Development and applications of in vitro artificial rearing of honey bee larvae

The emergence of artificial rearing methods for honey bee larvae was born out of a strong technical demand for studies on honey bee physiology, especially focused on caste differentiation. In recent years, in vitro artificial rearing of honey bee larvae has become an important tool to study the effects of plant protection products or pathogens on honey bees. Currently, the artificial rearing method of Apis mellifera larvae has already been well developed, whereas artificial rearing of Apis cerana larvae is still being explored, with survival rates varying greatly among laboratories. This review presents the development history of artificial rearing methods for honey bee larvae, the performance differences of honey bees reared in different living conditions (in vitro vs. in hive), and the application of honey bee larvae artificial rearing techniques. This study will be helpful for improving the technique for rearing A. cerana larvae in vitro and promotes the pathological and toxicological research of A. cerana. Based on existing research, there is an urgent need for the establishment of a stable in vitro rearing method for A. cerana with a high survival rate.