Honey Bees Spread Myrtle Rust Across Australia
Western honeybees (Apis mellifera) have been linked to the spread of Myrtle Rust (Austropuccinia psidii) in Australia. Myrtle rust is a fungal plant pathogen first detected in Australia in 2010, and it affects many native species in the Myrtaceae family. Western Honeybee Western honeybee is the common name of Apis mellifera, a managed pollinator species used widely in commercial agriculture. Commercial colonies are transported across Australia for crop pollination, which creates movement pathways for pollen, spores, and other biological material. Myrtle Rust Myrtle rust is caused by the fungus Austropuccinia psidii and infects plants in the Myrtaceae family, including eucalypts, paperbarks, and bottlebrushes. Nearly 17% of Australia’s endemic vegetation is considered at risk from this fungus, and the pathogen has been recorded in Australia since 2010. Spore Transmission and Biosecurity Scientists have observed Western honeybees collecting myrtle rust spores as a food source and c...