The Gut Microbiome of Two Wild Bumble Bee Species Native of South America: Bombus pauloensis and Bombus bellicosus.

South America is populated by a wide range of bumble bee species that represent an important source of biodiversity, supporting pollination services in natural and agricultural ecosystems. These pollinators provide unique specific microbial niches, populated by a wide number of microorganisms such as symbionts, environmental opportunistic bacteria, and pathogens. Recently, it was demonstrated how microbial populations are shaped by trophic resources and environmental conditions but also by anthropogenic pressure, which strongly affects microbes' functionality.

A systematic review of honey bee (Apis mellifera, Linnaeus, 1758) infections and available treatment options.

Background: Honey bees and honeycomb bees are very valuable for wild flowering plants and economically important crops due to their role as pollinators. However, these insects confront many disease threats (viruses, parasites, bacteria and fungi) and large pesticide concentrations in the environment. Varroa destructor is the most prevalent disease that has had the most negative effects on the fitness and survival of different honey bees (Apis mellifera and A.

Detection of (Apicomplexa: Neogregarinorida) in carpenter bees of Argentina.

Historically, the neogregarine was isolated almost exclusively from bumble bees ( spp.) where it disrupts adipose tissue, increasing hosts' mortality rates. Records in solitary bees are scarce worldwide.

The gut microbiome of solitary bees is mainly affected by pathogen assemblage and partially by land use.

Pollinators, including solitary bees, are drastically declining worldwide. Among the factors contributing to this decline, bee pathogens and different land uses are of relevance. The link between the gut microbiome composition and host health has been recently studied for social pollinators (e.

Parasites and RNA viruses in wild and laboratory reared bumble bees Bombus pauloensis (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from Uruguay.

Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) are important pollinators insects involved in the maintenance of natural ecosystems and food production. Bombus pauloensis is a widely distributed species in South America, that recently began to be managed and commercialized in this region.

Lotmaria passim (Kinetoplastea: Trypanosomatidae) in honey bees from Argentina.

Lotmaria passim (Kinetoplastea) is considered the most prevalent as well as the most virulent trypanosomatid associated to the European honey bee Apis mellifera. We used qPCR to screen for the presence of this parasite in 57 samples from ten Argentinian provinces, and were able to detect its presence throughout most of the country with 41% of the samples testing positive. In a retrospective analysis, we detected L.

Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) in South American non-Apis bees.

Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) is a positive single-stranded RNA virus that exhibits a worldwide distribution. Although the effects of this virus on honeybees' health are well known, its presence in other bee species has not been fully studied. In this work, CBPV was detected in several native bees from Argentina, including Bombus pauloensis, Halictillus amplilobus, Peponapis fervens, and members of the genus Xylocopa.