[NatureNS] Bees and Beetles

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From: c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca
Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2007 09:28:03 -0300
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Hi folks,

On 6-Jun-07, at 7:24 AM, Peter Payzant wrote:

> Some experts in the honeybee realm feel that a possible explanation =20=

> for hive collapse might be the Small Hive Beetle Aethina tumida. =20
> This European import was first discovered in Florida in 1998.

Actually Aethina tumida (Murray) is a native of South Africa.

> The larvae and adults damage comb, honey and pollen. While in the =20
> colony, they release a yeast which lives on honey. The yeast =20
> releases a pheromone which attracts more beetles. In sufficient =20
> numbers the beetle overwhelm the bees' ability to cope and the bees =20=

> simply flee.
>
> There was a segment on the CBC science programme Quirks and Quarks =20
> last month on this beetle, and you can find it, along with lots of =20
> background material, here: http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/archives/06-07/=20
> may12.html
>

Another interesting article on this species by Malcolm Sanford =20
(packed with useful information for beekeepers on how to help combat =20
the problem) is located at: http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/bees/=20
small_hive_beetle.htm

This species has not been found in Canada although it has been =20
recorded as far north as Pennsylvania and New Jersey so there could =20
be some concern about its spreading even further north.

Those interested in bees and beetles might also be interested in a =20
recent paper by my colleagues Keith Philips, Cory Sheffield, and =20
myself on two species of hive-infesting beetles which have recently =20
been found in Nova Scotia. The paper is:

Majka, C.G., Philips, T.K., and Sheffield, C.S. 2007. Ptinus =20
sexpunctatus Panzer (Coleoptera: Anobiidae: Ptininae) newly recorded =20
in North America. Entomological News, 118(1): 73=9676.

And a PDF reprint is available at:

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/PDF/Ptinus_sexpunctatus.pdf

In it we report the Palearctic spider beetle, Ptinus sexpunctatus =20
Panzer, for the first time in North America from collections in Nova =20
Scotia, Pennsylvania, and Utah. It has found in association with the =20
native blue orchard mason bee, Osmia lignaria Say in the Annapolis =20
Valley. The beetles live in bee nests where they feed on dead bees =20
and other discarded organic matter, but also sometimes on the larvae =20
and puape of living bees. In Germany they have been observed to be =20
very damaging to the bee colonies. They appear to have been =20
inadvertently imported from Europe to the western United States. =20
Hives of O. lignaria were then transported from Utah to Nova Scotia =20
for evaluation of this species as an apple pollinator and the spider =20
beetles were imported to Nova Scotia in association with them.

Also imported in the nesting tubes of these colonies were individuals =20=

of the western meloid beetle, Tricrania stansburyi Haldeman, a native =20=

North American beetle which is known parasite of bees. There is no =20
evidence, however, that the latter species has established itself in =20
Nova Scotia, but both of these introductions point to mechanisms that =20=

can bring exotic species to the province, with potentially =20
deleterious effects to not only honey bees, but also to other native =20
species of cavity-nesting bees.

All the best!

Chris

_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.=20=

_.
Christopher Majka - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History
1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada  B3H 3A6
(902) 424-6435   Email <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.=20=

_.


--Apple-Mail-6-962220592
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<HTML><BODY style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; =
-khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi folks,<DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>On =
6-Jun-07, at 7:24 AM, Peter Payzant wrote:</DIV><BR =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; =
border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times New =
Roman; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; =
font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; =
text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: =
0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; =
white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><FONT =
face=3D"Arial"><FONT size=3D"2"><SPAN class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "></SPAN><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; =
"></SPAN><DIV style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; =
">Some experts in the honeybee realm feel that a possible explanation =
for hive collapse might be the Small Hive Beetle </SPAN><EM =
style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; =
"><SPAN class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-family: Arial; =
font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; ">Aethina tumida.</SPAN></EM><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; =
"> This European import was first discovered in Florida in 1998. =
<BR></SPAN></DIV></FONT></FONT></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span">Actually <I>Aethina tumida</I> (Murray) is a =
native of South Africa.</SPAN></DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; =
border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times New =
Roman; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; =
font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; =
text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: =
0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; =
white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><FONT =
face=3D"Arial"><FONT size=3D"2"><DIV style=3D"font-family: Arial; =
font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 10px; ">The larvae and adults damage comb, honey and =
pollen. While in the colony, they release a yeast which lives on honey. =
The yeast releases a pheromone which attracts more beetles. In =
sufficient numbers the beetle overwhelm the bees' ability to cope and =
the bees simply flee.</SPAN></DIV><DIV style=3D"font-family: Arial; =
font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 10px; ">=A0</SPAN></DIV><DIV style=3D"font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">There was a segment on =
the CBC science programme Quirks and Quarks last month on this beetle, =
and you can find it, along with lots of background material, here: =
</SPAN><A =
href=3D"http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/archives/06-07/may12.html"><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 10px; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; =
">http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/archives/06-07/may12.html</SPAN></A></DIV><DIV =
style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; =
">=A0</SPAN></DIV></FONT></FONT></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Another interesting article =
on this species by Malcolm Sanford (packed with useful information for =
beekeepers on how to help combat the problem) is located at:=A0<A =
href=3D"http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/bees/small_hive_beetle.htm">htt=
p://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/bees/small_hive_beetle.htm</A></DIV><DIV><=
BR class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>This species has not =
been found in Canada although it has been recorded as far north as =
Pennsylvania and New Jersey so there could be some concern about its =
spreading even further north.</DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Those interested in bees =
and beetles might also be interested in a recent paper by my colleagues =
Keith Philips, Cory Sheffield, and myself on two species of =
hive-infesting beetles which have recently been found in Nova Scotia. =
The paper is:=A0</DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span">Majka, C.G., Philips, T.K., and Sheffield, =
C.S. 2007. <I>Ptinus sexpunctatus</I> Panzer (Coleoptera: Anobiidae: =
Ptininae) newly recorded in North America. Entomological News, 118(1): =
73=9676.</SPAN></DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>And a PDF reprint is =
available at:</DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><A =
href=3D"http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/PDF/Ptinus_sexpunctatus.=
pdf">http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/PDF/Ptinus_sexpunctatus.pdf=
</A></DIV><DIV><BR class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span">In it we report the Palearctic spider beetle, =
<I>Ptinus sexpunctatus</I> Panzer, for the first time in North America =
from collections in Nova Scotia, Pennsylvania, and Utah. It has found in =
association with the native blue orchard mason bee, <I>Osmia =
lignaria</I> Say in the Annapolis Valley. The beetles live in bee nests =
where they feed on dead bees and other discarded organic matter, but =
also sometimes on the larvae and puape of living bees. In Germany they =
have been observed to be very damaging to the bee colonies. They appear =
to have been inadvertently imported from Europe to the western United =
States. Hives of <I>O. lignaria </I>were then transported from Utah to =
Nova Scotia=A0for evaluation of this species as an apple pollinator and =
the spider beetles were imported to Nova Scotia in association with =
them.</SPAN></DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span">Also imported in the nesting tubes of these =
colonies were individuals of the western meloid beetle,=A0<I>Tricrania =
stansburyi</I> Haldeman, a native North American beetle which is known =
parasite of bees. There is no evidence, however, that the latter species =
has established itself in Nova Scotia, but both of these introductions =
point to mechanisms that can bring exotic species to the province, =
with=A0potentially deleterious effects to not only honey bees, but also =
to other native species of cavity-nesting bees.</SPAN></DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>All the best!</DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Chris</DIV></DIV><DIV><BR><DI=
V> <P style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" =
size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Times">_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._=
._._._.</FONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT =
face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Times">Christopher Majka =
- Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History</FONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: =
0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Times">1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada<SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>B3H 3A6</FONT></P> <P =
style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Times">(902) 424-6435 <SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>Email &lt;<A =
href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</A>&gt;</F=
ONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times"=
 size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Times">_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._=
._._._.</FONT></P>  </DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>=

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