Lotmaria passim is a protozoan that belongs to the Trypanosoma genus. It is known to infect bees, specifically the honey bee (Apis mellifera).

Distribution and Habitat.

This parasite has been identified in various parts of the world, suggesting a global distribution. It is commonly found in bee colonies, where it infects the midgut of worker bees.

Impact on Bees.

Lotmaria passim can cause various health issues in bees, including diarrhea and general weakening. Its presence can contribute to colony decline and bee mortality.

Research and Studies.

Lotmaria passim is a trypanosome parasite that lurks in the intestine of bees and is believed to be responsible for the decrease in the Apidae population (1).

Antibiotics are administered as a contrast to this parasite. However, antibiotic treatment may have persistent effects on the size and composition of the microbiome in the intestine of bees. Exposure to antibiotics has caused a decrease in survival, both in the hive and in laboratory experiments where bees have been exposed to opportunistic pathogenic bacteria. Together, these results suggest that dysbiosis resulting from exposure to antibiotics affects bee health, partly due to increased susceptibility to ubiquitous opportunistic pathogens (2).

References__________________________________________________________________________

(1) Manuel Tritschler, Gina Retschnig, Orlando Yañez, Geoffrey R. Williams, Peter Neumann Host sharing by the honey bee parasites Lotmaria passim and Nosema ceranae Ecol Evol. 2017 Mar; 7(6): 1850–1857. Published online 2017 Feb 15. doi: 10.1002/ece3.2796

(2) Kasie Raymann, Zack Shaffer, Nancy A. Moran Antibiotic exposure perturbs the gut microbiota and elevates mortality in honeybees  PLoS Biol. 2017 Mar; 15(3): e2001861. Published online 2017 Mar 14. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2001861