Increased attractiveness of honeybee hive product volatiles to adult small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, resulting from small hive beetle larval infestation

R Andrew Hayes; Steven J Rice; Brogan A Amos; Diana M Leemon

doi:10.1111/eea.12304

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Increased attractiveness of honeybee hive product volatiles to adult small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, resulting from small hive beetle larval infestation

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Increased attractiveness of honeybee hive product volatiles to adult small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, resulting from small hive beetle larval infestation

R Andrew Hayes, Steven J Rice, Brogan A Amos and Diana M Leemon

Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Vol.155(3), pp.240-248

2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.12304

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Abstract

Kodamaea ohmeri

yeast

GC-MS

Coleoptera

Nitidulidae

invasive pest

Apis mellifera

Ascomycota

fermentation

slime

Hymenoptera

Apidae

The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), is a recent but significant pest of honeybee [Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)] hives in various regions throughout the world, including Eastern Australia. The larval stage of this beetle damages hives when they feed on brood, pollen, and honeycomb, leaving behind fermented wastes. In cases of extreme damage, hives collapse and are turned to an odorous mass of larvae in fermenting hive products. The yeast Kodamaea ohmeri (Etchells & Bell) Yamada et al. (Ascomycota) has been consistently isolated from the fermenting material as well as each life stage of this beetle. Various studies have noted that the small hive beetle is attracted to volatiles from hive products and those of the yeast K. ohmeri, although earlier studies have not used naturally occurring hive products as their source of fermentation. This study investigated changes through time in the attractiveness of natural honeybee hive products to the small hive beetle as the hive products were altered by the action of beetle larvae and fermentation by K. ohmeri. We used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and choice-test behavioural assays to investigate these changes using products sampled from three apiaries. Attractiveness of the fermenting hive products ('slime') increased as fermentation progressed, and volatile profiles became more complex. Fermenting hive products remained extremely attractive for more than 30 days, significantly longer than previous reports. These results have strong implications for the development of an external attractant trap to assist in the management of this invasive pest.

Details

Title: Increased attractiveness of honeybee hive product volatiles to adult small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, resulting from small hive beetle larval infestation
Authors: R Andrew Hayes (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Steven J Rice (Author) - Agri-Science Queensland
Brogan A Amos (Author) - Agri-Science Queensland
Diana M Leemon (Author) - Agri-Science Queensland
Publication details: Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Vol.155(3), pp.240-248
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Date published: 2015
DOI: 10.1111/eea.12304
ISSN: 0013-8703
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Forest Industries Research Centre; Forest Research Institute
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99449192902621
Output Type: Journal article

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