Short CommunicationReport on the microbiota of Melipona quadrifasciata affected by a recurrent disease

- We report a syndrome that annually affects Melipona quadrifasciata in Southern Brazil.
- Using metabarcoding we identify the most representative members of its associated microbiota.
- We rule out the involvement of any known entomopathogenic bacterium.

Melipona quadrifasciata is an eusocial stingless bee traditionally used for honey production in Brazil. In the last decades, the species disappeared from the wild in Southern Brazil, being kept exclusively in managed colonies for commercial and recreational purposes. Stingless beekeepers from this region report annual losses of their colonies due to a syndrome of yet unknown causes. We investigate whether it is associated to pathogenic microorganisms already known to cause disease in bees. These results provide a starting point for future studies aimed at clarifying the relationship between the microbial community of stingless bees and their colony collapses.

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