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1 May 2011 Concurrent Parasitism Alters Thermoregulation in Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Winter Clusters
Marc O. Schäfer, Wolfgang Ritter, Jeff S. Pettis, Peter Neumann
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Abstract

Thermoregulation is crucial for honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), colony survival in temperate regions, but possible interference by parasites is currently unknown. The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), and the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman are honey bee parasites and both overwinter in host colonies. The efficiency of thermoregulation might thus be affected in infested host winter clusters, due to altered worker activity. Here, we show for the first time that parasites can alter honey bee thermoregulation. Moreover, the data suggest that only combined infestations with V. destructor and A. tumida result in higher thermal maxima in the winter clusters, whereas infestations with one parasite alone had no significant effect compared with the controls. Due to the ubiquitous mite V. destructor combined infestations with parasites or combined infections with pathogens are almost inevitable. Therefore, our data indicate that an altered thermoregulation due to multiple infestations might be another widespread factor contributing to winter losses of honey bee colonies.

© 2011 Entomological Society of America
Marc O. Schäfer, Wolfgang Ritter, Jeff S. Pettis, and Peter Neumann "Concurrent Parasitism Alters Thermoregulation in Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Winter Clusters," Annals of the Entomological Society of America 104(3), 476-482, (1 May 2011). https://doi.org/10.1603/AN10142
Received: 15 September 2010; Accepted: 1 March 2011; Published: 1 May 2011
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KEYWORDS
Aethina tumida
Apis mellifera
thermoregulation
Varroa destructor
winter cluster
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