ZomBee Watch participant Joseph Naughton has discovered the first New York State honey bee parasitized by The zombie fly, Apocephalus borealis. The bee was captured at his porch light.

This is the third record of A. borealis parasitizing honey bees in the eastern US and raises the possibility that honey bees infected by the zombie fly are present in hives throughout New England and the MidAtlantic States.  Because infected honey bees leave their hives, beekeepers may not even be aware that their hives are infected.  Now is an important time for obtaining new information from citizen scientists. The next six weeks are the best time for beekeepers and citizen scientists to be on the lookout for honey bees acting strangely and coming to lights at night. Their observations are critical to determine the extent of the threat to eastern honey bees from the zombie fly.