Reproductive success of the parasitic mite (Varroa destructor) is lower in honeybee colonies that target infested cells with recapping
Abstract Cell 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...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-88592-y |
| _version_ | 1818570771694354432 |
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| author | Melissa A. Y. Oddie Ashley Burke Bjørn Dahle Yves Le Conte Fanny Mondet Barbara Locke |
| author_facet | Melissa A. Y. Oddie Ashley Burke Bjørn Dahle Yves Le Conte Fanny Mondet Barbara Locke |
| author_sort | Melissa A. Y. Oddie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Cell 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T13:46:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-84362c3044d149cbb92014c71b1f372c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T13:46:17Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-84362c3044d149cbb92014c71b1f372c2022-12-21T22:59:17ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222021-04-011111710.1038/s41598-021-88592-yReproductive success of the parasitic mite (Varroa destructor) is lower in honeybee colonies that target infested cells with recappingMelissa A. Y. Oddie0Ashley Burke1Bjørn Dahle2Yves Le Conte3Fanny Mondet4Barbara Locke5Norwegian Beekeepers AssociationDepartment of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesNorwegian Beekeepers AssociationINRAEINRAEDepartment of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesAbstract Cell 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.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-88592-y |
| spellingShingle | Melissa A. Y. Oddie Ashley Burke Bjørn Dahle Yves Le Conte Fanny Mondet Barbara Locke Reproductive success of the parasitic mite (Varroa destructor) is lower in honeybee colonies that target infested cells with recapping Scientific Reports |
| title | Reproductive success of the parasitic mite (Varroa destructor) is lower in honeybee colonies that target infested cells with recapping |
| title_full | Reproductive success of the parasitic mite (Varroa destructor) is lower in honeybee colonies that target infested cells with recapping |
| title_fullStr | Reproductive success of the parasitic mite (Varroa destructor) is lower in honeybee colonies that target infested cells with recapping |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reproductive success of the parasitic mite (Varroa destructor) is lower in honeybee colonies that target infested cells with recapping |
| title_short | Reproductive success of the parasitic mite (Varroa destructor) is lower in honeybee colonies that target infested cells with recapping |
| title_sort | reproductive success of the parasitic mite varroa destructor is lower in honeybee colonies that target infested cells with recapping |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-88592-y |
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