Tiritelli, R., Cilia,G., & Grasso, D. A.,

Occurrence of honey bee (Apis mellifera) pathogens in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): a systematic review

Ants are ubiquitous insects that commonly coexist with honey bees in shared environments. The constant interactions between these species can facilitate the transmission of pathogens from honey bees to ants. If ants prove to be efficient carriers of pathogens, the situation may be exacerbated by spillback events. This systematic review gathers and summarizes instances of honey bee pathogen occurrences in ants. The reports are categorized based on host species, condition and stage, year and geographic area, as well as detection methods. A total of 22 studies have investigated the presence of 11 honey bee pathogens. Among nine detected viruses, five demonstrated replicative capability, suggesting that ants could potentially act as vectors for honey bee pathogens. Clinical symptoms were detected for acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) in Lasius niger and deformed wing virus (DWV) in Solenopsis invicta. Additionally, multiple co-infections of honey bee pathogens have been observed in nine ant species. Understanding whether ants could act as incidental hosts, primary hosts, or vectors of these pathogens, facilitating transmission to other insects, is crucial. Further studies are necessary to clarify their role in the ecological dynamics of diseases, safeguarding the well-being not only of ants but also of other hymenopterans and insects.

Open access, licensed under CC BY 4.0. © 2024 The Author(s).

Honey bee diseases, spillover, ants, honey bee pathogens, viral disease, invasive species.