ABSTRACT
Africanized honey bee populations (Apis mellifera L.) have been decreasing mainly due to the intense use of synthetic insecticides associated with pollution and climate change. To minimize these impacts on the environment and bee populations, the use of biological control agents has been intensified. These products are generally safer for non-target insects, such as bees, which are important pollinating insects. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of entomopathogenic nematodes on the longevity of the Africanized honey bee A. mellifera workers. Seven treatments were used: Heterorhabditis amazonensis, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Heterorhabditis indica, Steinernema carpocapsae, Steinernema feltiae, and Steinernema rarum, at a concentration of 40 infective juveniles per cm² (IJs/cm²), and a control in which autoclaved distilled water was used. Two bioassays were performed: 1) spraying nematodes on the workers and 2) spraying nematodes on glass plates, in which the bees remained for two hours. Each treatment consisted of five replicates with 20 bees each. Bees were kept in cages of PVC (20 × 10 cm) covered with a voile fabric and provided pieces of cotton soaked in water and Candy paste. The cages were kept in a climatized room (27 ± 2 °C temperature, 60 ± 10% relative humidity, and 12 h photophase) and the mortality was evaluated from 12 to 240 hours. In bioassay 1, the three treatments with nematodes of the genus Steinernema reduced the longevity of the workers (103.9, 96.3, and 99.6 h) when compared to treatments with Heterorhabditis (149.7, 126.8, and 134.7 h), of which, only H. amazonensis (149.7 h) did not differ from the control (166.0 h). In bioassay 2, all treatments reduced the longevity of honey bees (155.4 to [...].
As populações de abelhas africanizadas (Apis mellifera L.) vêm diminuindo devido, principalmente, ao intenso uso de inseticidas sintéticos. Desde modo, o emprego de agentes de controle biológico tem-se intensificado de forma a minimizar este impacto no ambiente. Estes produtos são, de modo geral, mais seguros aos insetos não-alvos, como as abelhas que são importantes insetos polinizadores. Desta forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos de nematoides entomopatogênicos utilizados para controle de insetos pragas, sobre a longevidade de operárias de A. mellifera africanizada. Foram utilizados sete tratamentos: Heterorhabditis amazonensis, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Heterorhabditis indica, Steinernema carpocapsae, Steinernema feltiae e Steinernema rarum, na concentração de 40 juvenis infectantes por cm² (JIs/cm²), e como testemunha água destilada autoclavada. Para isso foram realizados dois bioensaios: 1) Pulverização dos nematoides sobre as operárias e 2) Pulverização dos nematoides em placas de vidro, nas quais as abelhas permaneceram por duas horas em contato. Cada tratamento foi composto por cinco repetições com 20 abelhas cada. As abelhas foram mantidas em gaiolas de PVC (20x10cm) cobertas com tecido voile e fornecidos pedaços de algodão embebido em água e pasta Candy. As gaiolas foram mantidas em sala climatizada (27 ± 2 °C, U.R. 60 ± 10%, fotofase de 12h) e a mortalidade avaliada de 12 até 240 horas. No bioensaio 1 os três tratamentos com nematoides do gênero Steinernema reduziram a longevidade das operárias (103,9; 96,3 e 99,6 horas) quando comparados aos tratamentos com Heterorhabditis (149,7; 126,8 e 134,7 horas). Entretanto, dentre estes apenas H. amazonensis (149,7 horas) não diferiu da testemunha (166,0 horas). No bioensaio 2, todos os [...].
Subject(s)
Animals , Bees/drug effects , Pest Control, Biological/methodsABSTRACT
Africanized honey bee populations (Apis mellifera L.) have been decreasing mainly due to the intense use of synthetic insecticides associated with pollution and climate change. To minimize these impacts on the environment and bee populations, the use of biological control agents has been intensified. These products are generally safer for non-target insects, such as bees, which are important pollinating insects. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of entomopathogenic nematodes on the longevity of the Africanized honey bee A. mellifera workers. Seven treatments were used: Heterorhabditis amazonensis, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Heterorhabditis indica, Steinernema carpocapsae, Steinernema feltiae, and Steinernema rarum, at a concentration of 40 infective juveniles per cm² (IJs/cm²), and a control in which autoclaved distilled water was used. Two bioassays were performed: 1) spraying nematodes on the workers and 2) spraying nematodes on glass plates, in which the bees remained for two hours. Each treatment consisted of five replicates with 20 bees each. Bees were kept in cages of PVC (20 × 10 cm) covered with a voile fabric and provided pieces of cotton soaked in water and Candy paste. The cages were kept in a climatized room (27 ± 2 °C temperature, 60 ± 10% relative humidity, and 12 h photophase) and the mortality was evaluated from 12 to 240 hours. In bioassay 1, the three treatments with nematodes of the genus Steinernema reduced the longevity of the workers (103.9, 96.3, and 99.6 h) when compared to treatments with Heterorhabditis (149.7, 126.8, and 134.7 h), of which, only H. amazonensis (149.7 h) did not differ from the control (166.0 h). In bioassay 2, all treatments reduced the longevity of honey bees (155.4 to [...].(AU)
As populações de abelhas africanizadas (Apis mellifera L.) vêm diminuindo devido, principalmente, ao intenso uso de inseticidas sintéticos. Desde modo, o emprego de agentes de controle biológico tem-se intensificado de forma a minimizar este impacto no ambiente. Estes produtos são, de modo geral, mais seguros aos insetos não-alvos, como as abelhas que são importantes insetos polinizadores. Desta forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos de nematoides entomopatogênicos utilizados para controle de insetos pragas, sobre a longevidade de operárias de A. mellifera africanizada. Foram utilizados sete tratamentos: Heterorhabditis amazonensis, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Heterorhabditis indica, Steinernema carpocapsae, Steinernema feltiae e Steinernema rarum, na concentração de 40 juvenis infectantes por cm² (JIs/cm²), e como testemunha água destilada autoclavada. Para isso foram realizados dois bioensaios: 1) Pulverização dos nematoides sobre as operárias e 2) Pulverização dos nematoides em placas de vidro, nas quais as abelhas permaneceram por duas horas em contato. Cada tratamento foi composto por cinco repetições com 20 abelhas cada. As abelhas foram mantidas em gaiolas de PVC (20x10cm) cobertas com tecido voile e fornecidos pedaços de algodão embebido em água e pasta Candy. As gaiolas foram mantidas em sala climatizada (27 ± 2 °C, U.R. 60 ± 10%, fotofase de 12h) e a mortalidade avaliada de 12 até 240 horas. No bioensaio 1 os três tratamentos com nematoides do gênero Steinernema reduziram a longevidade das operárias (103,9; 96,3 e 99,6 horas) quando comparados aos tratamentos com Heterorhabditis (149,7; 126,8 e 134,7 horas). Entretanto, dentre estes apenas H. amazonensis (149,7 horas) não diferiu da testemunha (166,0 horas). No bioensaio 2, todos os [...].(AU)
Subject(s)
Animals , Bees/drug effects , Pest Control, Biological/methodsABSTRACT
Two Gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacteria, MEX20-17T and MEX47-22T, were isolated from the digestive system of Heterorhabditis atacamensis and Heterorhabditis mexicana entomopathogenic nematodes, respectively. Their 16S rRNA gene sequences suggest that strains MEX20-17T and MEX47-22T belong to the γ-Proteobacteria and to the genus Photorhabdus. Deeper analyses using housekeeping-gene-based and whole-genome-based phylogenetic reconstruction suggest that MEX20-17T is closely related to Photorhabdus khanii and that MEX47-22T is closely related to Photorhabdus luminescens. Sequence similarity scores confirm these observations: MEX20-17T and P. khanii DSM 3369T share 98.9â% nucleotide sequence identity (NSI) of concatenated housekeeping genes, 70.4â% in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (isDDH) and 97â% orthologous average nucleotide identity (orthoANI); and MEX47-22T and P. luminescens ATCC 29999T share 98.9â% NSI, 70.6â% isDDH and 97â% orthoANI. Physiological characterization indicates that both strains differ from all validly described Photorhabdus species and from their more closely related taxa. We therefore propose to classify MEX20-17T and MEXT47-22T as new subspecies within P. khanii and P. luminescens, respectively. Hence, the following names are proposed for these strains: Photorhabdus khanii subsp. guanajuatensis subsp. nov. with the type strain MEX20-17T (=LMG 30372T=CCOS 1191T) and Photorhabdus luminescenssubsp. mexicana subsp. nov. with the type strain MEX47-22T (=LMG 30528T=CCOS 1199T). These propositions automatically create Photorhabdus khanii subsp. khanii subsp. nov. with DSM 3369T as the type strain (currently classified as P. khanii), and Photorhabdus luminescenssubsp. luminescenssubsp. nov. with ATCC 29999T as the type strain (currently classified as P. luminescens).