and Infesting : Detection by Quantitative PCR, Genotyping, and Involvement in the Transmission of Microbial Pathogens.

The and parasitoid flies of the honeybee were found to infest apiaries of different European and Mediterranean countries but their prevalence and impact on apiary health are little known. Therefore, in this study, quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based methods were developed for their rapid detection directly in hive matrices. The newly developed qPCR assays were targeted at the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I () gene for the and the cytochrome B (B) gene for the The tests were preliminarily applied to 64 samples of adult honeybees and hive debris collected in the Abruzzo and Molise regions, Central Italy, and the Republic of Kosovo showing that both flies occur in the two countries and more frequently in Italy.