What Are Tropilaelaps? : 15
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What Are Tropilaelaps? : 15 TROPILAELAps mites – ARE WE AT RISK? What Are Tropilaelaps? Kirsty Stainton, NBU Fera Science Ltd ropilaelaps are but in A mellifera colonies in parasitic mites of Asia, they are considered to T honey bee brood. be a more destructive pest The native range of than the parasitic mite, Varroa Tropilaelaps is tropical destructor3. Asia and their usual host is the giant honey A Similar Threat? bee, Apis dorsata. In Do Tropilaelaps mites present Asia, there are four a similar threat to honey bees as species of Tropilaelaps Varroa destructor? which can parasitise a Tropilaelaps mites are similar to variety of bee species V destructor in some respects. including A cerana, Although they look quite A dorsata, A florea and different, Tropilaelaps are smaller A laboriosa1. The Western and more oblong in shape All images courtesy The Animal and Plant Copyright Health Agency (APHA), Crown Figure 1. A comparison of Varroa destructor (left) and Tropilaelaps honey bee, A mellifera, (figure 1), their life cycles are was introduced into similar. Like varroa, Tropilaelaps bees through parasitization brood through the winter and Asia where it became live inside the brood cells, is similar to that caused by the mites would be able to host to two species of feeding on the developing larvae varroa, for example, reduced survive, even on a small patch 2 Tropilaelaps: T clareae (figure 2). bee weight, deformations and of brood. If milder winters 3 and T mercedesae . Females enter the brood cell mortality. Severe infestations become more commonplace, when the host bee is at late Found in Asia left untreated can, and do, kill there will be more areas of the larval stage and feed and lay honey bee colonies. UK with unbroken brood cycles Tropilaelaps spp have been their eggs within the host cell. throughout winter providing found infesting A mellifera in The eggs develop into adult Feeding on Brood ideal conditions for Tropilaelaps. Asia in areas where they are mites between five and nine Tropilaelaps cannot feed on localised with A dorsata and days later5. There tend to be adult bees as their mouthparts Double Infection also in A mellifera colonies more females than males (an are not strong enough to break Colonies can be infected with in Afghanistan, South Korea, average of 1:5 males:females) the thick cuticle; they need the Tropilaelaps and varroa at the China, Kenya and New Guinea, with females living for soft developing brood to feed same time. Tropilaelaps has a where A dorsata is not present3. approximately 28 days and the on and they will die within three shorter life cycle than varroa, It is troubling that these mites males for only five days5. days without access to brood. so can build up more rapidly can spread beyond their normal While varroa mites have a Therefore, they do not persist in the colony and this provides range and the concern is that preference for parasitising drone very well in temperate climates a competitive advantage to they may become a serious brood, Tropilaelaps will infest where the brood cycle may be Tropilaelaps in some scenarios. global pest of A mellifera4. worker or drone brood and broken during the winter5,7. Tropilaelaps is found to Tropilaelaps spp are not may have a slight preference for Some areas of the UK are be more successful than considered to be a serious pest worker brood6. at risk, as honey bee colonies V destructor in honey bee of their natural host A dorsata, The damage caused to honey in certain areas may contain colonies from Thailand, but less October 2017 Vol 99 No 10 Apimondia Gold Medal for Popular Beekeeping Journals, 2007, 2013 and 2015 www.bee-craft.com 16 : What Are Tropilaelaps? A group of beekeepers in England and Wales maintains 120 sentinel apiaries which are monitored regularly for Tropilaelaps and other exotic pests, such as the small hive beetle, on behalf of the NBU (figure 3). Twice a year, these beekeepers send samples from the sentinel apiaries to the NBU laboratory. The sample comes in the form of a floor debris sample from the colonies. When it reaches the lab, the sample is submerged in pure alcohol so that the cuticle from any insect or arthropod will float to the surface while other material sinks to the bottom. This allows identification of any suspect insect specimens. At the time of writing, we have had no confirmed cases of Tropilaelaps mites in the UK. Control of Tropilaelaps Figure 2. Tropilaelaps mites on bee brood at different stages in the life cycle There are no Tropilaelaps- specific treatments in the UK, 6 successful than varroa in Korea . virus) and DWV (deformed wing of adult bees. There is a risk that but varroa treatments will 1 This may be explained in part by virus) . The only virus that they the mites could be introduced work in a similar way against the different climates – Thailand detected in the mites was DWV, to the UK through importation Tropilaelaps. is tropical while Korea is but at quite high levels of up to of bees/package bees. There In Asia, A mellifera colonies temperate and may experience 100 million copies per mite. are strict regulations regarding are treated for Tropilaelaps using 6 broodless periods in winter . A similar study from the same the import of bees from non-EU similar chemicals to those used Either way, it is not good news year also examined Tropilaelaps countries and these regulations for treatment for varroa. Formic for beekeepers or their bees. from A mellifera in China and are key to preventing this mite acid has been shown to be an discovered very high levels from becoming a problem for What About Viruses? effective Tropilaelaps control so of DWV in the mites7 which UK beekeeping12. an approved formic acid product Is there an association between correlated with the levels of The illegal importation of bees such as MAQS (mite away quick Tropilaelaps and honey bee DWV in the developing bee from countries with A mellifera strips) could be used in the UK5. viruses? brood. There is some suggestion infested with Tropilaelaps could Pyrethroid products that are Like varroa, Tropilaelaps feed that DWV may be replicating in have major impacts for UK used to treat varroa can also be on the developing brood and so these mites but there is some beekeeping as there is a high effective against Tropilaelaps. there may be some exchange of uncertainty about how and if risk that these mites could Bayvarol (0.06% flumethrin) viruses between mite and host. Tropilaelaps will ultimately affect become established in areas has been used successfully in Tropilaelaps mercedesae in the virulence and prevalence of of England with an unbroken Thailand against T mercedesae A mellifera colonies from China viruses such as DWV. brood cycle4. Our best defence in honey bees with 100% have been analysed for the against Tropilaelaps is to prevent effectiveness after a four week Monitoring for presence of viruses. Researchers its entry into the UK. application8. The strips must be Tropilaelaps looked for KBV (Kashmir bee in contact with the bee cluster Vigilance virus), SBV (sacbrood virus), Tropilaelaps may not be able to be effective and can be used CBPV (chronic bee paralysis to feed on adult bees, but they The National Bee Unit (NBU) any time during the year except virus), BQCV (black queen cell can hitch a ride on them so they keeps a look out for exotic pests when bees are storing honey. virus), ABPV (acute bee paralysis can be spread via the movement such as Tropilaelaps. Apistan, which contains www.bee-craft.com Apimondia Gold Medal for Popular Beekeeping Journals, 2007, 2013 and 2015 October 2017 Vol 99 No 10 What Are Tropilaelaps? : 17 10.3% tau-fluvalinate, is also Be Vigilant clareae and Tropilaelaps mercedesae in the European effective against Tropilaelaps, mercedesae. GB Non-native Risk honey bee (Apis mellifera) in Be on the lookout for Assessment. Thailand. Apiacta, 43, 12–16. with mites dying within six 5 Kavinseksan and Wongsiri (2016) 9 Surlis, C, Carolan JC, Coffey, MF 8 Tropilaelaps mites. The mites are weeks of application . Life history and control of the slightly smaller than varroa mites and Kavanagh, K (2016). These products are highly parasitic bee mite, Tropilaelaps Proteomic analysis of Bayvarol® effective when applied correctly, but they move more quickly mercedesae Anderson and resistance mechanisms in the Morgan (Acari: Laelapidae): A and will be quite obvious on honey bee parasite Varroa but improper use may lead to Review. Basic Research Journal of destructor. Journal of Apicultural resistance in mites. As yet, there uncapped brood. Agricultural Science and Review, Research, 55(1), 49–64. If you think you have seen 5(3), 56–71. is no reported resistance of http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/002188 6 Buawangpong, N, de Guzman, Tropilaelaps to these products anything unusual, please contact 39.2016.1196015 LI, Khongphinitbunjong, K, but widespread resistance your local bee inspector or the Frake, AM, Burgett, M and 10 Rosenkranz, P, Aumeier, P and of varroa to the products National Bee Unit at nbu@apha. Chantawannakul, P (2015). Ziegelmann, B (2010). Biology and control of Varroa destructor. Apistan and Bayvarol has been gsi.gov.uk Prevalence and reproduction of Tropilaelaps mercedesae and Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 9 reported . Varroa destructor in concurrently 103, S96–119. Varroa can survive on adult References infested Apis mellifera colonies. 11 Rosenkranz, P and Bartalszky, H bees in the absence of brood 1 Dainat, B, Ken, T, Berthoud, H Apidologie, 46(6), 779–786. (1996). Reproduction of Varroa 7 Forsgren, E, de Miranda, JR, females after long broodless for many weeks10,11, but and Neumann, P (2009).