Manuel Tritschler Gina Retschnig Orlando Yañez Geoffrey R. Williams Peter Neumann (2017), Host sharing by the honey bee parasites Lotmaria passim and Nosema ceranae, in
Ecology and Evolution , 7(6), 1850-1857.
Nora Drescher Alexandra-Maria Klein Peter Neumann Orlando Yañez Nora Drescher (2017), Inside Honeybee Hives: Impact of Natural Propolis on the Ectoparasitic Mite Varroa destructor and Viruses, in
Insects , 8(15), 1-18.
Yañez Orlando, Gauthier Laurent, Chantawannakul Panuwan, Neumann Peter (2016), Endosymbiotic bacteria in honey bees: Arsenophonus spp. are not transmitted transovarially, in
FEMS Microbiology Letters, fnw147-fnw147.
Yañez Orlando, Zheng Huo-Qing, Su Xiao-Ling, Hu Fu-Liang, Neumann Peter, Dietemann Vincent (2016), Potential for virus transfer between the honey bees Apis mellifera and A. cerana, in
Journal of Apicultural Research, 54(3), 179-191.
Tsevegmid Khaliunaa, Neumann Peter, Yañez Orlando (2016), The Honey Bee Pathosphere of Mongolia: European Viruses in Central Asia, in
PLOS ONE, 11(3), e0151164-e0151164.
Williams Geoffrey, Troxler ALine, Retschnig Gina, Roth Kaspar, Yanez Orlando, Shutler Dave, Neumann Peter, Gauthier Laurent (2015), Neonicotinoid pesticides severely affect honey bee queens, in
Scientific Reports , 5(14621), 1-7.
Yañez Orlando, Tejada Graciano, Neumann Peter (2014), First detection of viruses in Africanized honey bees from Peru., in
Virologica Sinica, 29(5), 321-3.
Retschnig Gina, Williams Geoffrey R, Mehmann Marion M, Yañez Orlando, de Miranda Joachim R, Neumann Peter (2014), Sex-specific differences in pathogen susceptibility in honey bees (Apis mellifera)., in
PloS one, 9(1), 85261-85261.
In Europe, China and the USA, beekeepers are being regularly confronted with severe inexplicable and sudden colony losses, with colonies exhibiting diverse symptoms (incl. CCD = Colony Collapse Disorder). Interactions between the ubiquitous ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor and mite-transmitted viruses are most likely key factors. However, although it is known that maternally-inherited, facultative bacterial endosymbionts can significantly interfere with both viral transmission and virulence in arthropods, they have so far been neglected in this context. Here we propose to evaluate the potential role of such endosymbionts for honeybee colony losses. We hypothesize quantitative and/or qualitative differences in the bacterial and viral communities associated with honeybees and V. destructor mites in susceptible and tolerant host populations, which are correlating with individual and colony health status. For that purpose, we will screen host and parasite populations using a metagenomic approach. Then, we will experimentally test for causal relationships between the identified endosymbionts and virus virulence as well as transmission using in-vitro-larval rearing and the omnipresent Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) as a model system. DWV is known to be transmitted by this mite and to reproduce in both bees and mites. Our study will investigate a potential key to our understanding of major honeybee colony losses and has a considerable potential not only to fill a significant gap in our knowledge of invertebrate pathology but also to contribute to future apicultural and veterinarian field practice.