The red dwarf bee has established its first colony in Europe, scientists have discovered, The Guardian reports.
Asian Red Dwarf Bee PHOTO Shutterstock
The bee species, scientifically named Apis florea, is native to Asia.
“It is concerning that Apis florea has been discovered in Malta,” said Dave Goulson, professor of biology at the University of Sussex, who was not involved in the research.
“Apis florea is likely to compete for pollen and nectar with our native pollinators, a group that is already in decline. It is also very likely that these bees are carriers of several diseases to which European bees may have little resistance.”
Previous reports indicated that the red dwarf species had slowly expanded its range from Asia to the Middle East and northeast Africa, but it had never been reported in Europe until now.
“If found in Malta, this is the first occurrence in Europe of a honey bee that is not Apis mellifera,” explained Francis Ratnieks, a British entomologist and emeritus professor of apiculture at the University of Sussex, who was not involved. in research.
The colony, consisting of more than 2,000 adult bees, was discovered surrounding a tree branch. After DNA tests were performed to identify the species, the colony was removed and destroyed. But the researchers who wrote the study suspect that a group of bees had already left the hive to start a new colony.
How the Asian species arrived in Europe
The colony’s proximity to the port of Birżebbuġa, Malta’s main cargo hub, suggests that the bees may have arrived on a merchant ship.
“This is one of the main (and faster) routes by which different subspecies of Apis mellifera, as well as other species of bees, wasps and other flying insects can move from their native areas to more distant locations,” explained Juliana Rangel, professor of beekeeping at Texas A&M University, who was not involved in the research.
Rangel added that this new discovery is yet another example of rising temperatures caused by the climate crisis causing species to spread into new territories.
Researchers believe that the mild winters in Malta and other southern European countries favor the survival of this invasive species. The red dwarf bee is also found in Israel.
“If he can live in Israel, I dare say he can do well in Malta,” Ratnieks said.
It could be “a matter of just a few years” for this species to spread to another location, Rangel said. “Given the large number of islands in the Mediterranean that are relatively close to each other and the fact that mainland land is also so close, it is highly plausible that more of these incursions will occur in the future, threatening our biodiversity in -a manner we may not yet understand.
“The only thing we can do is to be vigilant, report any sightings of specimens or swarms that seem different or new, remove specimens as soon as they are positively identified, look for other specimens nearby and continue monitoring efforts, more chosen at ports of entry where swarms can travel on ships.”
