Molecular Detection of Acarapis woodi Using Hive Debris as Innovative and Non-Invasive Matrix

Marco Pietropaoli,Michele Amorena,Roberta Carlotta Rubino,Gabriele Pietrella,Marcella Milito,Giovanni Formato,Silvia Tofani,Carmine Merola,Camilla Di Ruggiero,Antonella Cersini

doi:10.3390/app12062837

Marco Pietropaoli, Michele Amorena + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/app12062837

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Abstract

Acarapis woodi is a pathogen affecting honey bees health worldwide. Its prevalence may be underestimated due to the time-consuming traditional method for its diagnosis and the attitude in focusing the attention only onto Varroa destructor. New PCR techniques have allowed for the verification of the presence of A. woodi in 44 samples of honey bees and 11 samples of hive debris collected from 17 apiaries by the veterinary services of the Latium region (Central Italy). Overall, 9.1% of adult honey bee samples (all belonging to one apiary) and 6.3% of hive debris samples (belonging to 6 apiaries) were positive in an end point PCR and presence of the pathogen was confirmed through Sanger sequencing. Results demonstrated the potential underestimation of A. woodi occurrence in Italian apiaries and reported the first detection of A. woodi in hive debris samples.

Highlights

IntroductionAcarapis woodi is an internal parasite of the respiratory system of adult honey bees [1]
Acarapis woodi is an internal parasite of the respiratory system of adult honey bees [1].This mite belongs to the family Tarsonemidae and mainly infests the large prothoracic trachea of the worker honey bees but sometimes these parasites infect the head, thoracic, and abdominal air sacs [2]
6.3% of hive debris samples and 9.1% of adult honey bee samples were positive for the molecular detection of A. woodi within each PCR method

Summary

Introduction

Acarapis woodi is an internal parasite of the respiratory system of adult honey bees [1]. This mite belongs to the family Tarsonemidae and mainly infests the large prothoracic trachea of the worker honey bees but sometimes these parasites infect the head, thoracic, and abdominal air sacs [2]. Reproduction occurs within the tracheae of adult bees, where female mites may lay 8 to 20 eggs. In Italy, the last report of A. woodi dates back to 1999 in honey bee colonies of the Sicilian region (unpublished data). There are no published studies aimed at evaluating the presence of A. woodi in Italian honey bee colonies. Debris samples were introduced as new matrices to evaluate the use of a non-invasive method for the detection of the mite

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