Dipterous larval endoparasitoids of the African honey bee subspecies Apis mellifera capensis Esch. and Apis mellifera scutellata Lep. (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Abstract

Six large, late instar larvae of, possibly, two species of dipterous endoparasitoids were found, one each, inside the abdomen of six out of 2200 South African honey bees. Four specimens had very large, round, black, posterior spiracles resembling those of Rondaniooestrus apivorus (Tachinidae), the only known tachinid bee endoparasitoid. However, the ecdysial scars of the spiracles had different diameters. The spiracular morphology of the other two specimens were in marked contrast to the four – both had two small, paired, spicate, cone-shaped, posterior spiracles. These two are considered to be the same species. Pictures of key features are provided, but inasmuch as there are no modern, rigorous works on identification of these larvae, the four cannot be concluded to belong to R. apivorus, and the two cannot be assumed to belong to Tachinidae. Their occurrence relative to the hive’s sampled population was very low, however, inasmuch as the honey bee hosts were alive and in position to interact orally with other members of the hive at capture, and since many tachinids are known to be polyphagous, their potential to serve as transmitters of disease pathogens is briefly discussed.