Chemical ecology and management of the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida (Coleoptera:Nitidulidae)

Authors: BOBADOYE, BRIDGET - Forestry Research Institute Of Nigeria; NGANSO, BEATTSENN - African Insect Science For Food And Health (ICIPE); Stuhl, Charles; TORTO, BALDWYN - African Insect Science For Food And Health (ICIPE); FOMBONG, AYUKA - African Insect Science For Food And Health (ICIPE)

Submitted to: Journal of Chemical Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2024
Publication Date: 1/31/2025
Citation: Bobadoye, B., Nganso, B., Stuhl, C.J., Torto, B., Fombong, A. 2025. Chemical ecology and management of the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida (Coleoptera:Nitidulidae). Journal of Chemical Ecology. 51:16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-025-01556-8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-025-01556-8

Interpretive Summary: The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), that originated in sub-Saharan Africa, has been an invasive honey bee parasite for the past 25 years. The small hive beetle threatens honey bee colonies throughout the world. It has been found to directly damage populations of managed honey bee colonies, and indirectly threaten pollination services and food security. The chemical ecology of the small hive beetle explores how they use chemical signals to interact with each other and their environment. These chemical signatures are very complex for the small hive beetle that come from inside and outside the honey bee colony. ARS researchers in Gainesville, Florida in collaboration with the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria and the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kenya, reviewed current knowledge on the chemical ecology of the small hive beetle, with a focus on how the small hive beetles use odors, taste, touch, and the role of microbes in influencing their behavior. We discuss future research directions and opportunities of integrating some of the identified odors from previous studies for its improved management.

Technical Abstract: Over the last 28 years, the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), a colony pest of wild and managed honey bees (Apis mellifera), and native to sub-Saharan Africa, has been recorded as an invasive and damaging pest of diverse bee species, especially managed honeybee colonies in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. It poses an indirect threat to pollination services and global food security. Efforts to manage the beetle has yielded no permanent solution. However, several studies demonstrate that the small hive beetle uses various sensory cues to locate hosts including chemical and visual cues in the visible wavelength. Here, we review the chemical ecology of the beetle and discuss implications for its future management.