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Patterns of Apis mellifera infestation by Nosema ceranae support the parasite hypothesis for the evolution of extreme polyandry in eusocial insects

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Abstract

We investigated the relationship between infestation levels of Nosema ceranae and patriline membership by sampling individual worker bees from five colonies from both Russian and Italian lineages. Individual workers were tested for N. ceranae infestation level using qPCR, and then genotyped to determine their patriline membership. Levels of N. ceranae infestation differed significantly between lineages and colonies for both Russian and Italian workers. Patriline-based variance was evident only among the Russian workers. There was substantial variation in N. ceranae levels among Italian workers, ranging from 0 to 2 × 109 Nosema/bee, but this variation was unrelated to patriline membership. The results for Russian honey bees are congruent with predictions derived from the parasite hypothesis for the evolution of polyandry–patrilinial variance in parasite tolerance contributes to colony level resistance by reducing the probability of catastrophic failure that might occur if a colony was genetically homogeneous.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Lorraine Beaman, Tony Stelzer, Stephanie Johnson, Andrew Ellender, and Julian Escobar for their contributions to sample processing. We also thank Joshua Wales and Jeremy Wagnitz for sample collection. Mention of a trade name, proprietary product, or specific equipment does not constitute a guarantee or warranty by the USA Department of Agriculture and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other products that may be suitable.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. USDA-ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Laboratory, 1157 Ben Hur Rd., Baton Rouge, LA, 70820, USA

    A. Lelania Bourgeois, Thomas E. Rinderer, H. Allen Sylvester & Beth Holloway

  2. Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Lab, School of Biological Sciences A12, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Benjamin P. Oldroyd

Authors
  1. A. Lelania Bourgeois
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  2. Thomas E. Rinderer
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  3. H. Allen Sylvester
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  4. Beth Holloway
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  5. Benjamin P. Oldroyd
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Lelania Bourgeois.

Additional information

Manuscript editor: Peter Rosenkranz

Les profils de l’infestation d’ Apis mellifera par Nosema ceranae soutiennent l’hypothèse de la relation hôte-parasite expliquant l’évolution d’une très forte polyandrie chez les insectes eusociaux.

Polyandrie / lignée paternelle / Nosema ceranae / Apis mellifera / évolution de la polyandrie

Das quantitative Muster der Infektionen mit Nosema ceranae bei Apis mellifera unterstützt die Parasitenhypothese bezüglich der Evolution einer extremen Polyandrie bei eusozialen Insekten.

Polyandrie / Patrilinien / Nosema ceranae / Apis mellifera / Evolution von Polyandrie

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Bourgeois, A.L., Rinderer, T.E., Sylvester, H.A. et al. Patterns of Apis mellifera infestation by Nosema ceranae support the parasite hypothesis for the evolution of extreme polyandry in eusocial insects. Apidologie 43, 539–548 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-012-0121-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-012-0121-5

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