Molecular assays detected Apocephalus borealis in 31% of a sample of 363 honey bee hives from Belgium. If confirmed, this would mean that the zombie fly has been introduced into Europe where it could threaten European honey bees as well as other bees and wasps. The study also found an association with winter hive losses and summer infection by Varroa mites, Crithidia mellificae, and Nosema ceranae. Read the original paper.

Anyone in Europe who sees honey bees at lights at night should follow the instructions in the ZomBee Watch tutorial and upload samples to the ZomBee Watch web site.