Investigating Aerobic Hive Microflora: Role of Surface Microbiome of Apis Mellifera.

This study investigated the surface microbiome of the honeybee (), focusing on the diversity and functional roles of its associated microbial communities. While the significance of the microbiome to insect health and behavior is increasingly recognized, research on invertebrate surface microbiota lags behind that of vertebrates. A combined metagenomic and cultivation-based approach was employed to characterize the bacterial communities inhabiting the honeybee exoskeleton.