Subject: | |
From: | |
Reply To: | |
Date: | Sun, 6 Sep 2009 05:05:21 EDT |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
I read in the latest Bees for Development Journal (always first with the
news!) that there is a newly recorded parasitic fly of honeybees in South
East Asia. The scientific name is Physocephala paralleliventris. They were
noticed in a bee-yard of an Agricultural Research Station in NE Borneo. The
investigators tested 13 colonies in different locations and found 12
infested at levels between 10% and 90%. The investigators looked further and
found that Apis cerana, Apis dorsata and Apis kosnevnokovi were all infested.
The article suggests that if the parasite can infest 3 species of Apis this
may indicate a great danger to Apis mellifera. As we all know, honeybees
are transported around the world in great numbers. It would be impossible
to tell whether some of these bees might be, on their bodies, incubating
the egg of this fly. The fly deposits eggs on adult bees, probably
foragers. The adults flies feed on nectar from flowers so this is probably where
it happens.
Thinking about it, although so far found only in tropical countries, the
fly with this sort of behavior could continue just as well in more temperate
regions as there is usually nectar to be found through most of the year
where winters are not prolonged or harsh and their babies are kept warm and
fed in the bodies of the bees.
For more information, try the BfD website information portal topic Honey
Bee Health and Welfare. I shall ask their leaderine Nicola Bradbear all
about it at Apimondia as I see (while googling for info about it) that she was
moderating at a conference where this was discussed.
Chris
***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|
|
|