Detection of Lotmaria passim and Crithidia mellificae in Selected Bumblebee Species

Maria Michalczyk; Rajmund Sokół

doi:10.3390/pathogens11091053

Detection of Lotmaria passim and Crithidia mellificae in Selected Bumblebee Species

Pathogens. 2022 Sep 15;11(9):1053. doi: 10.3390/pathogens11091053.

Authors

Maria Michalczyk¹, Rajmund Sokół¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 13, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.

Abstract

Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) are an essential element of the ecosystem and the global economy. They are valued pollinators in many countries around the word. Unfortunately, there has been a decline in the bumblebee population, which is attributed to, among others, pathogens and reduced access to food due to the loss of natural nesting sites. Lotmaria passim and Crithidia mellificae, protozoan pathogens of the family Trypanosomatidae, commonly infect bumblebees, including in Poland. In this study, a Polish population of bumblebees was screened for L. passim and C. mellificae. The experiment was performed on 13 adult bumblebees belonging to 4 species: B. lapidarius, B. lucorum, B. pascuorum, and B. terrestris. Protozoa of the family Trypanosomatidae were identified by PCR. Only L. passim was identified in one B. pascuorum individual. Further research is needed to confirm the effect of concurrent pathogens on the decline of bumblebee populations.

Keywords: Crithidia mellificae; Lotmaria passim; PCR; bumblebee; pathogens.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the National Science Centre, Poland, grant No. 2018/02/X/NZ/01070, and the project was financially supported by the Minister of Science and Higher Education under the program entitled “Regional Initiative of Excellence” for the years 2019-2023, Project No. 010/RID/2018/19, amount of funding: PLN 12 000 000.