Evaluation of Traits for the Selection of Apis Mellifera for Resistance against Varroa Destructor

Infestation with Varroa destructor is a serious cause of bee colony (Apis mellifera) losses on a global level. However, the presence of untreated survivor populations in many different regions supports the idea that selection for resistance can be successful. As colony survival is difficult or impossible to measure, differences in mite infestation levels and tests for specific behavioral traits are used for selective breeding for Varroa resistance. In this paper we looked into different definitions of mite infestation and linked these with brood hygiene (pin test), brood recapping and suppressed mite reproduction. We based our analyses on datasets of Apis mellifera carnica from three countries: Austria (147 records), Croatia (135) and Germany (207). We concluded that bee infestation in summer, adjusted for the level of natural mite fall in spring, is a suitable trait in the breeding objective, and also suggested including brood infestation rate and the increase rate of bee infestation in summer. Repeatability for bee infestation rate was about 0.55, for cells opened in pin test about 0.33, for recapping 0.35 and for suppressed mite reproduction (SMR) virtually zero. Although in most cases we observed correlations with the expected sign between infestation parameters and behavioral traits, the values were generally low (<0.2) and often not significantly different from zero.

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Low fertility, fecundity and numbers of mated female offspring explain the lower reproductive success of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor in African honeybees

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182018000616 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 145 (12) ◽

pp. 1633-1639 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Beatrice T. Nganso ◽

Ayuka T. Fombong ◽

Abdullahi A. Yusuf ◽

Christian W. W. Pirk ◽

Charles Stuhl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Reproductive Success ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Female Offspring ◽

Low Fertility ◽

Mite Infestation ◽

Unmated Female ◽

Mite Reproduction ◽

Worker Brood ◽

Honeybee Subspecies

AbstractAlthough Varroa destructor is the most serious ecto-parasite to the honeybee, Apis mellifera L., some honeybee populations such as Apis mellifera scutellata in Kenya can survive mite infestations without treatment. Previously, we reported that grooming behaviour could be a potential tolerant mechanism expressed by this honeybee subspecies towards mite infestation. However, both hygienic and grooming behaviours could not explain the lower mite-infestation levels recorded in these colonies. Here, we investigated the involvement of other potential resistant mechanisms including suppression of mite reproduction in worker brood cells of A. m. scutellata to explain the low mite numbers in their colonies. High infertility rates (26–27%) and percentages of unmated female offspring (39–58%) as well as low fecundity (1.7–2.2, average offspring produced) were identified as key parameters that seem to interact with one another during different seasons to suppress mite reproduction in A. m. scutellata colonies. We also identified offspring mortality in both sexes and absence of male offspring as key factors accounting for the low numbers of mated daughter mites produced in A. m. scutellata colonies. These results suggest that reduced mite reproductive success could explain the slow mite population growth in A. m. scutellata colonies.

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New Viruses from the Ectoparasite Mite Varroa destructor Infesting Apis mellifera and Apis cerana

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v11020094 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 94 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Sofia Levin ◽

Noa Sela ◽

Tal Erez ◽

David Nestel ◽

Jeffery Pettis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Rna Virus ◽

Apis Cerana ◽

Virus Genome ◽

Deformed Wing Virus ◽

Viral Loads ◽

Short Period ◽

Honeybee Subspecies ◽

Colony Survival

Varroa destructor is an ectoparasitic mite of Asian or Eastern honeybees Apis cerana (A. cerana) which has become a serious threat to European subspecies of Western honeybees Apis mellifera (A. mellifera) within the last century. V. destructor and its vectored honeybee viruses became serious threats for colony survival. This is a short period for pathogen- and host-populations to adapt. To look for possible variation in the composition of viral populations we performed RNA metagenomic analysis of the Western honeybee subspecies A. m. ligustica, A. m. syriaca, A. m. intermissa, and A. cerana and their respective V. destructor mites. The analysis revealed two novel viruses: Varroa orthomyxovirus-1 (VOV-1) in A. mellifera and V. destructor and a Hubei like-virga virus-14 homolog in V. destructor. VOV-1 was more prevalent in V. destructor than in A. mellifera and we found evidence for viral replication in both hosts. Interestingly, we found differences in viral loads of A. cerana and their V. destructor, A. m. intermissa, and its V. destructor showed partial similarity, while A. m. ligustica and A. m. syriaca and their varroa where very similar. Deformed wing virus exhibited 82.20%, 99.20%, 97.90%, and 0.76% of total viral reads in A. m. ligustica, A. m. syriaca, A. m. intermissa, and A. cerana, respectively. This is the first report of a complete segmented-single-stranded negative-sense RNA virus genome in honeybees and V. destructor mites.

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Effect of Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman infestation on Apis mellifera L. adults

Journal of Applied and Natural Science ◽

10.31018/jans.v5i2.353 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 455-458

Author(s):

Asha Asha ◽

Rachna Gulati ◽

Deepika Thakur ◽

Monika Giroh

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Significant Positive Correlation ◽

Mite Infestation ◽

Positive Correlation

Maximum incidence of Varrosis on adults of Apis mellifera L. (8%) was recorded in second fortnight of May 2008 corresponds to the peak in V. destructor population. Percent deformity was calculated by observing 100 adult bees. Deformity in adult bees was low which ranged between 0.0 to 3.0 per cent with an average of 0.52 per cent. Significant positive correlation (r = 0.77) was calculated between per cent mite infestation and per cent bee deformity which revealed that with increase in mite infestation, there was a corresponding increase in deformity of bees.

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Diagnosis of Varroa Mite (Varroa destructor) and Sustainable Control in Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Colonies—A Review

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d11120243 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 243 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Aleš Gregorc ◽

Blair Sampson

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Organic Acids ◽

Essential Oils ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Mite Infestation ◽

Varroa Mite ◽

Mite Control ◽

Bee Colonies ◽

Reliable Methods

Determining varroa mite infestation levels in honey bee colonies and the proper method and time to perform a diagnosis are important for efficient mite control. Performing a powdered sugar shake or counting mites that drop from combs and bees onto a hive bottom board are two reliable methods for sampling varroa mite to evaluate the efficacy of an acaricide treatment. This overview summarizes studies that examine the efficacy of organic acids and essential oils, mite monitoring, and brood interruption for integrated varroa mite control in organic beekeeping.

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The effect of oxalic acid applied by sublimation on honey bee colony fitness: a comparison with amitraz

Acta Veterinaria Brno ◽

10.2754/avb201685030255 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 85 (3) ◽

pp. 255-260

Author(s):

Ivana Papežíková ◽

Miroslava Palíková ◽

Stanislav Navrátil ◽

Radka Heumannová ◽

Michael Fronc

Keyword(s):

Adverse Effect ◽

Apis Mellifera ◽

Oxalic Acid ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Treated Group ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Colony Fitness ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

Bee Colonies

Oxalic acid is one of the organic acids used for controlling Varroa destructor, a mite parasitizing the honey bee (Apis mellifera). The aim of this work was to examine the effect of oxalic acid applied by sublimation on honey bee colony fitness, and to compare it with the effect of amitraz, a routinely used synthetic acaricide. Bee colonies of equal strength were randomly divided into two groups. In December 2014, one group was treated with amitraz in the form of aerosol, and the second group was treated with oxalic acid applied by sublimation. The colonies were monitored over winter. Dead bees found at the bottom of the hive were counted regularly and examined microscopically for infection with Nosema sp. (Microsporidia). At the end of March 2015, living foragers from each hive were sampled and individually examined for Nosema sp. infection. Colony strength was evaluated at the beginning of April. No adverse effect of oxalic acid on colony strength was observed despite the fact that the total number of dead bees was non-significantly higher in the oxalic acid-treated group. Examination of dead bees for Nosema infection did not reveal significant differences in spore numbers between the experimental groups. There was a substantial difference in living individuals, however, with a significantly higher amount of spores per bee found in the amitraz-treated colonies compared to the oxalic acid-treated colonies. Compared to amitraz, oxalic acid applied by sublimation showed no adverse effects on bee colony fitness or on successful overwintering.

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Ethological Aspects of Honeybee Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera, Apidae), Adaptation to Parasitic Mite Varroa Destructor (Mesostigmata, Varroidae) Invasion

Vestnik Zoologii ◽

10.2478/v10058-010-0004-z ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 44 (1) ◽

pp. e-32-e-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

I. Akimov ◽

V. Kiryushyn

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Host System ◽

Comparative Efficiency ◽

Parasitic Mite ◽

Parasitic Mites ◽

Selection Of

Ethological Aspects of HoneybeeApis mellifera(Hymenoptera, Apidae), Adaptation to Parasitic MiteVarroa Destructor(Mesostigmata, Varroidae) InvasionSome ethological aspects ofA. melliferaLinnaeus, 1758 (Hymenoptera, Apidae), adaptation to parasiting the miteV. destructorAnderson et Trueman (Mesostigmata, Varroidae) are shown. The basic complexes of behaviour reactions, directed on a fight against the parasitic mites of bees brood at the genusApisare shown, their comparative efficiency under various conditions and evolutional perspective. Possibility of ethological adaptation of honey bee toV. destructorparasiting, direction of selection by this sign and influencing of human on parasitic-host system was discussed. An approach to the selection of bees with the purpose of resistanse to varroosis promoution is proposed.

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Norwegian honey bees surviving Varroa destructor mite infestations by means of natural selection

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.3956 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. e3956 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Melissa A.Y. Oddie ◽

Bjørn Dahle ◽

Peter Neumann

Keyword(s):

Natural Selection ◽

Reproductive Success ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Apis Cerana ◽

Mite Infestation ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Key Factor ◽

Colony Survival

Background Managed, feral and wild populations of European honey bee subspecies, Apis mellifera, are currently facing severe colony losses globally. There is consensus that the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, that switched hosts from the Eastern honey bee Apis cerana to the Western honey bee A. mellifera, is a key factor driving these losses. For >20 years, breeding efforts have not produced European honey bee colonies that can survive infestations without the need for mite control. However, at least three populations of European honey bees have developed this ability by means of natural selection and have been surviving for >10 years without mite treatments. Reduced mite reproductive success has been suggested as a key factor explaining this natural survival. Here, we report a managed A. mellifera population in Norway, that has been naturally surviving consistent V. destructor infestations for >17 years. Methods Surviving colonies and local susceptible controls were evaluated for mite infestation levels, mite reproductive success and two potential mechanisms explaining colony survival: grooming of adult worker bees and Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH): adult workers specifically detecting and removing mite-infested brood. Results Mite infestation levels were significantly lower in surviving colonies and mite reproductive success was reduced by 30% when compared to the controls. No significant differences were found between surviving and control colonies for either grooming or VSH. Discussion Our data confirm that reduced mite reproductive success seems to be a key factor for natural survival of infested A. mellifera colonies. However, neither grooming nor VSH seem to explain colony survival. Instead, other behaviors of the adult bees seem to be sufficient to hinder mite reproductive success, because brood for this experiment was taken from susceptible donor colonies only. To mitigate the global impact of V. destructor, we suggest learning more from nature, i.e., identifying the obviously efficient mechanisms favored by natural selection.

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Effects of honey bee virus prevalence, Varroa destructor load and queen condition on honey bee colony survival over the winter in Belgium

Journal of Apicultural Research ◽

10.3896/ibra.1.50.3.03 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 50 (3) ◽

pp. 195-202 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Bach Kim Nguyen ◽

Magali Ribière ◽

Dennis vanEngelsdorp ◽

Chantal Snoeck ◽

Claude Saegerman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Virus Prevalence ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

Colony Survival ◽

Bee Virus

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The ectoparasite mite Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman in southeastern Brazil apiaries: effects of the hygienic behavior of Africanized honey bees on infestation rates

Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia ◽

10.1590/s0102-09352012000500017 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 64 (5) ◽

pp. 1194-1199 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

F.A. Pinto ◽

A. Puker ◽

L.M.R.C. Barreto ◽

D. Message

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Mite Infestation ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Hygienic Behavior ◽

Africanized Honey Bees ◽

Average Value ◽

Low Levels ◽

Research Show

In Brazil, the ectoparasitic mite of bees Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman (Acari: Varroidae) remains at low levels of infestation causing no major damage. However, with the introduction and possible dominance of a new haplotype (K) of the mite, usually found in areas with high infestation rates (IR), it is necessary to monitor and select beehives that are resistant to the pest in order to avoid future problems. Several factors are listed as potentially being responsible for the dynamics of mite infestation, among which hygienic behavior (HB) stands out. In this context we sought to evaluate the HB of Africanized honey bees Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) compared with the mite IR in apiaries of two municipalities of southeastern Brazil (Taubaté and Viçosa). For the municipality of Taubaté, the average IR was 4.9% (3.4 to 5.8%), while the HB averaged 98.6% (96 to 100%). In Viçosa, the average mite IR was found to be 10.0% (5.4 to 21.0%) with an average value for HB of 57.7% (0 to 79.0%). Results from this research show that IR and HB were negatively correlated (R = -0.9627, P<0.01), suggesting that hives with higher HB have lower IR.

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Reproductive success of the parasitic mite (Varroa destructor) is lower in honeybee colonies that target infested cells with recapping

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-88592-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Melissa A. Y. Oddie ◽

Ashley Burke ◽

Bjørn Dahle ◽

Yves Le Conte ◽

Fanny Mondet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Reproductive Success ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Large Scale ◽

World Wide ◽

Selective Breeding ◽

Mite Reproduction ◽

Parasitic Mite ◽

Good Proxy ◽

Colony Level

AbstractCell recapping is a behavioural trait of honeybees (Apis mellifera) where cells with developing pupae are uncapped, inspected, and then recapped, without removing the pupae. The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, unarguably the most destructive pest in apiculture world-wide, invades the cells of developing pupae to feed and reproduce. Honeybees that target mite infested cells with this behaviour may disrupt the reproductive cycle of the mite. Hence, cell recapping has been associated with colony-level declines in mite reproduction. In this study we compared the colony-level efficacy of cell recapping (how often infested cells are recapped) to the average mite fecundity in A. mellifera. Our study populations, known to be adapted to V. destructor, were from Avignon, France, Gotland, Sweden, and Oslo, Norway, and were compared to geographically similar, treated control colonies. The results show that colonies with a higher recapping efficacy also have a lower average mite reproductive success. This pattern was likely driven by the adapted populations as they had the largest proportion of highly-targeted cell recapping. The consistent presence of this trait in mite-resistant and mite-susceptible colonies with varying degrees of expression may make it a good proxy trait for selective breeding on a large scale.

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