Nosema ceranae in South American Native Stingless Bees and Social Wasp

Nannotrigona Cockerell is one of the few stingless bee genera widely distributed and commonly encountered throughout the Neotropical region. Some species are abundant and managed in meliponiculture. However, the identity and number of species occurring in some countries or areas is almost entirely unknown. Herein we reviewed the species of Nannotrigona in Colombia, a South American country with literature records indicating the presence of either one or five species of this genus. Appraisal of museum specimens revealed the existence of the following eight species, three of which we describe as new: N. camargoi Rasmussen & Gonzalez, N. gaboi n. sp., N. melanocera (Schwarz), N. mellaria (Smith), N. occidentalis n. sp., N. pilosa n. sp., N. schultzei (Friese), and N. tristella (Cockerell).We describe and figure the male of N. camargoi, N. gaboi, N. melanocera, and N. pilosa. In addition, we provide comparative diagnoses, a key to species, and new geographical records.

Download Full-text

Identification of the Major Allergens of the Venom from the South American Social Wasp Agelaia Pallipes

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology ◽

10.1016/j.jaci.2005.12.1216 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 117 (2) ◽

pp. S308 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

C.E.S. Galvao ◽

L.K. Iwai ◽

L.D. Santos ◽

M.A. Mendes ◽

M.S. Palma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Wasp ◽

South American ◽

The South ◽

Major Allergens

Download Full-text

Nosema ceranae causes cellular immunosuppression and interacts with thiamethoxam to increase mortality in the stingless bee Melipona colimana

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-74209-3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

José O. Macías-Macías ◽

José C. Tapia-Rivera ◽

Alvaro De la Mora ◽

José M. Tapia-González ◽

Francisca Contreras-Escareño ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Honey Bees ◽

Stingless Bees ◽

Inhibitory Effect ◽

Stingless Bee ◽

Nosema Ceranae ◽

Limited Information ◽

Microsporidian Parasite ◽

Field Exposure ◽

Exposure Levels ◽

And Control

Abstract The microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae and neonicotinoid insecticides affect the health of honey bees (Apis mellifera). However, there is limited information about the effect of these stressors on other pollinators such as stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponini). We examined the separate and combined effects of N. ceranae and the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam at field-exposure levels on the survivorship and cellular immunity (hemocyte concentration) of the stingless bee Melipona colimana. Newly-emerged bees were subjected to four treatments provided in sucrose syrup: N. ceranae spores, thiamethoxam, thiamethoxam and N. ceranae, and control (bees receiving only syrup). N. ceranae developed infections of > 467,000 spores/bee in the group treated with spores only. However, in the bees subjected to both stressors, infections were < 143,000 spores/bee, likely due to an inhibitory effect of thiamethoxam on the microsporidium. N. ceranae infections did not affect bee survivorship, but thiamethoxam plus N. ceranae significantly increased mortality. Hemocyte counts were significantly lower in N. ceranae infected-bees than in the other treatments. These results suggest that N. ceranae may infect, proliferate and cause cellular immunosuppression in stingless bees, that exposure to sublethal thiamethoxam concentrations is toxic to M. colimana when infected with N. ceranae, and that thiamethoxam restrains N. ceranae proliferation. These findings have implications on pollinators’ conservation.

Download Full-text