Abstract
Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) are considered one of the most important pollinators of native, non-native, and domesticated plants. Pathogens and parasites, such as the tracheal mite Locustacarus buchneri (Podapolipidae), are harmful to bumble bees. We developed primers based on the mitochondrial CO1 gene for the specific detection of L. buchneri directly from samples of native Bombus dahlbomii and non-native B. terrestris and B. ruderatus. PCR products amplified and sequenced for these primers shared 100 % identity among themselves and around 99–100 % identity with other sequences of L. buchneri reported in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Japan. Bombus terrestris was the most infected species (41 %), followed by B. ruderatus (31 %) and B. dahlbomii (23 %). This is the first report involving L. buchneri in native and non-native bumble bees in Chile. Our described PCR-based detection offers a feasible, specific, and rapid method for the screening of L. buchneri in any bumble bee species.
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