EUROPEAN PAPER BEES, POLISTES DOMINULA AND POLISTES NIMPHA (CHRIST, 1791) (HYMENOPTERA: VESPIDAE) PATHOGENS PRESENCE AND THEIR POTENTIAL INSECTICIDAL EFFECTS ON HONEYBEES ADULTS OF APIS MELLIFERA CAUCASIA (POLLMANN, 1889)

Honeybee (Apis mellifera) is an important element of biodiversity and terrestrial ecosystems. Any pathogenic infection in this beneficial insect can lead to major undesirable disasters. This study investigated the pathogenic bacteria and fungi from Polistes dominula and Polistes nimpha wasps and their potential insecticidal effects on Apis mellifera caucasia. For this purpose, bacteria and fungi were isolated from dead and diseased bees collected from Terme district of Samsun province in Türkiye in May and June 2020. In the study, Granulicatella adiacens, Staphylococcus xylosus, Sphingomonas paucimobilis bacteria and Cryptococcus laurentii and Candida famata fungi were obtained from the internal tissues and organs of Polistes dominula paper wasp adults. Staphylococcus xylosus and Sphingomonas paucimobilis were found to be common bacteria in both bee species. Serratia marcescens and Enterococcus faecalis bacterial species were found to have a very lethal effect on honeybees. Bioassay experiments were performed on the detected fungi, and it was observed that Cryptococcus laurentii and Candida famata fungi species also had lethal effects on honeybees. It has been revealed that entomopathogenic bacteria, which are known to be very effective in biological control against harmful insects, can cause unwanted infections in honeybees.