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

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.

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

Parasitology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 145 (12) ◽  
pp. 1633-1639 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Suppressed Mite Reproduction (SMR) Reveals Potential for Varroa Resistance in European Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 595
Author(s):  
Fanny Mondet ◽  
Melanie Parejo ◽  
Marina D. Meixner ◽  
Cecilia Costa ◽  
Per Kryger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Selective Breeding ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Selection Criterion ◽  
Mite Reproduction ◽  
Solution Selection ◽  
Parasitic Mite ◽  
Different Populations

In the fight against the Varroa destructor mite, selective breeding of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) populations that are resistant to the parasitic mite stands as a sustainable solution. Selection initiatives indicate that using the suppressed mite reproduction (SMR) trait as a selection criterion is a suitable tool to breed such resistant bee populations. We conducted a large European experiment to evaluate the SMR trait in different populations of honey bees spread over 13 different countries, and representing different honey bee genotypes with their local mite parasites. The first goal was to standardize and validate the SMR evaluation method, and then to compare the SMR trait between the different populations. Simulation results indicate that it is necessary to examine at least 35 single-infested cells to reliably estimate the SMR score of any given colony. Several colonies from our dataset display high SMR scores indicating that this trait is present within the European honey bee populations. The trait is highly variable between colonies and some countries, but no major differences could be identified between countries for a given genotype, or between genotypes in different countries. This study shows the potential to increase selective breeding efforts of V. destructor resistant populations.

scholarly journals Three QTL in the honey bee Apis mellifera L. suppress reproduction of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter Behrens ◽  
Qiang Huang ◽  
Cornelia Geßner ◽  
Peter Rosenkranz ◽  
Eva Frey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Varroa Destructor ◽  
Parasitic Mite

Toxicity of destruxins against the parasitic mite Varroa destructor and its host Apis mellifera

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 278-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Lodesani ◽  
Cecilia Costa ◽  
Simone Franceschetti ◽  
Patrizia Bergomi ◽  
Gianni Galaverna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Varroa Destructor ◽  
Parasitic Mite

scholarly journals A small shift in VSH-gene frequency instead of rapid parallel evolution in bees. A comment on Oddie et al. 2018

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacques J M van Alphen ◽  
BartJan Fernhout
Keyword(s):  
Varroa Destructor ◽  
Gene Frequency ◽  
Parallel Evolution ◽  
Alternative Interpretation ◽  
Defence Mechanism ◽  
Small Shift ◽  
Mite Reproduction ◽  
Parasitic Mite ◽  
Recent Claim ◽  
European Populations

We refute a recent claim that parallel evolution in four European populations of honeybees has resulted in a not previously reported behavioural defence mechanism of the bees against the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, i.e. the ability of uncapping/recapping to reduce mite reproductive success. There are no data to support this claim, while there is a more plausible alternative interpretation of the reduced mite reproduction, i.e. reduction of mites through Varroa Sensitive Hygiene. We provide evidence why the former mechanism cannot explain resistance against Varroa in honeybees and the latter is instrumental in reducing Varroa populations.

scholarly journals Can colony size of honeybees (Apis mellifera) be used as predictor for colony losses due to Varroa destructor during winter?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Coby van Dooremalen ◽  
Frank van Langevelde
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Colony Size ◽  
Varroa Destructor ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Early Warning Signs ◽  
Parasitic Mite ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Early Predictor

AbstractFor more than three decades, honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera) experience high losses during winter, and these losses are still continuing. It is crucial that beekeepers monitor their colonies closely and anticipate losses early enough to apply mitigating actions. We tested whether colony size can be used as early predictor for potential colony losses, in particular due to the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. V. destructor is one of the most important causes for these losses. Such early predictor for potential V. destructor induced losses is especially relevant as measuring V. destructor load in colonies is difficult and cumbersome. During three years, we monitored colonies with high and low V. destructor load from July until March of the next year. We found that differences in colony size were only visible after November, even though we lost almost all colonies every winter in the group with high V. destructor load. In the Northern hemisphere, November is considered to be too late for beekeepers to strengthen colonies in preparation for winter. We therefore argue that early-warning signs for potential colony losses due to V. destructor are urgently needed to allow beekeepers preventing winter losses. We discuss the role of precision apiculture to monitor the health and productivity of honeybee colonies.

scholarly journals Strength surpasses relatedness–queen larva selection in honeybees

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0255151
Author(s):  
Saad Naser AL-Kahtani ◽  
Kaspar Bienefeld
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Eusocial Insect ◽  
Preoviposition Period ◽  
Queen Rearing ◽  
Insect Societies ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Colony Level

Nepotism was initially theoretically predicted and sometimes found to trigger the selection of specific larvae to be reared as queens in the honeybee Apis mellifera. Although the importance of selecting the next queen for a colony indicates that it should not occur at random, nepotism is increasingly considered unlikely in eusocial insect societies. Different prenatal maternal supplies of embryos have been found to impact fitness in many other species and therefore could be a possible trigger underlying the likelihood of being raised as a queen. We offered related or unrelated larvae from six colonies originating from eggs of different weights for emergency queen rearing in queenless units with worker bees from these six colonies. We showed that nurses did not significantly prefer related larvae during queen rearing, which confirms the theory that different relatedness-driven kin preferences within a colony cannot be converted into a colony-level decision. However, we found that larvae originating from heavier eggs were significantly preferred for queen breeding. Studies on other species have shown that superior maternal supply is important for later reproductive success. However, we did observe tendencies in the expected direction (e.g., queens that hatched from heavier eggs had both more ovarioles and a shorter preoviposition period). Nevertheless, our data do not allow for a significant conclusion that the selection of larvae from heavy eggs truly offers fitness advantages.

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

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph Büchler ◽  
Marin Kovačić ◽  
Martin Buchegger ◽  
Zlatko Puškadija ◽  
Andreas Hoppe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Varroa Destructor ◽  
Infestation Rate ◽  
Mite Infestation ◽  
Behavioral Traits ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Mite Reproduction ◽  
Varroa Resistance ◽  
Colony Survival ◽  
Selection Of

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.

scholarly journals Interaction of Varroa destructor and Sublethal Clothianidin Doses during the Larval Stage on Subsequent Adult Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) Health, Cellular Immunity, Deformed Wing Virus Levels and Differential Gene Expression

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuria Morfin ◽  
Paul H. Goodwin ◽  
Ernesto Guzman-Novoa
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Varroa Destructor ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Abiotic Stressors ◽  
Neonicotinoid Insecticide ◽  
Parasitic Mite ◽  
Differential Gene ◽  
Regulatory Effects

Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) are exposed to many parasites, but little is known about interactions with abiotic stressors on their health, particularly when affected as larvae. Larvae were exposed singly and in combination to the parasitic mite Varroa destructor and three sublethal doses of the neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin to evaluate their effects on survivorship, weight, haemocyte counts, deformed wing virus (DWV) levels and gene expression of the adult bees that subsequently developed. Clothianidin significantly reduced bee weight at the highest dose and was associated with an increase in haemocyte counts at the lowest dose, whereas V. destructor parasitism increased DWV levels, reduced bee emergence, lowered weight and reduced haemocyte counts. An interaction between the two stressors was observed for weight at emergence. Among the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), V. destructor infestation resulted in broader down-regulatory effects related to immunity that was often shared with the combined stressors, while clothianidin resulted in a broader up-regulatory effect more related to central metabolic pathways that was often shared with the combined stressors. Parasites and abiotic stressors can have complex interactions, including additive effects on reduced weight, number of up-regulated DEGs and biological pathways associated with metabolism.

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