acute paralysis virus and Lake Sinai virus strain 2 were not detected, suggesting that they are either very rare or absent. The mite Varroa destructor, Nosema ceranae and four viruses (Sacbrood virus, Black queen cell virus, Deformed wing virus (DWV) and Chronic bee paralysis virus) were found with different prevalence. Despite the positive correlation between the prevalence of V. destructor mites and DWV, some areas had only mites, but not DWV, which is most likely due to the exceptional isolation of apiaries (up to 600 km). Phylogenetic analyses of the detected viruses reveal their clustering and European origin, thereby supporting the role of trade for pathogen spread and the isolation of Mongolia from South-Asian countries. In conclusion, this survey reveals the distinctive honey bee pathosphere of Mongolia, which offers opportunities for exciting future research.

The ectoparasitic mite Tropilaelaps mercedesae reduces western honey bee, Apis mellifera, longevity and emergence weight, and promotes Deformed wing virus infections

Historically an ectoparasite of the native Giant honey bee Apis dorsata, the mite Tropilaelaps mercedesae has switched hosts to the introduced western honey bee Apis mellifera throughout much of Asia. Few data regarding lethal and sub-lethal effects of T. mercedesae on A. mellifera exist, despite its similarity to the devastating mite Varroa destructor. Here we artificially infested worker brood of A. mellifera with T. mercedesae to investigate lethal (longevity) and sub-lethal (emergence weight, Deformed wing virus (DWV) levels and clinical symptoms of DWV) effects of the mite on its new host. The data show that T. mercedesae infestation significantly reduced host longevity and emergence weight, and promoted both DWV levels and associated clinical symptoms. Our results suggest that T. mercedesae is a potentially important parasite to the economically important A. mellifera honey bee.

Monitorización de los principales patógenos de las abejas para la detección de alertas y riesgos sanitarios

Las abejas, principalmente la especie Apis mellifera, desarrollan una función biológica muy importante puesto que se encargan de polinizar diversos cultivos agrícolas y la flora silvestre de todo el mundo. No obstante, existen numerosos factores que influyen en el estado sanitario de las colonias de abejas y presentan además un alto grado de interacciones entre ellos. Algunos de los potenciales riesgos para la apicultura española ya han sido identificados, como por ejemplo las dos especies de microsporidios, Nosema apis y N. ceranae, que actúan como parásitos intracelulares obligados o los ectoparásitos Varroa destructor, Acarapis woodi o Braula coeca; así como numerosos virus capaces de infectar a Apis melífera, de los cuales los principales son el virus de las alas deformadas (DWV), el virus de las realeras negras (BQCV), el virus Kashmir (KBV), el virus de la parálisis aguda (ABPV) y su variante israelí (IAPV). Otras enfermedades que afectan fundamentalmente a la cría de abejas son la loque americana y la loque europea, ambas de origen bacteriano (Paenibacillus larvae y Melissococcus plutonius respectivamente), así como la ascosferosis causada por el hongo Ascosphaera apis. Otro riesgo potencial para las abejas es la posible entrada de agentes exóticos como el coleóptero Aethina tumida o el ácaro Tropilaelaps clareae cuya presencia en Europa debe ser declarada según la OIE (2015). Recientemente se ha incluido a los neogregarinos y tripanosomátidos como posibles agentes patógenos. Actualmente, N. ceranae junto con V. destructor son los principales agentes patógenos que producen problemas sanitarios de las colonias de abejas en Europa. Además, se considera que los patógenos podrían jugar un papel primordial en el incremento de mortalidad de las abejas detectado en distintos países durante los últimos años...

Diversity in a honey bee pathogen: first report of a third master variant of the Deformed Wing Virus quasispecies

Treatment of emerging RNA viruses is hampered by the high mutation and replication rates that enable these viruses to operate as a quasispecies. Declining honey bee populations have been attributed to the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor and its affiliation with Deformed Wing Virus (DWV). In the current study we use next-generation sequencing to investigate the DWV quasispecies in an apiary known to suffer from overwintering colony losses. We show that the DWV species complex is made up of three master variants. Our results indicate that a new DWV Type C variant is distinct from the previously described types A and B, but together they form a distinct clade compared with other members of the Iflaviridae. The molecular clock estimation predicts that Type C diverged from the other variants ~319 years ago. The discovery of a new master variant of DWV has important implications for the positive identification of the true pathogen within global honey bee populations.

Diversity in a honey bee pathogen: first report of a third master variant of the Deformed Wing Virus quasispecies

Treatment of emerging RNA viruses is hampered by the high mutation and replication rates that enable these viruses to operate as a quasispecies. Declining honey bee populations have been attributed to the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor and its affiliation with Deformed Wing Virus (DWV). In the current study we use next-generation sequencing to investigate the DWV quasispecies in an apiary known to suffer from overwintering colony losses. We show that the DWV species complex is made up of three master variants. Our results indicate that a new DWV Type C variant is distinct from the previously described types A and B, but together they form a distinct clade compared with other members of the Iflaviridae. The molecular clock estimation predicts that Type C diverged from the other variants ~319 years ago. The discovery of a new master variant of DWV has important implications for the positive identification of the true pathogen within global honey bee populations.

Comparative analysis of gill transcriptomes of two freshwater crayfish, Cherax cainii and C. destructor

We undertook deep sequencing of gill transcriptomes from two freshwater crayfish, Cherax cainii and Cherax destructor, in order to generate genomic resources for future genomics research. Over 83 and 100 million high quality (quality score (Q) ≥ 30) paired-end Illumina reads (150 bp) were assembled into 147,101 and 136,622 contigs in C. cainii and C. destructor, respectively. A total of 24,630 and 23,623 contigs received significant BLASTx hits and allowed the identification of multiple gill expressed candidate genes associated with pH and salinity balance. These functionally annotated transcripts will provide a resource to facilitate comparative genomic research in the genus Cherax, and in particular allow insights into respiratory and osmoregulatory physiology of this group of animals.

Development of Detection Systems for the Sporangia of Peronospora Destructor

A monoclonal antibody that recognises components of the wall of sporangia of Peronospora destructor was raised. Tests using spores of higher fungi and other species of mildew demonstrated the specificity of the monoclonal. The antibody was used to develop lateral flow devices for sporangia of P. destructor. A competitive lateral flow format was developed which could detect onion downy mildew sporangia. Five-microliter gold anti-mouse IgM solution pre-mixed with 10 μl of P. destructor monoclonal antibody (EMA 242) proved the optimal concentration for detection of sporangia of P. destructor when applied to sample pads of lateral flow devices. Limits of approximately 500 sporangia of P. destructor could be detected by the absence of a test line on the lateral flow device within test samples. Using a scanning densitometer improved the sensitivity of detection. Further development and validation of the test is required if it is to be used for risk assessments of onion downy mildew in the field.

Mecanismo de resistencia natural al ácaro Varroa jacobsoni y su diferencia entre cuatro líneas genéticas de abejas

Tesis ( Maestría en Ciencias Forestales) U.A.N.L.

Tellurium in organic synthesis: the enantioselective synthesis of the pheromone blend components of Mayetiola destructor, Drosophila mulleri and Contarinia pisi

The components of the pheromone blend of Mayetiola destructor, Drosophila mulleri, and Contarinia pisi were synthesized in high enantiomeric excess (99% ee) from a common enantiopure dianion prepared from an enantiopure hydroxytelluride. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Persistence and effectiveness of pyrethroids in plastic strips against Varroa jacobsoni (Acari : Varroidae) and mite resistance in a mediterranean area

An apiary trial was conducted in 1997 in Sardinia, Italy, to verify the effectiveness of fluvalinate in polyvinyl chloride strips and flumethrin in polyethylene strips against Varroa jacobsoni Oudemans. Two indices to evaluate the efficacy of the treatments were adopted: percentage change in mite infestation of worker-sealed brood cells considering only treated hives and percentage change in mite mortality, and the natural variation in mite populations recorded in control hives during the trial. All acaricide treatments reduced the level of mite infestation of both sealed brood and adult bees. However, their effectiveness was slightly reduced in comparison to previous studies because of mite resistance phenomena. Portions of polyethylene strips of flumethrin from treated hives were sampled weekly to determine acaricide persistence using gas chromatography. After 4 wk, a slight reduction (approximate to9%) of the active ingredient content was observed, A laboratory bioassay also was performed to establish the resistance of adult female mites to fluvalinate, Mites were sampled from the experimental apiary and from various Sardinian apiaries which had primarily been subjected to fluvalinate applications in plastic strips or wood inserts for years. Mite resistance varied from 0 to 96%, depending on the acaricide management adopted, the lowest resistance level occurred in an apiary where pyrethroids had never been used, whereas the highest level occurred in an apiary with intensive use of fluvalinate in wood inserts.

The Hessian fly, Cecidomyia destructor, in Great Britain in 1887 being mainly reports of British observations with illustrations from life and some means of prevention and remedy.

Bibliographical references: p. 24.

An annotated bibliography of the hessian fly, phytophaga destructor (Say) /

Includes index.

Physiological thermoregulation in a crustacean? Heart rate hysteresis in the freshwater crayfish Cherax destructor

Differential heart rates during heating and cooling (heart rate hysteresis) are an important thermoregulatory mechanism in ectothermic reptiles. We speculate that heart rate hysteresis has evolved alongside vascularisation, and to determine whether this phenomenon occurs in a lineage with vascularised circulatory systems that is phylogenetically distant from reptiles, we measured the response of heart rate to convective heat transfer in the Australian freshwater crayfish, Cherax destructor. Heart rate during convective heating (from 20 to 30 degreesC) was significantly faster than during cooling for any given body temperature. Heart rate declined rapidly immediately following the removal of the heat source, despite only negligible losses in body temperature. This heart rate 'hysteresis' is similar to the pattern reported in many reptiles and, by varying peripheral blood flow, it is presumed to confer thermoregulatory benefits particularly given the thermal sensitivity of many physiological rate functions in crustaceans. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Fighting fit: thermal plasticity of metabolic function and fighting success in the crayfish Cherax destructor

1. We examined the effect of thermal acclimation on fighting success and underlying performance traits in the crayfish Cherax destructor. We tested the hypothesis that animals will be more successful when fighting at their acclimation temperature than at a colder or warmer temperature, and that changes in metabolic capacity underlie differences in behavioural performance. 2. Thermal acclimation (to 20 degrees C and to 30 degrees C) had a significant effect on behavioural contests, and the likelihood of winning was significantly greater when individuals fought at their acclimation temperature against an individual from an alternate acclimation temperature. 3. The ratio of ADP stimulated respiration to proton leak (respiratory control ratio) of isolated mitochondria increased significantly in chelae muscle of the cold-acclimated group, and differences in respiratory control ratio between winners and losers were significantly correlated with the outcome of agonistic encounters. However, acclimation did not affect tall muscle mitochondria or the activity of pyruvate kinase in either chelae or tail muscle. 4. The force produced by closing chelae was thermally insensitive within acclimation groups, and there were no significant differences between acclimation treatments. None the less, differences in chelae width between contestants were significantly correlated with the outcome of agonistic encounters, but this perceived resource holding power did not reflect the actual power of force production. 5. Thermal acclimation in C destructor has beneficial consequences for dominance and competitive ability, and the success of cold acclimated animals at the cold temperatures can be at least partly explained by concomitant up-regulation of oxidative ATP production capacity.

Host use and crop impacts of Oribius Marshall species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea

Oribius species are small flightless weevils endemic to the island of New Guinea and far northern Cape York, Australia. The adults feed externally on leaves, developing fruit and green bark, but their impact as pests and general host use patterns are poorly known. Working in Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea, we carried out structured host use surveys, farmer surveys, shade-house growth trials, and on-farm and on-station impact trials to: (i) estimate the host range of the local Oribius species; (ii) understand adult daily activity patterns; (iii) elucidate feeding habits of the soil dwelling larvae; and (iv) quantify the impacts of adult feeding damage. Oribius inimicus and O. destructor accounted for nearly all the Oribius species encountered locally: of these two O. inimicus was the most abundant. Weevils were collected from 31 of 33 plants surveyed in the Aiyura Valley and a combination of farmer interviews and literature records provided evidence for the beetles being pestiferous on 43 crops currently or previously grown in the Highlands. Adult weevils had a distinct diurnal pattern of being in the upper plant canopy early in the morning and, to a lesser extent, again late in the afternoon. For the remainder of the day beetles resided within the canopy, or possibly off the plant. Movement of adults between plants appeared frequent. Pot trials confirmed the larvae are root feeders. Quantified impact studies showed that the weevils are damaging to a range of vegetable and orchard crops (broccoli, capsicum, celery, French bean, Irish potato, lettuce, orange and strawberry), causing average yield losses of around 30-40%, but up to 100% on citrus. Oribius weevils pose a significant and apparently growing problem for Highland’s agriculture.