Varroa sp. is one of the most important pests of world of bees A. mellifera Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Apidae). The aim of this study is to analyze the morphological variability of Varroa so as to identify the different morphotypes of V. destructor. The study was conducted in 24 localities and 24 municipalities located in three regions (North-East, North-West and the Centre) of Benin. One to two hives were randomly selected per locality for collecting samples. In total 46 Varroa were examined in this study. Analysis of variance components was used to determine the share of the variability of morphological characteristics of V. destructor based on localities and climatic zones. Numerical classification was performed to group the populations of V. destructor based on morphological descriptors. The results show that the variability of morphological descriptors of V. destructor is usually larger at the community level than in climatic zones. In total four morphotypes of V. destructor are distinguished in Benin through the 4 variables used in the study.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.