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Detection of honey bee viruses in Vespula germanica: Black queen cell virus and Kashmir bee virus

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Abstract

The German wasp, Vespula germanica (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), is social insect that honey contributes to pollination and biological control because they feed on agricultural pests. However, V. germanica can also be a pest itself and use honey bee hives as food sources, including predation, robbing and scavenging on dead bees. This situation causes honeybee pathogens to pass and become infected, especially wasps that consume flightless, sick, or dead honey bees. Viruses constitute the majority of pathogens that cause disease and death in bees. In this study, possible viral pathogens of a large number of V. germanica that died massively were investigated. Using primers that partially amplify the genes of the seven most common viruses (deformed wing virus, Israeli acute bee paralysis virus, black queen cell virus, acute bee paralysis virus, kashmir bee virus, sacbrood bee virus, and chronic bee paralysis virus) in honey bees, the virus scanning was done. As a result of the study, it was determined that the black queen cell virus and kashmir virus were found in V. germanica. According to the results of phylogenetic analysis, it was determined that V. germanica Turkey KBV isolate clustered close to Vespula vulgaris New Zealand KBV isolate, and V. germanica Turkey BQCV isolate clustered close to Bombus terrestiris France BQCV isolate. In this study, it was determined for the first time that the black queen bee virus was found in V. germanica.

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  1. Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Erzurum Technical University, 25200, Erzurum, Turkey

    Gozde Busra Eroglu

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  1. Gozde Busra Eroglu
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Correspondence to Gozde Busra Eroglu.

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Eroglu, G.B. Detection of honey bee viruses in Vespula germanica: Black queen cell virus and Kashmir bee virus. Biologia 78, 2643–2647 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-023-01416-4

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