title: Nosema ceranae in South American Native Stingless Bees and Social Wasp.
abstract: Besides the incipient research effort, the role of parasites as drivers of the reduction affecting pollinator populations is mostly unknown. Given the worldwide extension of the beekeeping practice and the diversity of pathogens affecting Apis mellifera populations, honey bee colonies are a certain source of parasite dispersion ﻿to other species. Here, we communicate the detection of the microsporidium Nosema ceranae, a relatively new parasite of honey bees, in stingless bees (Meliponini) and the social wasp Polybia scutellaris (Vespidae) samples from Argentina and Brazil by means of duplex PCR. Beyond the geographic location of the nests, N. ceranae was detected in seven from the eight Meliponini species analyzed, while Nosema apis, another common parasite of A. mellifera, was absent in all samples tested. Further research is necessary to determine if the presence of the parasite is also associated with established infection in host tissues. The obtained information enriches the current knowledge about pathologies that can infect or, at least, be vectored by native wild pollinators from South America.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. mporrini@mdp.edu.ar.
authors.forename: Martín Pablo
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Porrini
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Leonardo Pablo
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Porrini
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Paula Melisa
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Garrido
authors.affiliation: Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnólogia de Goiás, Quartel do XX, Praça Brasil Ramos Caiado, 76600.000, Goiás, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Melo E Silva Neto
authors.affiliation: GENEBSO, INBIOTEC, UNMdP, CONICET, Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Darío Pablo
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Porrini
authors.affiliation: Centro de Cría y mejoramiento de abejas "Erich Karl Faltus", N° 111009, Calle J. M. Estrada N°210, N3233, Capioví, Argentina.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Industrias Alimenticias, Universidad Nacional del Chaco Austral, Cdte. Fernandez 755, 3700, Pres. R. Sáenz Peña, Argentina.
authors.forename: Laura Alejandra
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Nuñez
authors.affiliation: División Entomología, Museo de La Plata, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Edificio Anexo Museo, Unidades de Investigación FCN yM, 122 y 60, 1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Leopoldo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Genética, Dto. de Biología, CONICET, UNMdP, Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Pedro Fernandez
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Iriarte
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Martín Javier
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Eguaras
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D001516:Bees / Q000382:microbiology*; D001938:Brazil; D016818:Nosema / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis; D014863:Wasps / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D012331:RNA, Fungal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Microsporidia; Nosema apis; Polybia scutellaris; Stingless bee