Chris,
I doubt that I could swear to it.

The history of that sample goes back several years of demonstrating
microscopy at Gormanston, where we (Redmond Williams and I) had preserved a
sample of bees with nosema. Every bee in the sample turned out to have
nosema and in those days all we knew about was N. apis.

By the time Randy was investigating Nosema the only type he was finding was
N. ceranae and he was looking for a sample of N. apis.

I duly sent him two samples taken from our dwindling stock of dried bees
with were then Randy had tested by PCR. This proved that the sample was pure
N. apis.

Dave Cushman then sent me a sample of Nosema ceranae obtained from the NBU
and I made up a composite photo of the two types both at exactly the same
scale so that comparisons could be made.

Randy sent photos to Juanse as well as some other beekeepers. As Randy has
said there is a difference that can be detected by light microscopy if you
are used to looking at several samples.

So the reason I could not swear to it is two fold:
1) Nosema ceranae was since discovered in Ireland by Patrick Malone a
technician at Teagasc who was checking bees and comb for disease and this
result was confirmed by PCR analysis.
2) I cannot afford to have any sample similarly tested. I have seen samples
which appear to still be N.apis but N. ceranae spores might not have been
detected by visual means.
Quote

Ruary, could you supply a Nosema apis only sample today from Ireland?

Chris Unquote

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