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Detection of two Microsporidia pathogens of the European honey bee Apis Mellifera (Insecta: Apidae) in Western Siberia

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Abstract

Two species of microsporidia, Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae, occur regularly and cause significant losses in apiculture throughout the world. N. ceranae is thought to be an emerging pathogen of the European honey bee which is replacing N. apis. Microscopic analysis of honey bees collected in Tyumen region, South-Western Siberia, suggested presence of two microsporidial pathogens slightly differing in spore size and shape. PCR detection using species-specific primer sets 312APIS and 218MITOC followed by PCR product sequencing confirmed the diagnosis of N. apis and N. ceranae, respectively. Microsporidia were present in private apiaries through 2008–2010, and among 21 colonies from 7 localities, two colonies were infected with both pathogens, while infections with N. apis only were detected in 8, and with N. ceranae only in 13 colonies. These data suggest that N. ceranae is widely spread in South-Western Siberia alongside with N. apis and is able to persist in the regions with average January temperatures below −18°C.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, Laboratory of Microbiological Plant Protection, 196608, Podbelskogo, 3, Pushkin, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

    Yuri S. Tokarev & Anastasiya N. Ignatieva

  2. All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, 196608, Podbelskogo, 3, Pushkin, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

    Julia M. Malysh

  3. All-Russian Institute of Veterinary Entomology and Arachnology — Branch of Tyumen Scientific Center SB RAS, Laboratory of bee diseases, 625041, Institutskaya, 2, Tyumen, Russia

    Zimfira Y. Zinatullina

  4. Department of Ecology and Genetic, Tyumen State University, 625003, Volodarskogo Str., 6, Tyumen, Russia

    Oksana N. Zhigileva

  5. Institute of Cytology, Laboratory of Cytology of Unicellular Organisms, 194064, Tikhoretski 4, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

    Yulia Y. Sokolova

Authors
  1. Yuri S. Tokarev
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  2. Zimfira Y. Zinatullina
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  3. Anastasiya N. Ignatieva
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  4. Oksana N. Zhigileva
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  5. Julia M. Malysh
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  6. Yulia Y. Sokolova
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Correspondence to Julia M. Malysh.

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Tokarev, Y.S., Zinatullina, Z.Y., Ignatieva, A.N. et al. Detection of two Microsporidia pathogens of the European honey bee Apis Mellifera (Insecta: Apidae) in Western Siberia. Acta Parasit. 63, 728–732 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2018-0086

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2018-0086

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