Repercussions of Israeli acute paralysis virus on honey bee nursing behavior

Much of the research on the transmission of honey bee viruses has been focused on Varroa destructor, while alternate pathways are less understood. This study addresses this gap by focusing on the interaction between infected worker bees and a larval queen. We hypothesized that infection with Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) could affect nursing behavior in adult workers by facilitating or reducing IAPV transmission. We compared nursing activity between three different treatments: bees infected with IAPV, bees that were immunostimulated but not infected, and untreated controls. We measured nursing activity via a laboratory assay that assesses multiple larval care behaviors and scores them by level of interaction. By focusing on this suite of behaviors, we can better understand how sublethal infection of workers affects worker/larva interactions and build a better understanding of the ramifications of an infected workforce on the forthcoming generations.