Mite species inhabiting commercial bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) nests in Polish greenhouses

Elżbieta Rożej,Michal Woyciechowski,Hajnalka Szentgyörgyi,Dawid Moroń,Marta Wantuch,Wojciech Witaliński

doi:10.1007/s10493-012-9510-8

Elżbieta Rożej, Michal Woyciechowski + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-012-9510-8

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Abstract

Nests of social insects are usually inhabited by various mite species that feed on pollen, other micro-arthropods or are parasitic. Well-known negative effects of worldwide economic importance are caused by mites parasitizing honeybee colonies. Lately, attention has focused on the endoparasitic mite Locustacarus buchneri that has been found in commercial bumblebees. However, little is known of other mites associated with commercial bumblebee nests. Transportation of commercial bumblebee colonies with unwanted residents may introduce foreign mite species to new localities. In this study, we assessed the prevalence and species composition of mites associated with commercial bumblebee nests and determined if the mites are foreign species for Poland and for Europe. The study was conducted on 37 commercial bumblebee nests from two companies (Dutch and Israeli), originating from two greenhouses in southern Poland, and on 20 commercial bumblebee colonies obtained directly from suppliers. The species composition and abundance of mites inhabiting commercial bumblebee nests were determined. Seven mite species from three families were found in nests after greenhouse exploitation. The predominant mite species was Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Acaridae) that was a 100-fold more numerous than representatives of the family Laelapidae (Hypoaspis marginepilosa, H. hyatti, H. bombicolens). Representatives of Parasitidae (Parasitellus fucorum, P. crinitus, P. ignotus) were least numerous. All identified mite species are common throughout Europe, foreign species were not found. Mites were not detected in nests obtained directly from suppliers. We conclude that probably bumblebee nests are invaded by local mite species during greenhouse exploitation.

Highlights

Social and solitary bees are hosts to a wide diversity of mites (Eickwort 1994; Klimov et al 2007; Park et al 2009)
Nests of social insects are usually inhabited by various mite species that feed on pollen, other micro-arthropods or are parasitic
In all 37 nests analyzed in 2006 we found seven mite species belonging to three families: Acaridae: Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank); Laelapidae: Hypoaspis marginepilosa (Sellnick), Hypoaspis hyatti (Evans and Till), Hypoaspis bombicolens (Canestrini); Parasitidae: Parasitellus fucorum (De Geer), Parasitellus ignotus (Vitzthum), Parasitellus crinitus (Oudemans)

Summary

Introduction

Social and solitary bees are hosts to a wide diversity of mites (Eickwort 1994; Klimov et al 2007; Park et al 2009). Commercial bumblebee rearing started over 20 years ago and nowadays is a global business (Velthuis and Van Doorn 2006). European greenhouses import bumblebee colonies from outside of Europe (Velthuis and Van Doorn 2006) which may facilitate the transportation of alien bumblebee-associated mites as well as other parasites and pathogens. Research on bumblebee colonies has concentrated mainly on protozoan parasites, their effect on host fitness and possible treatments (Imhoof and Schmid-Hempel 1999; Whittington and Winston 2003; Rutrecht and Brown 2007; Otti and Schmid-Hempel 2008). Some studies have detected protozoan parasites in the Canadian greenhouse bumblebee, Bombus occidentalis (Whittington and Winston 2003), and European commercial colonies of Bombus terrestris (Niwa et al 2004). Others have shown that commercially bred bumblebees can pose a threat to local populations as vectors transmitting the protozoan parasites Nosema bombi and Crithidia bombi (Colla et al 2006)

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