Microsporidia from honey bees and bumble bees in southern South America

PLISCHUK, S., M. HIGES, C.E. LANGE

Buenos Aires

Congreso; 2012 International Congress on Invertebrate pathology and Microbial Control; 2012

Society for Invertebrate Pathology

Knowledge on microsporidia of honey bees and bumble bees in South America was historically limited. However, in recent years surveys have been intensified in honey bees and initiated in bumble bees. Worldwide three species of genus Nosema are recognized as pathogens of Apis mellifera and Bombus spp. Nosema apis was the only reported species parasitizing A. mellifera in southern South America. Like in several other parts of the world, presence of this pathogen appears now diminished compared to the emergent species Nosema ceranae. In fact, nowadays N. apis is difficult to detect, at least in most of Argentina. On the other hand, N. ceranae have been widely detected, not only in honey bees, but also in three species of native bumble bees (Bombus atratus, Bombus morio, and Bombus bellicosus) under different environmental conditions. Nosema bombi, one of the most common pathogens of Bombus terrestris in the northern hemisphere, has not been detected. In addition, what could be a novel microsporidium was recently isolated from B. atratus. Development stages, spore appearance, and sites of infection seem to show some resemblance to Nosema bombi. However, a multiplex PCR using primers from N. ceranae (218MITOC), N. apis (321APIS), and N. bombi (BOMBICAR) did not produce positive matches.