Table 1 Species of Nitidulidae (and Cryptophagidae) beetles previously associated with beehives worldwide.

From: Molecular detection of small hive beetle Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae): DNA barcoding and development of a real-time PCR assay

Species (Family)

Reported Pest Status

BOLD barcode* (public)

Present in Australia

Present in NZ

Aethina tumida Murray (Nitidulidae)

Breeds in hives, damaging beehive pest16,18

5 (5)

Yes, Cosmopolitan

No, Exotic

Aethina concolor** (Macleay) (Nitidulidae)

Beehive/hibiscus flowers28,65,66

2 (2)

Yes, Endemic

Yes, Adventive

Brachypeplus sp.*** (Nitidulidae)

Breeds in hives, potential beehive pest9,67

Genus: 5 (4)

Yes, Cosmopolitan

Yes

Carpophilus dimidiatus (Fabricius) (Nitidulidae)

Shelter/food68,69

3 (1)

Yes, Cosmopolitan

Yes, Adventive

Carpophilus hemipterus (Linnaeus) (Nitidulidae)

Accidental70,71,72

33 (9)

Yes, Cosmopolitan

Yes, Adventive

Carpophilus lugubris Murray (Nitidulidae)

Potential beehive pest4,72

4 (2)

No, Exotic. (Genus present)

No, Exotic

Cychramus luteus (Fabricius) (Nitidulidae)

Shelter/food5

28 (21)

No, Exotic. (Genus present)

No, Exotic

Epuraea corticina Erichson (Nitidulidae)

Shelter/food69

7 (2)

No, Exotic. (Genus present)

No, Exotic

Epuraea (Haptoncus) luteola (Erichson) (Nitidulidae)

Potential beehive pest73

1 (0)

No, Exotic. (Species occurs on Christmas Island)

No, Exotic

Glischrochilus fasciatus Olivier (Nitidulidae)

Shelter/food69

10 (10)

No, Exotic

No, Exotic

Lobiopa insularis (Laporte) (Nitidulidae)

Shelter/food69,70,71

Genus: 2 (2)

No, Exotic

No, Exotic

Urophorus humeralis (Fabricius) (Nitidulidae)

Accidental70,71,74

3 (1)

Yes, Cosmopolitan

Yes, Cosmopolitan

Cryptophagus hexagonalis Tournier (Cryptophagidae)

Breeds in hives, benign53

Genus: 213 (184)

No, Exotic. (Genus present)

No, Exotic

  1. Note:
  2. *BOLD database accessed 19 April 2017.
  3. **One of the Aethina concolor specimen (T16_01444 in Table 2) was obtained from beehive via New Zealand general surveillance program. Another A. concolor specimen (T17_00549 in Table 2) was collected from and Calystegia sepium flowers. The survey of Buchholz et al.65 showed that A. concolor individuals were observed on blossoms which were regularly visited by honey bees.
  4. ***Brachypeplus brevicornis is present in New Zealand67.
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