Long-term prevalence of the protists <i>Crithidia bombi</i> and <i>Apicystis bombi</i> and detection of the microsporidium <i>Nosema bombi</i> in invasive bumble bees

• Autores: Plischuk, Santiago; Antúnez, Karina; Minardi, Graciela Mónica; Lange, Carlos Ernesto
• Año de publicación: 2017
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: Ciencias Naturales; Fungi; Microbe; Pathogen ecology; Protozoa; Exotic species invasion
• Institución: Universidad Nacional de La Plata

An initial survey in 2009 carried out at a site in northwestern Patagonia region, Argentina, revealed for the first time in South America the presence of the flagellate Crithidia bombi and the neogregarine Apicystis bombi, two pathogens associated with the Palaearctic invasive bumble bee Bombus terrestris. In order to determine the long-term persistence and dynamics of this microparasite complex, four additional collections at the same site (San Carlos de Bariloche) were conducted along the following seven years. Both protists were detected in all collections: prevalence was 2%–21.6% for C. bombi and 1.2%–14% for A. bombi. In addition, the microsporidium Nosema bombi was recorded for the first time in the country in the last two collections, at prevalences of 12.4% and 2.4% and unusually high infection intensities (Average = 6.56 × 107 spores per individual). Due to the exceptional dispersal ability of the exotic B. terrestris, these three multihost pathogens should be considered as potential threats to South American native bumble bees.
Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores
Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la provincia de Buenos Aires