First detection of deformed wing virus in Xylocopa augusti larvae (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Argentina

Abstract

Bees play an important role as pollinators of wild and cultivated plants, pollinating approximately 70 % to 80 % of the crops (Nabhan and Buchmann, 1997). The genus Xylocopa Latreille (Apidae: Xylocopini) comprises approximately 470 described species which are distributed worldwide, most occurring in tropical and subtropical areas (Michener, 2007). These bees are commonly known as carpenter bees because they build nests in dead wood, hollow internodes of bamboo stems, culms of herbaceous plants and structural timbers (Hurd and Moure, 1963). Several natural enemies are associated with large carpenter bees, including predators, parasites and parasitoids (Hurd, 1978). However, little is known about pathogens that affect Xylocopa species. Singh et al. (2010) reported the presence of two virus species affecting adults of Xylocopa virginica in the USA. Specimens collected from flowering plants, were positive for deformed wing virus (DWV) and black queen cell virus (BQCV). Here we present evidence of the first detection of DWV in the carpenter bee Xylocopa augusti Lepeletier in Argentina.