Varroa destructor Parasitism and Genetic Variability at Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Drone Congregation Areas and Their Associations With Environmental Variables in Argentina

Galindo‐Cardona, Alberto; Russo, Romina; Escalante, Karen; Geria, Martín; Lepori, Nicolás; Ayup, María Marta; Muntaabski, Irina; Liendo, Marí­a Clara; Landi, Lucas; Giray, Tuğrul; Monmany-Garzia, A. Carolina

doi:10.3389/fevo.2020.590345

Cited by 10 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 75 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…On the other hand, shorter mating flights ( Figure 5 ) may also be indicative of other health problems, such as parasitism, probably during pupation by the ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor [ 5 , 36 ]. We found Varroa on the drones at the DCA, and their parasitic load depends on the distance to the nearest apiary [ 12 ]. Varroa , like any parasite or disease, needs high population concentrations to spread, and an apiary is the best place for this [ 37 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Varroa , like any parasite or disease, needs high population concentrations to spread, and an apiary is the best place for this [ 37 ]. Because wild beehives are scattered in the field, their infestation rate is more variable and differs from what happens in an apiary [ 12 ]. Also, the colony collapse disorder may reduce the frequency and length of scouting trips in workers, which may also affect drone scouting activity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Once the DCA has been found, A. mellifera drones could visit them several times during the mating season. These areas exhibit unique characteristics such as slope orientation and land cover that we continue to characterize further [ 4 , 6 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Analysis of Honeybee Drone Activity during the Mating Season in Northwestern Argentina

Ayup

Gärtner

Agosto‐Rivera

et al. 2021

Insects

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Males in Hymenopteran societies are understudied in many aspects and it is assumed that they only have a reproductive function. We studied the time budget of male honey bees, drones, using multiple methods. Changes in the activities of animals provide important information on biological clocks and their health. Yet, in nature, these changes are subtle and often unobservable without the development and use of modern technology. During the spring and summer mating season, drones emerge from the hive, perform orientation flights, and search for drone congregation areas for mating. This search may lead drones to return to their colony, drift to other colonies (vectoring diseases and parasites), or simply get lost to predation. In a low percentage of cases, the search is successful, and drones mate and die. Our objective was to describe the activity of Apis mellifera drones during the mating season in Northwestern Argentina using three methods: direct observation, video recording, and radio frequency identification (RFID). The use of RFID tagging allows the tracking of a bee for 24 h but does not reveal the detailed activity of drones. We quantified the average number of drones’ departure and arrival flights and the time outside the hive. All three methods confirmed that drones were mostly active in the afternoon. We found no differences in results between those obtained by direct observation and by video recording. RFID technology enabled us to discover previously unknown drone behavior such as activity at dawn and during the morning. We also discovered that drones may stay inside the hive for many days, even after initiation of search flights (up to four days). Likewise, we observed drones to leave the hive for several days to return later (up to three days). The three methods were complementary and should be considered for the study of bee drone activity, which may be associated with the diverse factors influencing hive health.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Analysis of Honeybee Drone Activity during the Mating Season in Northwestern Argentina

Ayup

Gärtner

Agosto‐Rivera

et al. 2021

Insects

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…3 ). Studies have also found mites on drones collected at drone congregation areas, or ‘DCAs’ ( Mortensen et al 2018 , Galindo-Cardona et al 2020 ). Moreover, Galindo-Cardona et al (2020) showed that drones returning from mating flights could drift into neighboring colonies, spreading mites throughout the apiary.…”

Section: Varroa Destructor’s Life Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies have also found mites on drones collected at drone congregation areas, or ‘DCAs’ ( Mortensen et al 2018 , Galindo-Cardona et al 2020 ). Moreover, Galindo-Cardona et al (2020) showed that drones returning from mating flights could drift into neighboring colonies, spreading mites throughout the apiary. However, it has not been confirmed that mites can access new colonies after getting infested at DCAs, and thus, more information on how adult drones and Varroa mites interact is needed to further understand how drones play a role in the spread of Varroa within and among colonies.…”

Section: Varroa Destructor’s Life Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Enemy: A Review of the Genetics, Behavior and Chemical Ecology of Varroa destructor, the Parasitic Mite of Apis mellifera

Reams

Rangel

2022

Journal of Insect Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) is arguably the most damaging parasitic mite that attacks honey bees worldwide. Since its initial host switch from the Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) to the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Varroa has become a widely successful invasive species, attacking honey bees on almost every continent where apiculture is practiced. Two haplotypes of V. destructor (Japanese and Korean) parasitize A. mellifera, both of which vector various honey bee-associated viruses. As the population of Varroa grows within a colony in the spring and summer, so do the levels of viral infections. Not surprisingly, high Varroa parasitization impacts bees at the individual level, causing bees to exhibit lower weight, decreased learning capacity, and shorter lifespan. High levels of Varroa infestation can lead to colony-wide varroosis and eventually colony death, especially when no control measures are taken against the mites. Varroa has become a successful parasite of A. mellifera because of its ability to reproduce within both drone cells and worker cells, which allows populations to expand rapidly. Varroa uses several chemical cues to complete its life cycle, many of which remain understudied and should be further explored. Given the growing reports of pesticide resistance by Varroa in several countries, a better understanding of the mite’s basic biology is needed to find alternative pest management strategies. This review focuses on the genetics, behavior, and chemical ecology of V. destructor within A. mellifera colonies, and points to areas of research that should be exploited to better control this pervasive honey bee enemy.

show abstract

Epidemiology, factors influencing prevalence and level of varroosis infestation (Varroa destructor) in honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies in different agroecologies of Southwest Ethiopia

Robi,

Temteme,

Aleme

et al. 2023

Parasite Epidemiology and Control

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Varroa destructor Parasitism and Genetic Variability at Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Drone Congregation Areas and Their Associations With Environmental Variables in Argentina

Cited by 10 publications

References 75 publications

Analysis of Honeybee Drone Activity during the Mating Season in Northwestern Argentina

Analysis of Honeybee Drone Activity during the Mating Season in Northwestern Argentina

Understanding the Enemy: A Review of the Genetics, Behavior and Chemical Ecology of Varroa destructor, the Parasitic Mite of Apis mellifera

Epidemiology, factors influencing prevalence and level of varroosis infestation (Varroa destructor) in honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies in different agroecologies of Southwest Ethiopia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About