Uruguay is characterized by having an Africanization gradient in its honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations from areas bordering Brazil to the most remote locations. Morphological differences have also been found among Varroa destructor populations from different regions. A possible explanation for these morphological changes in mites could be explained by morphological correlations in the host/parasite A. mellifera/V. destructor system. The objective of the present study was to identify A. mellifera ecotypes in Uruguay and their correlation with V. destructor populations, using geometric morphometrics analysis. The hypothesis states that there is an Africanization gradient of A. mellifera in the northsoutheastern direction in Uruguay that correlates with morphological variations in V. destructor populations. A morphometrics analysis of six honey bee populations and their respective phoretic mites was carried out by sampling zones that show the gradient in the Uruguayan region. The main results obtained were a morphometric correlation between honey bees and mites. The use of landmarks could be adjusted for the intraspecific differentiation of V. destructor populations, which had not been considered previously. These studies are of major importance to further understand the parasitism caused by V. destructor in honey bees.Correlacio ´n morfome ´trica entre morfotipos de Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera) y Varroa destructor (Acari) en Uruguay Uruguay se caracteriza por tener un gradiente de africanizacio ´n en sus poblaciones de abeja de la miel (Apis mellifera), desde las a ´reas que bordean Brasil hasta las regiones ma ´s remotas. Estas diferencias morfolo ´gicas tambie ´n han sido encontradas en las poblaciones de Varroa destructor en diferentes regiones. Una explicacio ´n posible para estos cambios morfolo ´gicos en los a ´caros podrı ´a ser explicada por la correlacio ´n morfolo ´gica entre hospedador y para ´sito, A. mellifera y V. destructor. El objetivo del presente estudio es identificar los ecotipos de A. mellifera en Uruguay y su correlacio ´n con las poblaciones de V. destructor usando ana ´lisis de morfometrı ´a geome ´trica. Nuestra hipo ´tesis de partida es que hay un gradiente de africanizacio ´n en A. mellifera en direccio ´n norte-sureste en Uruguay y que se correlaciona con variaciones morfolo ´gicas en las poblaciones de V. destructor. Un ana ´lisis morfome ´trico de seis poblaciones de abeja de la miel y sus respectivos a ´caros fo ´reticos fue llevado a cabo muestreando en zonas de la regio ´n uruguaya en las que se apreciaba el gradiente. Como resultado principal se obtuvo una correlacio ´n morfome ´trica entre abejas y a ´caros. El uso de landmarks puede ser ajustado para la diferenciacio ´n intraespecı ´fica de las poblaciones de V. destructor, lo que no habı ´a sido considerado previamente. Estos estudios son de gran importancia para entender el parasitismo causado por V. destructor en las abejas.
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