Differential hygienic behavior of Apis cerana F. and Apis mellifera L. to Sacbrood virus infection

• Published in: Journal of Asia-Pacific entomology Vol. 25; no. 4; p. 101995
• Main Authors: Choi, Yong-Soo, Geun, Park-Hee, Frunze, Olga
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-12-2022
• Subjects: Apis cerana; Apis mellifera; Brood disease; Hygienic behavior; Sacbrood virus; Apis mellifera; Hygienic behavior; Apis cerana; Brood disease; Sacbrood virus
• ISSN: 1226-8615; 1876-7990
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aspen.2022.101995

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•Differences of hygienic removal of pin-killed pupae and SBV-killed larvae between workers.•mellifera workers removed more SBV-p.i larvae at the four- and five-day old.•SBV-dead broods remained in cells of A. cerana colonies was higher than A. mellifera.•SBV-inoculated A. mellifera colonies were higher than that of A. cerana.
Beekeeping with Apis cerana of Korean apiculture is facing with serious colony collapse caused by invasive Sacbrood virus (SBV) disease. This fatal brood disease was the main reason of more than 90% colony lost in Korea leading almost the extinct crisis. Sacbrood virus can infect either larvae or adult honeybees, with a higher sensibility of larvae to the infection. Since SBV has spread to all over the country, efforts have been made to treat and prevent this devastating disease although no effective results have so far been obtained. Several studies have demonstrated that Apis mellifera bee colonies that express an efficient hygienic behavior exhibit a higher resistance to the brood disease. In this study we demonstrated that the differences of hygienic behavior between A. cerana and A. mellifera. A. cerana more efficiently removed the pin-killed brood than A. mellifera. On the other hand, A. mellifera more efficiently removed SBV-infected larvae and SBV-dead brood than A. cerana. However, it remains unclear whether the advantage of hygienic bee could have efficacy against Sacbrood disease on A. cerana colonies.