DETECTION OF ASCOSPHAERA APIS IN HONEY BEE LARVAE (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) FROM EASTERN CANADA

Abstract
Ascosphaera apis (Maassen ex Claussen) Olive & Spiltoir, the causal organism of chalkbrood disease in honey bees, has now spread to eastern Canada. Scanning electron and phase contrast microscopy showed that A. apis may be differentiated from A. major, with which it has been confused, by the surface structure of spore balls and by differences in the size of nutriocysts and spores. A. major does not occur in North America.