Bumble Bees and Honey Bees on Islands Harbour Reduced Viral Species Richness, Yet Honey Bee Populations Are Dominated by a Deformed Wing Virus Recombinant.

ABSTRACT: Pollinators harbour diverse RNA viromes that play a vital role in their health. Yet, factors that shape viral communities are often unclear. The European honey bee (Apis mellifera) is experiencing a viral epidemic since the emergence of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor (varroa) introduced vector-borne transmission, which has also been linked to increased viral spillover into wild pollinator communities. Varroa-free island populations provide natural laboratories to study the effect of varroa, while also allowing us to ask how islands affect viral communities. Barriers that restrict the dispersal of wild pollinators and their pathogens to islands may be overcome by human-mediated transport in managed honey bees. Here we used islands with and without varroa and matched mainland populatio

SUBMITTER: Dobelmann J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12717974 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature