Infection Prevalence of Microsporidia Vairimorpha (Nosema) spp. in Japanese Bumblebees.

ABSTRACT: Microsporidia are spore-forming intracellular parasites of various invertebrates and vertebrates. Vairimorpha bombi negatively affects the fitness of bumblebees and its prevalence correlates with declining bumblebee populations. The invasive alien species Bombus terrestris colonized Japan and possibly introduced new parasites. To assess the infection prevalence of V. bombi in Japanese bumblebees and B. terrestris, we investigated V. bombi infections using PCR and microscopy. The prevalence of sporulating V. bombi infections in three Bombus s. str. species/subspecies was low, whereas that of non/low-sporulating Vairimorpha sp. infections in three Diversobombus species/subspecies was high. Invasive B. terrestris showed low

SUBMITTER: Yanagisawa T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10145284 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature