Bumble Bees and Honey Bees on Islands Harbour Reduced Viral Species Richness, Yet Honey Bee Populations Are Dominated by a Deformed Wing Virus Recombinant
Journal: Molecular Ecology
Year: 2025

Pollinators harbour diverse RNA viromes that play a vital role in their health. Yet, factors that shape viral communities are often unclear. The European honey bee (Apis mellifera) is experiencing a viral epidemic since the emergence of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor (varroa) introduced vector-borne transmission, which has also been linked to increased viral spillover into wild pollinator communities. Varroa-free island populations provide natural laboratories to study the effect of varroa