Beekeepers need new registered products to control the small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida, a significant pest of western honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies. Few approved chemical controls exist, and there is no standardized system for screening compounds against SHBs. We outline a detailed method for an acute toxicity bioassay that delivers compounds via pollen. We provide a detailed method for a field trial that delivers treated pollen in traps made from modified compact disc cases. We applied both methods in proof-of-concept experiments to assess acetamiprid as a SHB control agent. Using the laboratory bioassay, we found acetamiprid (${\mathrm{LC}}_{50}$ = 20.5 µg/g) to be more toxic to SHBs than coumaphos was (${\mathrm{LC}}_{50}$ = 1250 µg/g), yet less toxic to SHBs than fipronil was (${\mathrm{LC}}_{50}$ = 1.78 µg/g). In our field trial, colonies treated with acetamiprid and fipronil significantly reduced (p < 0.001) live SHB populations over those of control colonies. Traps containing acetamiprid retained significantly higher (p < 0.001) numbers of dead SHBs than did traps containing fipronil. We outline the first detailed methods to assess the toxicity of compounds delivered in pollen for adult SHB control. Our proof-of-concept experiments showed acetamiprid to be a promising control agent for SHBs.

We here establish a new genus in the nymphalid butterfly subtribe Euptychiina, Cisandina Nakahara & Espeland, n. gen. to harbor five species hitherto placed within two polyphyletic genera, namely Magneuptychia Forster, 1964 and Euptychoides Forster, 1964. We compiled data from over 350 specimens in 17 public and private collections, as well as DNA sequence data for all relevant species, to revise the species-level classification of this new genus. According to our multi-locus molecular phylogeny estimated with the maximum likelihood approach, Cisandina lean. comb., Cisandina philippan. comb. & reinst. stat., Cisandina fidan. comb., Cisandina sanmarcosn. comb., and Cisandina trinitensisn. comb. are proposed as new taxonomic combinations, since these species are distantly related to the type species of Magneuptychia and Euptychoides and cannot reasonably be accommodated in any other genus. Lectotypes are designated for Papilio lea Cramer, 1777, Papilio junia Cramer, 1780, Euptychia philippa Butler, 1867, and Eupytchia fida Weymer, 1911. Two new species of Cisandinan. gen. are named and described herein, C. esmeralda Nakahara & Barbosa, n. sp. and C. castanya Lamas & Nakahara, n. sp., increasing the described species diversity of the genus to seven. The immature stages of C. castanyan. sp. and C. philippan. comb. & reinst. stat. are documented along with their natural hostplants, representing the first two species of the genus with known life history information. We describe a new subspecies, Cisandina fida directa Nakahara & Willmott, n. ssp., based on a limited number of specimens from southern Ecuador and central Peru. We were unable to obtain genetic data for the nominate race of C. fidan. comb., and thus, this taxonomic hypothesis is currently based solely on phenotypic characters.

Selecting a suitable nest site is crucial for survival of central place foraging eusocial insect colonies. While the western honey bee (Apis mellifera R

Pollen is essential for western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) brood development, but the quality and quantity of pollen in the environment varies seasonally. Beekeepers often provide pollen substitute patties (PSPs) as a source of protein, lipids, and micronutrients when high-quality natural pollen is unavailable. Previous dye-tracing research has established that honey bees do not use PSPs the same way they use natural pollen; it is consumed by adult workers but is not stored or fed to larvae. Here, we determined the age at which adult workers interact with and consume PSPs to understand PSP utilization in honey bee colonies. We released cohorts of marked, newly emerged workers into hives containing dyed PSPs, undyed PSPs (negative control), dyed fondant (positive control), and dyed modeling clay (consumption control). We recorded the number of marked workers interacting with the treatments for 4 weeks following worker release. Additionally, we collected 20 marked workers daily from all colonies to assess the presence of dye in their guts. We constructed generalized linear mixed effect models and used Akaike’s Information Criterion to perform model selection. Using our top models, we found PSP interaction and consumption gradually increased with worker age until peaking between 18 and 22 days post cell emergence. These patterns suggest that older workers of pollen packer and foraging age, rather than nurse bees, are the primary consumers of PSPs. Our research suggests that PSP utilization may be driven by resource handling behaviors or carbohydrate consumption, rather than brood provisioning, when colonies are not pollen-limited.