ABSTRACT
Nos últimos anos, grandes perdas de colônias de abelhas melíferas vêm sendo registradas em várias regiões do mundo. Contudo, os motivos desse acontecimento permanecem obscuros. O ácaro ectoparasita Varroa destructor Anderson e Trueman (Acari: Varroidae) pode ser um dos responsáveis por esse fato, principalmente como vetor de vírus. Neste estudo, avaliaram-se as taxas de infestação (TIs) do ácaro V. destructor em abelhas africanizadas Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) e correlacionaram-se os dados com as médias de temperatura de 16 municípios das regiões do Vale do Paraíba e da Serra da Mantiqueira (São Paulo, Brasil), onde a apicultura comercial atua de maneira significativa. Em cada município, um apiário comercial foi selecionado para coleta de amostras de três colônias populosas (padrão Langstroth), totalizando 48 colônias amostradas. Aproximadamente 300 abelhas adultas localizadas na área de cria foram coletadas em cada colônia. As TIs variaram de 0.0 a 5.5%, níveis considerados baixos para causar danos significativos às colônias. As TIs mais baixas foram encontradas em municípios com clima mais ameno durante a estação avaliada (verão). Adicionalmente, cofatores como variações na disponibilidade de alimento entre os municípios e a variabilidade genética das abelhas podem interagir na interação entre parasita e hospedeiro. A variação nas TIs entre os municípios indica que, mesmo presente, a tolerância das abelhas africanizadas ao varroa pode variar drasticamente em uma pequena região, devido à dinâmica multifatorial de infestação do ácaro.(AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Bees/parasitology , Varroidae , Beekeeping , Mite Infestations/veterinary , Brazil , Abiotic FactorsABSTRACT
Sacbrood disease, an affliction of honey bees (Apis mellifera) characterized by brood that fails to pupate and subsequently dies, is an important threat to honey bee health. The disease is caused by the sacbrood virus (SBV), a positive-, single-stranded RNA virus in the order Picornavirales. Because of the economic importance of honey bees for both pollination and honey production, it is vital to understand and monitor the spread of viruses such as SBV. This virus has been found in many places across the globe, including recently in some South American countries, and it is likely that it will continue to spread. We performed a preliminary study to search for SBV in two apiaries of Africanized honey bees in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, using RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing and found the first evidence of SBV in honey bee colonies in Brazil. The virus was detected in larvae, foraging and nurse bees from two colonies, one of which had symptoms of sacbrood disease, at the beginning of the winter season in June 2011. No SBV was found in samples from nine other nearby colonies.
Subject(s)
Bees/virology , Honey , Insect Viruses/genetics , Insect Viruses/isolation & purification , Animals , BrazilABSTRACT
In Brazil, the ectoparasitic mite of bees Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman (Acari: Varroidae) remains at low levels of infestation causing no major damage. However, with the introduction and possible dominance of a new haplotype (K) of the mite, usually found in areas with high infestation rates (IR), it is necessary to monitor and select beehives that are resistant to the pest in order to avoid future problems. Several factors are listed as potentially being responsible for the dynamics of mite infestation, among which hygienic behavior (HB) stands out. In this context we sought to evaluate the HB of Africanized honey bees Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) compared with the mite IR in apiaries of two municipalities of southeastern Brazil (Taubaté and Viçosa). For the municipality of Taubaté, the average IR was 4.9% (3.4 to 5.8%), while the HB averaged 98.6% (96 to 100%). In Viçosa, the average mite IR was found to be 10.0% (5.4 to 21.0%) with an average value for HB of 57.7% (0 to 79.0%). Results from this research show that IR and HB were negatively correlated (R = -0.9627, P<0.01), suggesting that hives with higher HB have lower IR.
No Brasil, o ácaro ectoparasita de abelhas Varroa destructor Anderson e Trueman (Acari: Varroidae) se mantém em índices de infestação baixos, não causando grandes prejuízos. Todavia com a introdução e possível predominância de um novo haplótipo (K) do ácaro, geralmente encontrado em regiões com altas taxas de infestação (TI), faz-se necessário o monitoramento e seleção de colônias resistentes à praga, evitando problemas futuros. Vários fatores são relacionados como possíveis responsáveis pela dinâmica de infestação do ácaro, dentre os quais se destaca o comportamento higiênico (CH). Nesse contexto buscamos avaliar o CH de abelhas africanizadas Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) correlacionando com as TI do ácaro em apiários de dois municípios do sudeste brasileiro (Taubaté e Viçosa). Em Taubaté, o valor médio da TI foi de 4,9% (3,4 a 5,8%), enquanto que o CH foi em média 98,6% (96 a 100%). Já em Viçosa, a TI média do ácaro foi de 10,0% (5,4 a 21,0%) com valor médio de CH de 57,7% (0 a 77,0%). Resultados dessa pesquisa demonstraram que as variáveis TI e CH foram negativamente correlacionadas (R= -0,9627; P<0,01), sugerindo que colônias que possuem CH mais elevado possuem menores TI.
Subject(s)
Animals , Mites/ultrastructure , Bees , Acari/growth & development , Hygiene , PathologyABSTRACT
This study was carried out to compare the physiochemical quality of honeys from beekeepers in northern Zona da Mata, MG, and honeys from warehouses registered at the Serviço de Inspeção Federal (SIF) in the State of Minas Gerais. Physiochemical analysis involving 39 samples were done, with three samples from each of the 13 beekeepers and 18 samples from warehouses registered at SIF-MG. Differences in quality from the two origins occurred in: free acidity, ashes, hydroxymethylfurfural, apparent sucrose and insoluble solids, where honeys from warehouses were of better quality. In addition, for free acidity and insoluble solids, two samples from northern Zona da Mata showed values above the established by the Instrução Normativa n°11 relative to the year 2000, whereas the values for insoluble solids in 11 samples from northern Zona da Mata and 2 samples from warehouses were in disagreement with this legislation.
Subject(s)
Animals , Honey/analysis , Beekeeping/methodsABSTRACT
We developed a method for rearing larvae of Africanized bees under laboratory conditions to determine the amount of diet needed during larval development to obtain a worker bee. We started with larvae 18-24 h old, which were transferred to polyethylene cell cups and fed for five days. We found that the amount of diet needed for successful larval development was: 4, 15, 25, 50, and 70 microl during the first to fifth days, respectively. The survival rate to the adult stage was 88.6% when the larvae received the daily amount of diet divided into two feedings, and 80% when they received only one feeding per day. The adult weight obtained in the laboratory, when the larvae received the daily amount of diet in a single dose, did not differ from those that were developed under field conditions (our control). All adults that we obtained in laboratory appeared to be normal. This technique has the potential to facilitate studies on brood pathogens, resistance mechanisms to diseases and also might be useful to test the impacts of transgenic products on honey bee brood.
Subject(s)
Bees/growth & development , Animals , Entomology/methods , Larva/growth & developmentABSTRACT
The composition of propolis, a resinous hive product collected by honeybees from various plant sources, depends on various factors such as season and vegetation of the area. Based on standards (either isolated from Brazilian propolis or reported from propolis) including chromane, diterpenes and phenolic compounds, different Brazilian propolis were analysed by LC-MS in order to determine their chemical constituents. Dicaffeoylquinic acids were detected in almost all water extracts of Brazilian propolis, whereas diterpenes, flavonoids and prenylated phenolic compounds were found in their methanol extracts. Based on the identified chemical constituents and their biological activities, it was determined that the quality of Brazilian propolis could be directly related to the phenolic constituents. Moreover, Baccharis dracunculifolia was concluded to be an important source of Brazilian propolis. Propolis samples from Peru, China and the Netherlands were also studied.
Subject(s)
Bees , Chromatography, Liquid/methods , Mass Spectrometry/methods , Propolis/isolation & purification , Animals , Brazil , China , Diterpenes/chemistry , Diterpenes/isolation & purification , Flavonoids/chemistry , Flavonoids/isolation & purification , Netherlands , Phenols/chemistry , Phenols/isolation & purification , Propolis/chemistry , Spectrum AnalysisABSTRACT
Propolis is a resinous hive product collected by honeybees from various plant sources. The composition of the propolis depends upon the time, vegetation and the area of collection. Thus, quality evaluation of the propolis is important, before use in food and beverages. For this propose three different biological activities were carried out, i.e. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, cytotoxicity and hepatoprotective activity, of MeOH and water extracts of nine different propolis from Brazil, Peru, the Netherlands and China. The results showed that water extracts of six Brazilian and a Chinese propolis possessed stronger DPPH free radical scavenging activity than the corresponding MeOH extract, whereas in the case of Netherlands and Peruvian propolis MeOH extract exhibited stronger DPPH free radical scavenging activity. The MeOH extracts of all propolis possessed stronger cytotoxicity than the corresponding water extract towards murine colon 26-L5 carcinoma and human HT-1080 fibrosarcoma cells. The result of hepatoprotective activity of Brazilian propolis on D-galactosamine (D-GalN)/tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced cell death in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes were found in accordance with the grade set up by beekeepers in Brazil.
