**4. Materials and Methods**

#### *4.1. Sample Collection*

In summer 2017, one honey bee colony of mixed European origin was selected from an experimental apiary of the University of Florida (Gainesville, FL, USA) based on a conspicuous SHB infestation. No evident signs of other diseases could be detected. Forty SHB adults were randomly sampled alive from the colony combs and hive floor. Once in the laboratory, the collected specimens were randomly separated to compose one pool of thirty adults and ten individual beetle samples.
