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Manual de Nuevos Manejos en la Apicultura para el Control del Pequeño Escarabajo de la Colmena Aethina tumida Murray.
... The small hive beetle (SHB) was first described by Murray in 1867, and as a parasite of A. mellifera capensis in 1940 by A. Lundie (MAGRAMA, 2016). It lives and reproduces inside beehives (Delaplane, 1998;Saldaña-Loza et al., 2014). ...
... SHB females can easily lay as many as 2000 eggs in their lives, but the normal number is around 1000 eggs over a period of 3 to 4 months, with a survival rate of around 50% (Saldaña-Loza et al., 2014). They lay eggs hidden behind the operculum of sealed cells containing a bee larva or pupa, making it difficult for the nurse bees to detect them. ...
... If the soil is not suitable, the larva can travel as far as 100 m to find ideal conditions to continue its metamorphosis. It is important to note that SHB larvae are similar to those of the wax moth (Galleria mellonella) and, consequently, correct identification is important (Saldaña-Loza et al., 2014). ...
In recent years, beekeeping has been affected by many factors, including pesticides, monoculture and deforestation as well as pests and diseases, which are causing the death of Apis mellifera and other pollinating species. One of the most recent threats is a parasitic beetle of bee colonies, native to sub-Saharan Africa, called small hive beetle (Aethina tumida Murray). It was first detected in the USA in 1996, and it has continued to expand across the American continent. In 2015, it was first discovered in Brazil, being the nearest country to Chile where it has been reported to date. The aim of this work was to carry out a literature review on small hive beetle (SHB) as it can be a potential threat to honey bee colonies in Chile. Adults of Aethina tumida feed on bee eggs while the larvae consume brood, pollen and honey, causing great damage to bee colonies. In addition, they defecate in honey, where a yeast present in their faeces, Kodamaea ohmerique, causes pollen and honey to ferment. Due to the damage it causes and its rapid advance through different continents, its biology and behaviour are being increasingly studied to explore control techniques and risk factors.
... The small hive beetle (SHB) was first described by Murray in 1867, and as a parasite of A. mellifera capensis in 1940 by A. Lundie (MAGRAMA, 2016). It lives and reproduces inside beehives (Delaplane, 1998;Saldaña-Loza et al., 2014). ...
... SHB females can easily lay as many as 2000 eggs in their lives, but the normal number is around 1000 eggs over a period of 3 to 4 months, with a survival rate of around 50% (Saldaña-Loza et al., 2014). They lay eggs hidden behind the operculum of sealed cells containing a bee larva or pupa, making it difficult for the nurse bees to detect them. ...
... If the soil is not suitable, the larva can travel as far as 100 m to find ideal conditions to continue its metamorphosis. It is important to note that SHB larvae are similar to those of the wax moth (Galleria mellonella) and, consequently, correct identification is important (Saldaña-Loza et al., 2014). ...
... En el caso de Portugal, se dio una alerta durante el verano del 2004, al encontrarse dos larvas en un envío de reinas, procedentes de un criadero de Texas. Se destruyó las colmenas, se desinfectó el suelo alrededor en ellas, se revisaron los envíos de ese criadero a otros países de Europa, como Francia y no se ha reportado más detecciones (Roldán 2014;Saldaña et al. 2014). ...
... Se ha encontrado desde climas tropicales hasta fríos. Además, es capaz de retrasar su desarrollo de acuerdo con las condiciones del medio y el alimento disponible (Saldaña et al. 2014;Argueta 2015). Entre los factores que benefician su desarrollo, se puede indicar la humedad, la cual debe ser mayor al 50% para la eclosión de los huevos. ...
... Además, se protege del alcance de las obreras. Su actividad, para salir o entrar a la colonia, se intensifica en la noche (entre 8:00 a 10:00 pm) (Neumann & Elzen 2004;Saldaña et al. 2014). De esta manera, evade a las abejas. ...
El primer reporte sobre la presencia del Pequeño Escarabajo de la Colmena (PEC), Aethina tumida, en Costa Rica, se realizó el 25 de agosto 2015, en La Cruz, Guanacaste; lo cual aumenta el riesgo de dispersión a otras zonas apícolas del país. Por tanto, para este estudio, se realizó un muestreo de mayo a octubre del 2019. Se analizó 305 colmenas, distribuidas en 61 apiarios, ubicados en San Ramón, Alajuela. Adicionalmente, se examinó muestras de escarabajos adultos provenientes de Ulloa, Heredia y de Potrerillos de Liberia, Guanacaste. En cada apiario se analizó, aleatoriamente, cinco colmenas. Se revisó la tapa, los marcos, las cajas y el piso, con el fin de identificar la presencia de huevos, larvas y/o adultos del escarabajo. También, para reconocer algún signo relacionado, como galerías en los panales, apariencia húmeda de las abejas, entre otros. Las muestras de escarabajos adultos se analizaron en el laboratorio de Patología Apícola del CINAT-UNA. Las 305 colmenas evaluadas, en San Ramón de Alajuela, resultaron negativas para el Pequeño Escarabajo. Por otra parte, se confirmó la presencia de A. tumida en una colonia establecida en una casa de habitación en Ulloa, Heredia; también, en un apiario ubicado en Potrerillos de Liberia, el cual se encuentra aproximadamente a 25 km del foco inicial en La Cruz, Guanacaste. Con base en lo expuesto, se puede indicar la presencia de A. tumida en colmenas de abejas africanizadas en diferentes zonas de Costa Rica, con una distribución limitada. Al considerar que el escarabajo adulto puede volar y desplazarse, junto a enjambres silvestres; además, la trashumancia de colmenas por parte del apicultor, se debe mantener una revisión periódica de los apiarios, dado que las condiciones actuales de ausencia, en la mayoría de colmenas analizadas en este estudio, pueden cambiar.
... The small hive beetle was reported in Mexico for the first time in 2007 affecting honey bee hives in the northern state of Coahuila (Del Valle-Molina 2007). A. tumida was confirmed in several Mexican states including Campeche, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacan, Morelos, Nuevo Leon, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, and Yucatan (Saldaña et al. 2014. ...
... In Mexico, A. tumida was first recorded in 2007 in apiaries in the northern region of the state of Coahuila (Del Valle-Molina 2007). Since then, it has been reported in more than 14 states, including the main honey producers in the country, such as Veracruz, Quintana Roo, Yucatán and Campeche (Saldaña-Loza et al. 2014;Hernández-Torres et al. 2021). The high incidence of A. tumida recently reported in different states (Table I) demonstrates the need for a coordinated, nationwide effort to combat this threat to bee health and beekeeping. ...
The European honey bee, Apis mellifera L., is the bee species with the largest geographic distribution in the world. It is considered a pollinator generalist of wild plants and agricultural crops, as well as honey bee products as honey, beeswax, and propolis. For this reason, it plays an extremely important role in the world’s ecosystems, economy, and food security. However, Apis mellifera is facing population declines due to biotic and abiotic factors, such as climate change, habitat loss, agrochemical use, and emerging pests and diseases. Pests and diseases are directly associated with a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder (CCD), which is linked with the loss of millions of bee colonies annually worldwide. One particularly important pest is the varroa mite, which is already widely distributed and is considered the major threat to apiculture. In this review, we compile documentation of the presence and distribution of pests and diseases reported to affect Apis mellifera in Mexico. Surveys demonstrate that the following pests are present: Varroa destructor, Acarapis woodi, Aethina tumida, Galleria mellonella, as well as the diseases caused by Melissococcus plutonius, Paenibacillus larvae, Vairimorpha (Nosema) apis, V. ceranae, Ascosphaera apis and several viruses. It should be noted that the distribution and presence of European bee pathogens throughout the beekeeping states of Mexico is not very well defined, due to the lack of current bee health studies in apiaries or nationwide databases to quickly update information on their distribution and incidence.
... The first report of infestation of honey bee hives by small hive beetle in Mexico was in 2007 in Coahuila State. Small hive beetles are known to currently be dispersed throughout several Mexican states, including Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Yucatan, Quintana Roo, and Campeche (Saldaña et al. 2014, Hernández-Torres et al. 2021). According to our findings and previous report at Campeche, Mexico (Hernández-Torres et al. 2021), the small hive beetle probably will spread throughout Mexico to affect hives of stingless bees. ...
... Campeche has been considered a risk area due to the detection of A. tumida in nearby States such as Yucatan and Quintana Roo (Saldaña et al., 2014;Valdovinos et al., 2016). In this paper, for the first time A. tumida is recorded in the State of Campeche, M exico; on honey bees hives, also A. tumida for the first time is recorded in stingless bee colonies in M exico. ...
This paper reports for the first time the presence of Aethina tumida Murray, 1867 in hives of Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758, established in the locality of Pucnachen Municipality of Calkini the State of Campeche, México. Nitidulids were collected manually on the honey combs in the frames of A. mellifera hives, defecating on honey and on the floor of the hives, fermenting honey making it useless. A. tumida is a potential pest in beekeeping due to direct damage caused to honey as a food product, causing significant economic losses for beekeepers of this region of México. Also, the presence of this beetle was verified for the first time in stingless bee colonies, which are of great importance in traditional honey production. A detailed morphological description of the beetle is provided.
... En México, se detectó la presencia del escarabajo de las colmenas (Aethina tumida) en las colonias de A. mellifera. Este artrópodo, que vive y se reproduce dentro de las colmenas alimentándose de polen, miel y crías de abejas, entró al país por Coahuila a través de EUA en el 2007 (Saldaña et al., 2014), y según datos de la Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación actualmente se ha propagado por 14 estados de la república. Hasta el momento no hay una estimación del número de colmenas que podrían estar dañadas por este organismo, ni sobre su posible efecto en la disminución de abejas melíferas reportada por los apicultores en los últimos años. ...
Pollination is an essential ecosystem service for human welfare and for the survival of many species. Most of the main crops in our diet, as well as many wild species, depend on pollinators to produce fruits, vegetables and seeds. In the last decade it has been reported that environmental deterioration has had a negative effect in the abundance and diversity of pollinators as a result of habitat fragmentation, deforestation, agriculture, agrochemicals, invasive species, pollinator diseases, and climate change, among other factors. The current risk that pollination faces, highlights the urgent need to review the current state of knowledge related to this environmental problem. This note aims at giving a general overview of the main factors affecting pollinators, as well as their negative effects over the pollination of wild and cultivated species; it discusses examples reported in Latin America, and particularly in Mexico; and suggests lines of research that should be addressed in the future. © 2018 Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. All rights reserved.
... Edad promedio del apicultor. La edad promedio de los apicultores encuestados en el presente estudio fue de 57 años, coincidiendo con la usada a nivel nacional por Saldaña-Loza et al. (2014). Sin embar- go, esta edad de 57 años difiere con lo establecido por Martínez-González & Pérez-López (2013), para los beneficiarios del proyecto de trópico húmedo, quienes poseen una edad promedio de 43 años, con un mínimo de 22 y un máximo de 81 años; asimis- mo difiere con el estudio de Magaña-Magaña et al. ...
En México, la apicultura es una de las principales actividades del sector agropecuario debido a su producción de miel de alta calidad la cual es apreciada en diversos países de Europa. Esta actividad es practicada por más de 40000 productores, que cuentan con alrededor de dos millones de colmenas en apiarios distribuidos en las cinco regiones apícolas a nivel nacional (Norte, Centro y Altiplano, Pacífico, Golfo y Península de Yucatán). La península de Yucatán incluye los estados de Campeche, Yucatán y Quintana Roo, considerada como la región más importante debido a que destina cerca del 95 % de la producción de miel al mercado internacional. La región concentra del 30 al 35 % del total de las colonias de abejas a nivel nacional y es considerada como una actividad secundaria. Con la finalidad de caracterizar la actividad apícola en Campeche (en municipios de Campeche, Champotón y Hopelchén), se aplicaron encuestas a 120 productores de julio a diciembre del 2016. La edad promedio de los apicultores fue de 57 años, con un promedio de 2.27 apiarios por productor, con 20.6 colmenas por apiario. Los apicultores dedican dos días a la semana a esta actividad y realizan en promedio 3.67 cosechas por año. Con base en lo anterior, se recomienda fomentar el relevo generacional en la actividad apícola, que se enfoque en jóvenes apicultores.
The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida (Murray), is a parasite and scavenger
of colonies of honey bee, Apis mellifera L. The beetle is endemic to subSaharan
Africa and has become one the most invasive and devasting pests of European
honey bees (Neumann and Elzen 2004). In the Americas, the pest was recorded
infesting honey bee colonies for the first time in 1998 in Florida. However, the small
hive beetle was later confirmed to have arrived in the Americas as early as November
1996 in South Carolina where specimens of small hive beetles not initially identified
were identified by Hood (2000) to be A. tumida. To date, the pest has spread
throughout the Americas, threatening captive hives used for beekeeping, as well as
wild bees (Hernández-Torres et al. 2021; Toledo-Hernández et al. 2021; 2022).
The small hive beetle (SHB) is a parasite and scavenger of honey bee colonies, but may also be able to exploit alternative food sources. We conducted experiments to shed further light on the role of alternative foods for SHB. 1) Laboratory choice experiments showed that adult SHB oviposit on fruit and even on decaying meat and that SHB larvae feed on it despite the presence of bee products. 2) In the laboratory, SHB reproduced on mango, banana and grapes at lower rates than on a pollen and honey mixture. 3) Adult SHB were rarely observed on fruit buckets in the field. They reproduced only when caged and in much smaller numbers than Drosophilidae and other Nitidulidae. 4) While Aethina concolor was repeatedly observed during a field survey, no adult SHB were found on any flowers. 5) Less than 2% of adult SHB survived on blooming pot plants and no reproduction was recorded, suggesting that flowers are unlikely to serve as an alternative food and breeding substrate. Nevertheless, the high degree of opportunism displayed, supports the view that honey bee nests are not essential for SHB survival and reproduction. Despite the observed high degree of SHB opportunism, it appears as if alternative food sources play a minor role only for reproduction in the field when host colonies are available. Even though SHB may use alternative food sources in the absence of bee hives (e.g. after migratory beekeeping), it is unclear whether this is likely to contribute to SHB population build up.
Here we explored the potential for host shift from honeybee, Apis mellifera, colonies to bumblebee, Bombus impatiens, colonies by the small hive beetle, a nest parasite/scavenger native to sub-Saharan Africa. We investigated small hive beetle host choice, bumblebee colony defence as well as individual defensive behaviour of honeybee and bumblebee workers. Our findings show that in its new range in North America, bumblebees are potential alternate hosts for the small hive beetle. We found that small hive beetles do invade bumblebee colonies and readily oviposit there. Honeybee colonies are not preferred over bumblebee colonies. But even though bumblebees lack a co-evolutionary history with the small hive beetle, they are able to defend their colonies against this nest intruder by removal of beetle eggs and larvae and stinging of the latter. Hence, the observed behavioural mechanisms must be part of a generalistic defence system suitable for defence against multiple attackers. Nevertheless, there are quantitative (worker force) and qualitative differences (hygienic behaviour) between A. mellifera and B. impatiens.
European and African subspecies of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) utilize social encapsulation to contain the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida Murray), a honeybee colony scavenger. Using social encapsulation, African honeybees successfully limit beetle reproduction that can devastate host colonies. In sharp contrast, European honeybees often fail to contain beetles, possibly because their social encapsulation skills may be less developed than those of African honeybees. In this study, we quantify beetle and European honeybee behaviours associated with social encapsulation, describe colony and time (morning and evening) differences in these behaviours (to identify possible circadian rhythms), and detail intra-colonial, encapsulated beetle distributions. The data help explain the susceptibility of European honeybees to depredation by small hive beetles. There were significant colony differences in a number of social encapsulation behaviours (the number of beetle prisons and beetles per prison, and the proportion of prison guard bees biting at encapsulated beetles) suggesting that successful encapsulation of beetles by European bees varies between colonies. We also found evidence for the existence of circadian rhythms in small hive beetles, as they were more active in the evening rather than morning. In response to increased beetle activity during the evening, there was an increase in the number of prison guard bees during evening. Additionally, the bees successfully kept most (~93%) beetles out of the combs at all times, suggesting that social encapsulation by European honeybees is sufficient to control small populations of beetles (as seen in this study) but may ultimately fail if beetle populations are high.