Pollinator-health
Guides
Aethina tumida
Small Hive Beetle, SHB
Aethina tumida is an invasive pest beetle native to sub-Saharan Africa that has spread globally, causing significant damage to European honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies. Adults are small, reddish-brown to dark brown beetles with clubbed antennae. Females can lay up to 2,000 eggs, and larvae feed on bee brood, honey, and pollen, producing frass that promotes fungal fermentation and creates a slimy, unusable mess in hives. The species has demonstrated potential for beneficial use in circular economy applications, converting excess bee pollen into animal feed and biomanure.
Apocephalus borealis
Zombie Fly, ZomBee Fly
Apocephalus borealis is a parasitoid phorid fly native to North America that attacks bumblebees, paper wasps, and European honey bees. The species gained attention in 2008 when researchers at San Francisco State University discovered it parasitizing honey bees in California. Infected bees exhibit aberrant behaviors including nocturnal flight, disorientation, and attraction to light sources, earning the flies the common name 'zombie flies' and infected bees the name 'zombees.' The fly may act as a vector for honey bee pathogens including deformed wing virus and Nosema ceranae.
Physocephala tibialis
thick-headed fly
Physocephala tibialis is a parasitoid fly in the family Conopidae that develops within the abdomens of bees, particularly bumble bees (Bombus spp.). Adults are primarily black with yellow facial markings and thin white abdominal stripes, and are frequently observed near flowering plants where they locate hosts. The species exhibits remarkable host manipulation, inducing infected bees to bury themselves before death, which protects the developing pupa underground.
Varroidae
Varroidae is a family of parasitic mites in the order Mesostigmata, containing the economically significant genus Varroa. Members are obligate ectoparasites of honey bees (Apis spp.), with Varroa destructor being the most destructive species affecting managed European honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies worldwide. These mites have a two-stage life cycle involving a phoretic traveling phase on adult bees and a reproductive phase within brood cells. The family has become a major focus of apicultural research due to the severe colony losses attributed to Varroa infestations, disease transmission, and the mites' role in honey bee population declines.