Bee motley: lifestyle of a dangerous hive pest, parasitic prophylaxis

Representatives of the motley family are slender, mobile bugs with a bright color of the elytra. The number of species scattered around the world reaches 3,500. The greatest variety of insects is observed in the tropical zone, about 50 species of motley are known in Russia. In nature, they are predators. Adults and larvae actively hunt hymenoptera and their offspring. A typical species is the bee's motley. At the larval stage, insects enter the hives, where they destroy brood and weak bees.

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The bee motley or the bee (Trichodesapiaries) belongs to the motley family. Beetles are characterized by a short body length of 9-16 mm. The head is large, black. Pronotum broad, shiny, blue-black. The surface is speckled. Coleoptera insects are called bee insects. The reasons why the bee was called so several:

• The bee larvae grow and feed on beehives.
• Adult bugs fly in color and feed on pollen, although their main diet consists of small insects.

Head and body of black beetles. They are completely covered with short thick hairs. On the head are large complex eyes with a facet structure, antennae and oral apparatus. Antennae, which are the sensory organs, consist of 11 segments. The last 3 segments are expanded, they create a mace. The mouth organs are designed to grind food. The jaws are equipped with chewing teeth. Well-developed limbs consist of 5 parts. The hips are noticeably thickened, with claws and setae on the legs. Legs are covered with light hairs.
A characteristic feature of the motley family of beetles is its bright coloration. The hard elytra of the bee is red with two wide black bandages and a dark tip. Smoky wings are hidden beneath them.

Distribution area

The habitat of beetles covers most of Europe, Kazakhstan, Asia Minor, North America. In Russia, the bee bee is common in the European part. The northern border of the habitat is limited to the Leningrad region. It is found in the south in the Caucasus.

Lifestyle & Reproduction

The imago of the common bee inhabit the forest glades and edges, choosing well-lit and warm places. They can be seen on tree trunks or flowers. Beetles give preference to umbrella plants (yarrow, feminine-stonebreaker, angelica, buten). Specklers hunt in the daytime. Prey is caught on flowers or trees. Small insects are held by the front and middle limbs. Lunch begins with soft tissue. Flower pollen is part of the diet of adult beetles.

Attention. The presence of red in the body color indicates danger. Poisonous substances are present in the hemolymph of the beetle, so not all birds eat bee-bugs.

Propagation Features

Representatives of the motley family refers to insects with a complete transformation. The imago years in temperate regions are observed in May-June, in the northern regions - in July. Male bee bees are smaller than females. Mating of insects occurs on umbrella and complex-flowered plants, where most of the adult life passes.

The female's life span is about one month. During this time, she manages to lay up to 200 pieces of reddish-orange oblong eggs. The masonry is placed on the flowers. A distinctive feature of beetles is the ability to ovipositor of fertilized and unfertilized individuals.

How a bee larva enters a hive

The mechanism of infection of the bee house is simple and unusual. Of the eggs laid on the honey flowers, after 17-18 days, small larvae appear. They cling tightly to the limbs of bees and wasps that flew over the nectar. Together with hymenoptera, insects enter the hive or nest of wasps. Young larvae eat dead insects that have fallen to the bottom of the house. They grow quickly and need a lot of food. Part of the pests gets to the apiary in another way. Speckled females lay their eggs in the cracks of the hive.

Information. The bee chooses bee families living in well-lit hives.

The fleshy larva is pink. Her torso is covered with sparse yellow hairs. Moved with the help of three pairs of chest limbs ending in claws. The head is black, the mouth apparatus is gnawing. Pronot is brown, strongly sclerotized. The rest of the body is soft. On the last segment of the abdomen there are two processes in the form of spikes. These appendages help you move around in your moves. Mobile larvae live at the bottom of the hive, hiding in the garbage. Sometimes they crawl into the comb, where they make moves and eat brood. The main food of the pest is dead and sick bees, as well as eggs and pupae.

The larval stage of the bee motley takes 107-135 days. Then the insect leaves the hive for pupation in the soil. The development cycle of the beetle can drag on for 5 years, wintering occurs at the stage of the larva, which again begins to eat the inhabitants of the hive in the spring.

Attention. Speckled larvae are extremely harmful; one individual can destroy up to 52 bee larvae. In addition to the physical destruction of the brood, they introduce fungal infections.

Methods of control and prevention

There is no way to prevent a malicious motley from entering the hive. Affordable and effective preventative measures to help keep the bee swarm:

• Keeping beehives and the surrounding area clean, timely removal of garbage.
• Organization of competent care for bees.
• Regular inspection and repair of houses, the absence of cracks for the penetration of female bees.
• The maintenance of strong families with a small number of sick and weakened insects.

The imagoes of the bee motley do not cause harm to people. By exterminating various insects, predators help reduce the number of phytophages. But for beekeepers, this is one of the worst enemies. Several parasites can be a serious danger to a weak bee family.