Prof Stephen Martin's Outputs (63)

A comparison of deformed wing virus in deformed and asymptomatic honey bees (2017)
Journal Article

Deformed wing virus (DWV) in association with Varroa destructor is currently attributed to being responsible for colony collapse in the western honey bee (Apis mellifera). The appearance of deformed individuals within an infested colony has long been... Read More about A comparison of deformed wing virus in deformed and asymptomatic honey bees.

Use of mass-participation outdoor events to assess human exposure to tickborne pathogens (2017)
Journal Article
Hall, J., Alpers, K., Bown, K., Martin, S., & Birtles, R. (2017). Use of mass-participation outdoor events to assess human exposure to tickborne pathogens. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 23(3), 463-467. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2303.161397

Mapping the public health threat of tickborne pathogens requires quantification of not only the density of infected host-seeking ticks but also the rate of human exposure to these ticks. To efficiently sample a high number of persons in a short time,... Read More about Use of mass-participation outdoor events to assess human exposure to tickborne pathogens.

Covert deformed wing virus infections have long-term deleterious effects on honeybee foraging and survival (2017)
Journal Article
deleterious effects on honeybee foraging and survival. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284(1848), 20162149. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.2149

Several studies have suggested that covert stressors can contribute to bee colony declines. Here we
provide a novel case study and show using radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking technology
that covert deformed wing virus (DWV) infections... Read More about Covert deformed wing virus infections have long-term deleterious effects on honeybee foraging and survival.

Species-specific cuticular hydrocarbon stability within European Myrmica Ants (2016)
Journal Article

Recognition is a fundamental process on which all subsequent behaviors are based at every organizational level, from the gene up to the super-organism. At the whole organism level visual recognition is the best understood. However, chemical communi... Read More about Species-specific cuticular hydrocarbon stability within European Myrmica Ants.

Moku virus : a new Iflavirus found in wasps, honey bees and Varroa (2016)
Journal Article

There is an increasing global trend of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) affecting a wide range of species, including honey bees. The global epidemic of the single stranded RNA Deformed wing virus (DWV), driven by the spread of Varroa destructor ha... Read More about Moku virus : a new Iflavirus found in wasps, honey bees and Varroa.

The occurrence of ecto-parasitic Leptus sp. mites on Africanised honey bees (2016)
Journal Article

Honey bee-mite-pathogen associations have led to the widespread collapse of Apis mellifera colonies in various parts of the world. The global trade in bees continues to expose honey bees to new pests and pathogens. Here we highlight to the beekeeping... Read More about The occurrence of ecto-parasitic Leptus sp. mites on Africanised honey bees.

Deformed wing virus is a recent global epidemic in honeybees driven by Varroa mites (2016)
Journal Article
Wilfert, L., Long, G., Leggett, H., Schmid-hemple, P., Butlin, R., Martin, S., & Boots, M. (2016). Deformed wing virus is a recent global epidemic in honeybees driven by Varroa mites. Science, 351(6273), 594-597. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aac9976

Deformed wing virus (DWV) and its vector, the mite Varroa destructor, are a major threat to the world’s honeybees. Although the impact of Varroa on colony-level DWV epidemiology is evident, we have little understanding of wider DWV epidemiology and t... Read More about Deformed wing virus is a recent global epidemic in honeybees driven by Varroa mites.

Colony and species recognition among the formica ants (2016)
Book Chapter

Does a remote Brazilian island hold the key to varroa tolerance? (2015)
Journal Article

Diversity in a honey bee pathogen: first report of a third master variant of the Deformed Wing Virus quasispecies (2015)
Journal Article
Mordecai, G. J., Wilfert, L., Martin, S. J., Jones, I. M., & Schroeder, D. C. (2016). Diversity in a honey bee pathogen: first report of a third master variant of the Deformed Wing Virus quasispecies. ISME Journal, 10(5), 1264-1273. https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2015.178

Treatment of emerging RNA viruses is hampered by the high mutation and replication rates that enable these viruses to operate as a quasispecies. Declining honey bee populations have been attributed to the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor and its... Read More about Diversity in a honey bee pathogen: first report of a third master variant of the Deformed Wing Virus quasispecies.

Superinfection exclusion and the long-term survival of honey bees in Varroa-infested colonies (2015)
Journal Article
Mordecai, G. J., Brettell, L., Martin, S. J., Dixon, D., Jones, I. M., & Schroeder, D. C. (2016). Superinfection exclusion and the long-term survival of honey bees in Varroa-infested colonies. ISME Journal, 10(5), 1182-1191. https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2015.186

Over the past 50 years, many millions of European honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies have died as the ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor, has spread around the world. Subsequent studies have indicated that the mite’s association with a group of R... Read More about Superinfection exclusion and the long-term survival of honey bees in Varroa-infested colonies.

Using errors by guard honeybees (Apis mellifera) to gain new insights into nestmate recognition signals (2015)
Journal Article
gain new insights into nestmate recognition signals. Chemical Senses, 40(9), 649-653. https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bjv053

Although the honeybee (Apis mellifera) is one of the world most studied insects, the chemical
compounds used in nestmate recognition, remains an open question. By exploiting the error prone
recognition system of the honeybee, coupled with genotypin... Read More about Using errors by guard honeybees (Apis mellifera) to gain new insights into nestmate recognition signals.

Evidence for colony-specific differences in chemical mimicry in the parasitic mite Varroa destructor (2015)
Journal Article
Kather, R., Drijfhout, F., & Martin, S. (2015). Evidence for colony-specific differences in chemical mimicry in the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. Chemoecology, 25(4), 215-222. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-015-0191-8

In social insects, the integrity of a colony is maintained by recognising and removing aliens. Nest-mates use chemical cues on the cuticle of the individual they encounter to determine whether or not it is part of the colony. Parasites have evolved t... Read More about Evidence for colony-specific differences in chemical mimicry in the parasitic mite Varroa destructor.

Evidence for passive chemical camouflage in the parasitic mite Varroa destructor (2015)
Journal Article
Kather, R., Drijfhout, F., Shemilt, S., & Martin, S. (2015). Evidence for passive chemical camouflage in the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 41(2), 178-186. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-015-0548-z

Social insect colonies provide a stable and safe environment for their members. Despite colonies been heavily guarded, parasites have evolved numerous strategies to invade and inhabit these hostile places. Two common strategies are chemical mimicry v... Read More about Evidence for passive chemical camouflage in the parasitic mite Varroa destructor.

Evolution of cuticular hydrocarbons in the hymenoptera : a meta-analysis (2015)
Journal Article
Kather, R., & Martin, S. (2015). Evolution of cuticular hydrocarbons in the hymenoptera : a meta-analysis. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 41(10), 871-883. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-015-0631-5

Chemical communication is the oldest form of communication, spreading across all organisms of life. In insects, cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) function as the chemical recognition cues for the recognition of mates, species and nest-mates in social inse... Read More about Evolution of cuticular hydrocarbons in the hymenoptera : a meta-analysis.

Is the Bee louse Braula coeca (Diptera) using chemical camouflage to survive within honeybee colonies? (2014)
Journal Article
Martin, S., & bayfield, J. (2014). Is the Bee louse Braula coeca (Diptera) using chemical camouflage to survive within honeybee colonies?. Chemoecology, 24(4), 165-169. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-014-0158-1

The bee louse, Braula coeca is a highly specialised flattened, wingless fly that spends its entire adult life on adult honeybees. It feeds by stealing food directly from bees during social feeding (trophallaxis). The Braula fly has a preference to in... Read More about Is the Bee louse Braula coeca (Diptera) using chemical camouflage to survive within honeybee colonies?.

Chemical deception among ant social parasites (2014)
Journal Article
Gulliem, R., Drijfhout, F., & Martin, S. (2014). Chemical deception among ant social parasites. Current Zoology, 60(1), 62. https://doi.org/10.1093/czoolo/60.1.62

Deception is widespread throughout the animal kingdom and various deceptive strategies are exemplified by social parasites. These are species of ants, bees and wasps that have evolved to invade, survive and reproduce within a host colony of another s... Read More about Chemical deception among ant social parasites.

Recognition of nestmate eggs in the ant Formica fusca is based on queen derived cues (2014)
Journal Article
based on queen derived cues. Current Zoology, 60(1), 131-136

Inclusive fitness benefits depend on recognizing the right individuals to interact with. Social insect nests protect
themselves from non-kin intruders through nestmate recognition based on chemical cues. The recognition cues on adult individuals
ar... Read More about Recognition of nestmate eggs in the ant Formica fusca is based on queen derived cues.

The role of deformed wing virus in the initial collapse of varroa infested honey bee colonies in the UK. (2013)
Journal Article
Martin, S., Ball, B., & Carreck, N. (2013). The role of deformed wing virus in the initial collapse of varroa infested honey bee colonies in the UK. Journal of Apicultural Research, 52(5), 251-258. https://doi.org/10.3896/IBRA.1.52.5.12

The mite Varroa destructor has been associated with the collapse of millions of Apis mellifera honey bee colonies world-wide. During the past decade, a large body of research has revealed various interactions between varroa, the honey bee and various... Read More about The role of deformed wing virus in the initial collapse of varroa infested honey bee colonies in the UK..

Sources of variation in cuticular hydrocarbons in the ant formica exsecta (2013)
Journal Article
Martin, S., Vitikainen, E., Shemilt, S., Drijfhout, F., & Sundström, L. (2013). Sources of variation in cuticular hydrocarbons in the ant formica exsecta. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 39(11-12), 1415-1423. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-013-0366-0

Phenotypic variation arises from interactions between genotype and environment, although how variation is produced and then maintained remains unclear. The discovery of the nest-mate recognition system in Formica exsecta ants has allowed phenotypic v... Read More about Sources of variation in cuticular hydrocarbons in the ant formica exsecta.