Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026
08:36
Empirical, Metagenomic, and Computational Techniques Illuminate the Mechanisms by which Fungicides Compromise Bee Health
Published on: October 9, 2017
Shared pathogens among honey bees, wild bees and hoverflies in mountain ecosystems
Laura Zavatta1, Rossella Tiritelli2, Serena Magagnoli3
1DISTAL, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Scientific Reports
|May 15, 2026
Summary
Bee pathogens are widespread in honeybees, wild bees, and hoverflies, even in protected mountain areas. Environmental factors like altitude and vegetation impact pathogen prevalence, highlighting the need for integrated pollinator health surveillance.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Pathology
- Conservation Biology
Background:
- Pollinator health is crucial for ecosystem function and agriculture.
- Bee-associated pathogens can impact both managed and wild bee populations.
- Understanding pathogen dynamics in diverse pollinator groups is essential for effective conservation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence, abundance, and drivers of bee-associated pathogens in honeybees, wild bees, and hoverflies.
- To assess the influence of environmental factors (altitude, habitat) and host characteristics on pathogen infection.
- To evaluate pathogen circulation in protected areas with limited anthropogenic pressure.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of over 1,600 specimens from 54 species across four National Parks in Northern Italy.
- Detection of 10 common bee-associated pathogens (viruses, microsporidia, trypanosomatids).
- Statistical modeling to identify environmental and host-related predictors of pathogen occurrence and abundance.
Main Results:
- 76.3% of individuals tested positive for at least one pathogen.
- Deformed wing virus (DWV) and chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) were most prevalent; Sacbrood virus (SBV) found exclusively in hoverflies.
- Pathogen prevalence decreased with higher altitudes and vegetation index; July showed peak pathogen abundance.
- Hoverflies showed lower pathogen occurrence than bees, with larval diet, voltinism, and sex as key predictors.
Conclusions:
- Extensive pathogen circulation occurs in wild pollinators, including in mountain ecosystems.
- Bee pathogens are present in hoverflies, necessitating broader pollinator health surveillance.
- An integrated One Health approach is recommended for effective pollinator conservation.
Related Concept Videos
02:40Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores
Plants often form mutualistic relationships with soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria to enhance their roots’ nutrient uptake ability. Root-colonizing fungi (e.g., mycorrhizae) increase a plant’s root surface area, which promotes nutrient absorption. While root-colonizing, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., rhizobia) convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), making nitrogen available to plants for various biological functions. For example, nitrogen is essential for the biosynthesis of the...
00:53Migration
Migration is long-range, seasonal movement from one region or habitat to another. This common strategy, carried out by many different organisms around the world, is an adaptive response that typically corresponds to changes in an organism’s environment, like resource availability or climate. Migrations can involve huge groups of thousands of animals as well as single individuals traveling alone and can range from thousands of kilometers to just a few hundred meters.