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Summary
The effects of temperature on several life history parameters of small hive beetles (SHB), Aethina tumida, were investigated under laboratory conditions. Our results showed that the development, body size and weight of SHB were dependent on temperature. Egg incubation was about two days at higher temperature (34°C) and three days at lower (room) temperature (24–28°C). Exposure of larvae to lower temperature resulted in a 15-day extension to their development to adult emergence with a mean of 36.31 ± 0.08 days as opposed to 20.68 ± 0.08 days at higher temperature (34°C). At lower temperature, the developmental time (first instar to adult emergence) of males was about one-half day longer (36.63 ±0.12 days) than that of females (36.02 ±0.15 days). Higher temperature supported larger (length = 6.30 ± 0.07mm, width = 3.48 ± 0.02mm) and heavier (12.95 ± 0.22mg) adult females than did the lower temperature (length = 5.30 ± 0.04mm, width = 3.39 ± 0.02mm, weight = 11.40 ± 0.20mg). Weight and width similarities between males exposed to higher temperature (weight = 11.53 ±0.14 mg, width = 3.43 ± 0.02mm) and females reared under room temperature (weight = 11.40 ± 0.20mg, width = 3.39 ± 0.02mm) were also observed. From this study, we can deduce that the abundance and impact of SHB on honey bee colonies may be influenced by their rate of development in different thermic regimes. A new technique for rearing individual SHB is also described.