Polyandrous parasitic beetles
The small hive beetle is roughly five millimetres long. It’s a bee parasite and an invasive species in Europe. | Photo: Anna Papach, adapted with permission from Cooper et al. (2026)
The small hive beetle is an invasive species that destroys beehives and is spreading all over the world. One hypothesis for its success is that its females mate with multiple males when they reach new habitats, thereby increasing genetic diversity and accelerating the process of adaptation. However, genetic analyses by the University of Bern show that even in its natural habitat, sub-Saharan Africa, female beetles have up to 12 mates. Polyandry is therefore common to the species and doesn’t only come into play when it spreads elsewhere. yv
