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[Resumen] La importancia de este trabajo reside en que, tras la pandemia de 2020, el sector turístico ha sido fuertemente impactado en su participación dentro del producto interior bruto nacional, siendo el ecoturismo una opción viable para las nuevas dinámicas espaciales que ha de experimentar esta actividad recreativa. Por lo que este artículo científico, tiene como objetivo: elaborar una serie de cartogramas de los apiarios en el estado de Nuevo León, México, para documentar las fortalezas del apiturismo de cada municipio y de ese modo aportar elementos para caracterizar el rumbo que pudieran seguir algunas agendas ecoturísticas de Nuevo León. Es de advertir que el tratamiento metodológico es un esfuerzo de aproximación al fenómeno de Big Data, pues nuestra búsqueda se realizó a través de encuestas virtuales mediante el uso de redes sociales. Dentro de los resultados más apremiantes tenemos que, el municipio más óptimo para el apiturismo es El Carmen; luego están tres municipios de la zona citrícola que presentan óptimas condiciones para el apiturismo: Allende; Montemorelos y Cadereyta; les sigue el municipio de la región boscosa de la Sierra Madre Oriental: Santiago; por último, una cuarta opción son los municipios de la zona semiárida: municipios de Marín e Hidalgo. [Abstract] The new spatial dynamics imposed on the tourism sector by the 2020 pandemic have seen ecotourism emerge as a more viable option for tourism consumers. The aim of this article is to create a series of apiary cartograms of the state of Nuevo León, Mexico, in order to demonstrate the strengths of apitourism in each area and provide a roadmap for ecotourism strategies in the state as a whole. Data for the study were collected using virtual surveys carried out through social media. The results show that the area best suited to apitourism is El Carmen, followed by the citrus-growing municipalities of Allende, Montemorelos and Cadereyta, the forested region of Sierra Madre Oriental (Santiago), and the semi-arid areas of Marín and Hidalgo.

For the first time in Croatia and in the wider temperate zone, the proportion of plant species pollinated by insects and useful for the European honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) was determined. The survey included 507 plant taxa, belonging to 95 plant families, covering the flora and all habitat types in the studied area in northwestern Croatia. The results show that most plant species depend on insect pollination (73.6%), followed by self-pollination (30%), wind (25%) and water pollination (0.6%). For some plant species there are one, two or more modes of pollination: the largest group consists of pure insect pollination (43%), followed by both insect and self-pollination (27%), pure wind pollination (22%), insect and wind pollination (2.6), etc. Overall, 54% of plant species useful to European honey bees were found, of which 51% provide pollen, 47% nectar and 4% honeydew. These results suggest that Apis mellifera could be a potential pollinator for about half of the flora. Of the traits studied, habitat types and plant family membership had the greatest influence on the distribution of pollination modes. Habitat analysis showed that most entomophilous plant taxa are found in grasslands, forests, and ruderal sites, suggesting that these habitats are most important for pollinators. Other plant species characteristics such as flowering time, life form, origin, and threat status were also analysed to determine the possible relationship with pollination. The results of this comprehensive study not only demonstrate the importance of simultaneously studying insect pollinated plant species and their habitats, but may also be helpful in determining best management practises to protect insect pollinators.

Throughout history a great many plant species have been purposefully transported to new areas around the globe. Horticulture, the promise of new sources of plant material for industry, forage, food, and stabilization of soil are only a few of the motives for the early transcontinental exchange of plants. Many introductions have been beneficial or benign, however, some plants introduced into new areas are now considered invasive and detrimentally impact the environment. Chinese tallowtree [Triadica sebifera (L.) Small] (Euphorbiaceae) is an excellent example of the best intentions leading to unanticipated negative effects many decades later. Native to eastern Asia and now naturalized and widespread in many tropical, subtropical, and temperate areas in the world, Chinese tallowtree has proven to be one of the worst woody invasive plants. It is known for shading out native vegetation, capable of dominating areas following disturbance or even invading previously diverse undisturbed habitats. It is prevalent in the southern United States, especially along the Gulf Coast. Investigations into classical biological control of Chinese tallowtree have yielded at least two promising candidates but have raised objections among beekeepers and beekeeping organizations who prize the quality honey produced from an abundant spring nectar flow. In this review we discuss Chinese tallowtree’s invasive characteristics, detrimental effects, potential use as a biomass crop, and demonstrated or potential direct and indirect effects on native and non-native pollinators. We review the current state of identification and screening of biological control agents. Four research questions are presented which are designed to fill gaps in our knowledge of Chinese tallowtree and pollinators. Classical biological control has the potential to reduce Chinese tallowtree populations across the landscape, which would likely result in greater understory and tree diversity, benefitting native and exotic pollinators.

Paenibacillus larvae is a gram-positive spore-forming bacterium that affects and kills the larvae of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) and causes the American foulbrood disease. Adults bees do not become infected, but they transmit tenacious spores within the hive and between hives and can infect larvae while caring for them. It is not allowed by law to treat bees in the Czech Republic, but the recommended preventive method for reducing the amount of spores in the hive is the shook swarm method (bees are moved to a new clean hive and the old hive is destroyed with all brood and supplies). The aim of this work was to detect and quantify P. larvae in bee workers using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). In the first experiment, the two set of samples were taken - bees before and after the shook swarm method, but the expected decrease in spores in the samples taken after shook swarm was not confirmed, and conversely, non-specific products were amplified. In the second experiment, the presence of P. larvae spores in samples from heavily infected hives (with clinical symptoms of American foulbrood) and from hives with almost no findings of P. larvae spores, both originating from the same habitat, were compared. In this case, the differences were clearly visible. There were not...

Thai Journal of Science and Technology, 9, 3, 368-377

International audience; AbstractIn Japanese honey bees Apis cerana japonica, infestations of the tracheal mite Acarapis woodi have spread rapidly over the mainland of Japan, causing damage and the collapse of colonies. Meanwhile, infestations by mites in Apis mellifera have hardly been observed in Japan. In this study, we assessed and compared the susceptibility of the two species, A. cerana and A. mellifera, using an inoculation assay. We found that migrating female mites entered the tracheae of more newly emerged bees in both species but more frequently in A. cerana than in A. mellifera. Hence, the higher susceptibility in A. cerana is proposed as a factor causing the explosive epidemic of tracheal mites in only A. cerana in Japan. Moreover, we compared grooming behaviors between the two bee species using an observation assay as a preliminary experiment, although the bees were not exposed to the presence of tracheal mites. From these observations, the frequency of autogrooming (self-grooming) on the thorax in A. cerana was lower than that in A. mellifera. The difference in susceptibility to the mite between these two species may be due to the difference in grooming behavior frequency.

Little is understood about off-host behavior and ecology of immature Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Gulf Coast tick). A more complete understanding of this tick is essential to protect human and animal health. My research focused on seasonality and distribution of immatures in Mississippi, potential suitability of some insect and human hosts to larvae, and aspects of nymphal questing behavior. A single larva was collected (third off-host collection reported) when sampling A. maculatum habitat using a novel device. Collection of this larva in November expands the stage's known seasonality and confirmed a prediction concerning seasonality of larval A. maculatum. Low frequency of immatures (8.3%) confirmed that they're incredibly difficult to collect off-host. Nymphal collections peaked in March, and known seasonality was extended for both nymphs and adults. I examined known records, elucidating seasonality and distribution of A. maculatum in Mississippi. Either multiple generations per year or diapause are responsible for observed bi-modal distribution of immature collections. Additionally, I compiled the most extensive host record of immature A. maculatum in Mississippi and investigated seasonality patterns using USDA plant hardiness zones. I compiled the most complete record of ticks found on arthropods. Amblyomma americanum and A. maculatum were both confirmed to crawl onto arthropods, giving support to occasional, unintentional dispersal by phoresy. There was no conclusive evidence that larval A. maculatum feed on arthropods, however data supported feeding by larval A. americanum. These results have interesting implications regarding evolution of pathogens/endosymbionts. I provided the first evidence that larval A. maculatum can attach to humans. Rickettsia parkeri, a human pathogen transmitted by this species has recently been shown to be capable of transovarial transmission. Therefore, larval A. maculatum may provide another avenue of transmission. I have demonstrated that A. maculatum are difficult to collect off-host in part because they prefer to quest low to the ground. In choice studies, 5-cm-tall stems were most likely to be occupied by nymphs released into an array of stems. Low vapor pressure deficit encouraged questing, while higher VPD and warmer temperature increased questing height. These results may have implications in understanding hostseeking behavior in other tick species as well.

Background Varroa mites are widely considered the biggest honey bee health problem worldwide. Until recently, Varroa jacobsoni has been found to live and reproduce only in Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) colonies, while V. destructor successfully reproduces in both A. cerana and A. mellifera colonies. However, we have identified an island population of V. jacobsoni that is highly destructive to A. mellifera, the primary species used for pollination and honey production. The ability of these populations of mites to cross the host species boundary potentially represents an enormous threat to apiculture, and is presumably due to genetic variation that exists among populations of V. jacobsoni that influences gene expression and reproductive status. In this work, we investigate differences in gene expression between populations of V. jacobsoni reproducing on A. cerana and those either reproducing or not capable of reproducing on A. mellifera, in order to gain insight into differences that allow V. jacobsoni to overcome its normal species tropism. Results We sequenced and assembled a de novo transcriptome of V. jacobsoni. We also performed a differential gene expression analysis contrasting biological replicates of V. jacobsoni populations that differ in their ability to reproduce on A. mellifera. Using the edgeR, EBSeq and DESeq R packages for differential gene expression analysis, we found 287 differentially expressed genes (FDR ≤ 0.05), of which 91% were up regulated in mites reproducing on A. mellifera. In addition, mites found reproducing on A. mellifera showed substantially more variation in expression among replicates. We searched for orthologous genes in public databases and were able to associate 100 of these 287 differentially expressed genes with a functional description. Conclusions There is differential gene expression between the two mite groups, with more variation in gene expression among mites that were able to reproduce on A. mellifera. A small set of genes showed reduced expression in mites on the A. mellifera host, including putative transcription factors and digestive tract developmental genes. The vast majority of differentially expressed genes were up-regulated in this host. This gene set showed enrichment for genes associated with mitochondrial respiratory function and apoptosis, suggesting that mites on this host may be experiencing higher stress, and may be less optimally adapted to parasitize it. Some genes involved in reproduction and oogenesis were also overexpressed, which should be further studied in regards to this host shift. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3130-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The project’s aim was to locate the wooden areas suitable for beekeeping activities. This has been possible thanks to the use of a multi-parametric model. This permits to define, for each of 85 forestal types of Trentino, the suitability for the production of nectar, bee bread and honeydew. According to the results, forestal types have been divided into 4 productivity classes. Datas have been reprocessed with GIS methodology so that high and medium productivity areas have been mapped. Following, new parameters have been introduced (distance from roads, slope, exposure) in order to highlight in the map the economically most important areas for beekeeping activities. In the next stage the apiaries’ position in the examined areas have been registered with the GPS. These registrations have been used in order to compare the theoretical results with the actual beekeeping activities’ distribution. The experimental stage showed that this methodology represents an useful tool to support beekeeping and, more in general, forest planning.

A preliminary evaluation of the 621 colonies in test indicates significant differences of the survival rate and average survival duration between the genotypes and the test locations as well as significant interactions between those factors.

A key to understanding the expansion of Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera) is distinguishing this aggressive form from its European relative. Current identification techniques have a degree of success, but each has its own set of problems, prohibiting wide-spread adoption and use. This study examined aspects of central excitatory state, persistence of mobile appendages, and a viable sting after decapitation for their use in distinguishing between these two races. Central excitatory state was not useful in distinguishing the Africanized honey bee from the European honey bee; however, appendage mobility and sting viability were significantly different between the two subspecies. Appendage mobility and sting viability are useful techniques for distinguishing the two subspecies, and alleviate the issues of expense, application, and accuracy. Uma chave para o entendimento da expansão da abelha africanizada (Apis mellifera) é distinguir esta abelha agressiva de sua equivalente européia. Técnicas de identificação atual têm um grau de sucesso, mas cada método tem seu próprio conjunto de problemas, tornando-se proibitivo sua adoção e uso em larga escala. Este estudo examinou aspectos do estado excitatório central, persistência de mobilidade de apêndices e viabilidade da ferroada após decapitação como ferramenta na distinção entre essas duas raças. O estado excitatório central não foi útil na distinção entre a abelha africanizada e a européia; todavia, a mobilidade de apêndices e a viabilidade do ferrão foram significativamente diferentes entre essas duas raças. A mobilidade de apêndices e a viabilidade do ferrão são técnicas úteis na distinção das duas raças e atenua os aspectos relacionados a gastos, aplicação e precisão.