Kauaʻi record · KCA-IA-00144
Small Hive Beetle
Aethina tumida
Open this record in the interactive Atlas
About Small Hive Beetle
Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida) is a member of Nitidulidae in the order Coleoptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced.
Small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) is an introduced pest of honey-bee colonies documented from Kauaʻi. Adults enter hives and females lay eggs in protected crevices; larvae feed on pollen, brood, honey, dead bees, and comb, and heavily infested honey can ferment and run from the comb. Mature larvae leave the hive and pupate in soil, linking hive sanitation and nearby ground conditions to population growth.
Kauaʻi occurrence evidence: Matsunaga, Howarth & Kumashiro (2019) Table 1 includes Kauaʻi island code 'Ka'; first-detection year shown as 2010; reported island distribution: Ha, Ka, Ma, Mo, Oa.
The cited occurrence evidence does not by itself establish current abundance or population trend on Kauaʻi.
Life cycle
Egg → feeding larva in the hive → wandering mature larva → soil pupa → adult. Temperature strongly affects development; under warm conditions a generation can be completed in a few weeks.
Habitat
Managed and feral honey-bee colonies and the surrounding soil used for pupation.
Food and ecological role
Larvae consume hive resources including pollen, brood, honey, dead bees, and comb; adults also feed within colonies.
Reproduction
Females lay clusters of eggs in hive cracks and protected spaces; warm conditions can support rapid population increase.
Movement
Adults fly and locate bee colonies; infested beekeeping equipment and colonies can also move the beetle.
Ecosystem role
Introduced hive scavenger/pest affecting managed pollinator systems.
Threats and impacts
Can spoil stored honey, damage comb and brood, and contribute to colony stress, especially in weak colonies.
Monitoring
Inspect apiaries, hive debris and soil around colonies; track beetle and larval counts with colony condition and management actions.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Aethina tumida
- Common names
- Small Hive Beetle
- Family
- Nitidulidae
- Order
- Coleoptera
- Record type
- species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Present
- Origin
- Introduced
- Conservation status
- Not assessed
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal description
- Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida) is a member of Nitidulidae in the order Coleoptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced.