Distribution and variability of deformed wing virus of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) in the Middle East and North Africa

Three hundred and eleven honeybee samples from 12 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Yemen, Palestine, and Sudan) were analyzed for the presence of deformed wing virus (DWV). The prevalence of DWV throughout the MENA region was pervasive, but variable. The highest prevalence was found in Lebanon and Syria, with prevalence dropping in Palestine, Jordan, and Egypt before increasing slightly moving westwards to Algeria and Morocco Phylogenetic analysis of a 194 nucleotide section of the DWV Lp gene did not identify any significant phylogenetic resolution among the samples, although the sequences did show consistent regional clustering, including an interesting geographic gradient from Morocco through North Africa to Jordan and Syria. The sequences revealed several clear variability hotspots in the deduced amino acid sequence, which furthermore showed some patterns of regional identity. Furthermore, the sequence variants from the Middle East and North Africa appear more numerous and diverse than those from Europe

Genetic assessment of Algerian honeybee populations by microsatellite markers

International audienceAbstractThe genetic diversity and structure of 414 honeybee workers from eight different populations in Algeria were analyzed using 14 polymorphic DNA microsatellite loci. The results showed that the honeybee populations were characterized by substantial genetic variation in terms of the average number of alleles and the degree of heterozygosity. Most populations were at Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Phylogenetic and population structure analyses confirmed the African origin of the studied Algerian populations and clustered them in a group distinct from evolutionary lineages West Mediterranean (M), North Mediterranean (C), and Oriental (O). Structure analyses revealed weak allelic introgression from both lineages M and C. High genetic variability was found within the Algerian populations. Two honeybee subspecies, Apis mellifera intermissa and Apis mellifera sahariensis, were present. However, to delimit the natural spread area of A. mellifera sahariensis, more samples from southern Algerian are needed

Effects of thiamethoxam and spinosad on the survival and hypopharyngeal glands of the African honey bee (Apis mellifera intermissa)

Insecticides can affect development and survival of non-target and beneficial arthropods like honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Thiamethoxam and spinosad are widely used as pesticides in agriculture but they have become an important concern for beekeepers and researchers focusing on bee health; multiple reports stressed adverse effects on bees, notably on honey bees. The present study aims to evaluate the impact of these two insecticides on the development of the HPGs and on the survival of Apis mellifera intermissa a native African subspecies of honey bee present in Algeria. Newly emerged workers were acutely and chronically exposed to thiamethoxam and spinosad through sugar syrup and pollen pastry. The effects of these insecticides were assessed by measuring the size of HPGs acini and the total head protein content. The survival of the workers was also evaluated over 60 days when they were chronically exposed to the insecticides at concentrations corresponding to LC25 and LC10. We found that the insecticide-treated workers, after both acute and chronic exposure, exhibited smaller and irregularly shaped HPG acini. The total head protein content also decreased in treated individuals with the two concentrations of insecticides at day 6 and 9 compared to the respective controls. While the control group exhibited an LC25 (i.e. the time needed to kill 50% of the tested workers) of 22 days, the LC25 was only 3 days for the workers exposed to the LC25 of spinosad and all workers were dead at day 17. In contrast, thiamethoxam exposure at LC25 had no significant detrimental effect on honey bee survival. This study demonstrated the toxicity of thiamethoxam and spinosad to workers of A. mellifera intermissa and highlighted potential detrimental effects of the bioinsecticide spinosad on HPGs and survival of the bee workers

Mitochondrial DNA variation of Apis mellifera iberiensis: further insights from a large-scale study using sequence data of the tRNAleu-cox2 intergenic region

International audienceAbstractA large-scale survey of the Iberian honey bee (Apis mellifera iberiensis) diversity patterns, using sequence data of the tRNAleu-cox2 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) region, demonstrates that earlier studies based on the DraI test missed significant components of genetic variation. Based on results from this survey, existing haplotype names were revised and updated following a nomenclature system established earlier and extended herein for the intergenic region. A more complete picture of the complex diversity patterns of IHBs is revealed that includes 164 novel haplotypes, 113 belonging to lineage A and 51 to lineage M and within lineage A and 69 novel haplotypes that belong to sub-lineage AI, 13 to AII, and 31 to AIII. Within lineage M, two novel haplotypes show a striking architecture with features of lineages A and M, which based on sequence comparisons and relationships among haplotypes are seemingly ancestral. These data expand our knowledge of the complex architecture of the tRNAleu-cox2 intergenic region in Apis mellifera and re-emphasizes the importance of Iberia as a source of honey bee mtDNA diversity