title: Viruses of managed alfalfa leafcutting bees (Megachille rotundata Fabricus) and honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in Western Canada: Incidence, impacts, and prospects of cross-species viral transmission.
abstract: We examined whether alfalfa leafcutting bees (ALCB, Megachille rotundata) experienced a higher incidence of seven viruses commonly found honey bees (Apis mellifera) when placed alongside honey bees for hybrid canola seed pollination. Although two viruses - sacbrood virus (SBV) and deformed wing virus (DWV) - were detected in ALCB adults, their presence appeared independent of whether honey bees were present in the same field or not. A further survey of viruses among ALCB adults in three different alfalfa seed growing regions in Western Canada confirmed the ubiquity of sacbrood virus (SBV) as well as the infrequent presence of acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), both of which had not been previously reported on ALCB. Moreover, SBV and ABPV were detected in the cocoon stage and only in one region. Co-infection among pools of ALCB adults with both of these viruses was more closely correlated with decreasing levels of cocoon viability than infection levels in cocoons themselves. This research suggests ongoing viral transmission between honey bees and ALCB in the same fields is likely low but that co-infection with these viruses may lower ALCB productivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, 4017 Agricultural and Life Science Building, Corvallis, OR 97331-7304, USA. Electronic address: Andony.Melathopoulos@oregonstate.edu.
authors.forename: Andony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Melathopoulos
authors.affiliation: Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, 100, 5401 - 1 Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 4V6, Canada.
authors.forename: Lynae
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ovinge
authors.affiliation: National Bee Diagnostics Centre - TAC, Grande Prairie Regional College, PO Box 1118, 1 Research Road, Beaverlodge, Alberta T0H 0C0, Canada.
authors.forename: Patricia Wolf
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Veiga
authors.affiliation: National Bee Diagnostics Centre - TAC, Grande Prairie Regional College, PO Box 1118, 1 Research Road, Beaverlodge, Alberta T0H 0C0, Canada.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.affiliation: Manitoba Agriculture and Rural Development, 545 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 5S6, Canada.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ostermann
authors.affiliation: Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, 100, 5401 - 1 Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 4V6, Canada.
authors.forename: Shelley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoover
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000821:virology*; D002170:Canada; D007304:Insect Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV); Black queen cell virus (BQCV); Canola pollination; Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV); Deformed wing virus (DWV); Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV); Kashmir bee virus (KBV); Sacbrood virus (SBV); Virus detection