Wild bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombini) as a potential reservoir of bee pathogens in Northeastern Argentina

MARÍA E. BRAVI ; LEOPOLDO J. ALVAREZ ; MARIANO LUCIA ; MARCELO R. I PECORARO ; MARÍA L. GENCHI GARCÍA ; FRANCISCO J. REYNALDI

JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH

INT BEE RESEARCH ASSOC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2019

0021-8839

The genus Bombus is represented by 38 subgenera around the world with nearly 250described species that are among including the most efficient insect pollinators witheconomic and ecological importance. In Argentina, this genus it is represented by eightnative and two introduced species. Several bee pathogens related to colony losseshave been found in wild pollinators worldwide. Considering bumblebees as multi-hostsof numerous bee pathogens, we have studied their presence in species from differentlocations of Northeastern Argentina to determine their relationship with prevalent beepathogens previously detected in the country. In this research, 93 specimensbelonging to three bumblebee species have been collected and screened for elevenhoney bee pathogens. In total, four viruses, Nosema ceranae, Ascosphaera apis andMelisococcus plutonius were detected and despite though samples with absence ofpathogens were recorded, in most screened bees the presence of one or morepathogen were confirmed showing coinfections in the three species considered. Theparticularity of bumblebees acting as a possible reservoir of bee pathogens could leadto the development of Emerging Infection Diseases in wild bees but, more studies arenecessary to confirm this assumption and to determine the direction of the spilloverbetween wild and managed bees.