Revue d'Hyménoptérologie

Journal of Hymenopterology

ISSN 2727-3806

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ARTICLE

VOLUME 10

ENGLISH
​ANGLAIS

Monitoring of parasites in bumblebee colonies developed from controlled nesting of wild queens (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus)

Antoine Gekière, Jean Habay, Denis Michez

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Citation
Gekière, A., J. Habay & D. Michez (2022). Monitoring of parasites in bumblebee colonies developed from controlled nesting of wild queens (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus). Osmia, 10: 45–54. https://doi.org/10.47446/OSMIA10.5
Received 06 December 2021 - Accepted 25 August 2022 - Published (online) 31 August 2022

Indexation • Archivage - Archiving

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.47446/OSMIA10.5
• Zoobank (ICZN): https://zoobank.org/C5C00473-CD4B-4784-913B-F1952579D493
• HAL (CNRS-INRAE): https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03765209
• Zenodo (CERN): https://zenodo.org/record/7036358

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Abstract
Bumblebees (Apidae: Bombus spp.) are a major group of wild and domesticated bees that provide crucial ecosystem services through wildflower and crop pollination. However, most of bee populations, including bumblebees, are declining worldwide, partly because of parasite spill-over and spill-back between bumblebee commercial colonies and wild populations. Breeders have to cope with invasions by a vast array of bumblebees’ parasites, and techniques need to be developed to prevent such invasions to support breeders and wild bee populations. Our 10-year study is based on 327 nests of seven bumblebee species (B. humilis, B. hypnorum, B. lapidarius, B. lucorum, B. pascuorum, B. sylvarum, B. terrestris) reared in outdoor boxes. Some boxes were equipped with parasite-preventing techniques, namely (i) an airlock (n = 2) or (ii) an additional chamber with natural fragrances (n = 74). We recorded the invasion of the nests by the wax moth Aphomia sociella, the eulophid Melittobia acasta and the cuckoo bumblebees Bombus subgenus Psithyrus spp. Overall, 8.26 %, 1.53 % and 3.67 % of the colonies were invaded by A. sociella, M. acasta and Psithyrus spp., respectively, without coinfection. Neither the airlock nor the additional chamber with natural fragrances prevented A. sociella infestation. Despite that no nest equipped with an airlock or an additional chamber with natural fragrances was invaded by M. acasta or Psithyrus spp., we lacked replicates to properly demonstrate the efficiency of these techniques. Nest inspection remains a time-consuming but powerful technique to reduce artificial nest spoilage by parasites, yet it is inefficient against tiny invaders (< 1 mm) that are left unnoticed. We therefore encourage further studies to actively seek for parasite-preventing techniques to reduce artificial nest spoilage and to mitigate spill-over towards wild populations.

Keywords
Aphomia sociella, Melittobia acasta, Psithyrus spp., Bombus spp., parasite-preventing techniques

Titre (traduction)
Surveillance des parasites dans les colonies de bourdons issues de la nidification contrôlée de reines sauvages (Hymenoptera : Apidae : Bombus)

Résumé
Les bourdons (Apidae : Bombus spp.) représentent un groupe important d’abeilles sauvages et domestiquées qui fournissent des services écosystémiques cruciaux à travers la pollinisation de fleurs sauvages et de cultures. Toutefois, la plupart des populations d’abeilles, bourdons inclus, sont en déclin à l’échelle mondiale, en partie à cause du transfert de parasites entre les colonies domestiquées de bourdons et les populations sauvages. Les éleveurs doivent faire face à l’invasion de nombreux parasites de bourdons, et des techniques doivent être développées pour empêcher de telles invasions afin de soutenir les éleveurs et protéger les populations d’abeilles sauvages. Notre étude s’étend sur 10 ans et se base sur 327 colonies de sept espèces de bourdons (B. humilis, B. hypnorum, B. lapidarius, B. lucorum, B. pascuorum, B. sylvarum et B. terrestris) élevées dans des boîtes placées à l’extérieur. Certaines boites étaient équipées de mécanismes permettant d’empêcher l’invasion de parasites, à savoir (i) un sas (n = 2) ou (ii) une chambre additionnelle avec des odeurs naturelles (n = 74). Nous avons enregistré l’invasion de ces colonies par la pyrale du bourdon Aphomia sociella, l’eulophide Melittobia acasta et les bourdons cleptoparasites Bombus sous-genre Psithyrus spp. Au total, 8,26 %, 1,53 % et 3,67 % des colonies furent envahies par A. sociella, M. acasta et Psithyrus spp., respectivement, sans trace de co-infection. Ni l’utilisation du sas ni l’utilisation d’une chambre additionnelle avec des odeurs naturelles n’ont empêché l’invasion par A. sociella. Bien qu’aucune des colonies équipées d’un sas ou d’une chambre additionnelle avec des odeurs naturelles n’ait été envahie par M. acasta ou Psithyrus spp., nous manquons de réplicas pour démontrer l’efficacité significative de ces techniques. L’inspection des colonies reste une technique chronophage mais efficace pour réduire la perte de colonies domestiques par des parasites, quoique cette méthode reste inefficace face aux petits envahisseurs (< 1 mm) qui ne peuvent être remarqués. Nous encourageons ainsi de futures études à chercher activement des techniques pour faire face aux parasites afin de réduire la perte de colonies domestiques et atténuer le transfert de parasites vers les populations sauvages.

Mots-clefs
Aphomia sociella, Melittobia acasta, Psithyrus spp., Bombus spp., techniques préventives contre les parasites

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