Bumble bee macroparasites

Conopid flies (Diptera: Conopidae) and Mermithid nematodes (Mermithid: Mermithidae) are obligate endoparasitoids of multiple insect taxa. Several conopid genera are associated with bumble bees; female conopids parasitize foraging bumble bees by ovipositing an egg into a bumble bee’s abdomen. Mermithids, however, are not historically associated with bumble bees and only a few accounts of parasitism have been reported. Parasitism can have adverse effects on host behavior and survival, but little is known about conopid fly or mermithid nematode host choice, distribution, or identification. Moreover, morphologically, both parasites are ambiguous, and keys do not exist for larval specimens. Here, we attempt to sequence both conopids and mermithids dissected from over 3,000 bumble bees representing 11 species from 18 states.