Varroa
Encyclopedia
Varroa is a genus
of parasitic mite
s associated with honey bee
s, placed in its own family, Varroidae. The genus was named for Marcus Terentius Varro
, a Roman scholar who was also a beekeeper.
l and larva
l honey bees, and may carry virus
es that are particularly damaging to the bees (e.g., deformed wings
, and IAPV), and accordingly they have been implicated in colony collapse disorder
.
Varroa were first discovered in Java
in about 1904, but are now present on all continents except Australia. Varroa were discovered in the United States
in 1987, in New Zealand
in 2000, and in the United Kingdom
in 1992 (Devon
).
Bee breeding efforts to develop resistance against Varroa are ongoing. The USDA has developed a line of bee which uses Varroa sensitive hygiene
(VSH) to remove reproductive mites. This line of bee is now being distributed to beekeepers to be used as part of their integrated pest management programs.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of parasitic mite
Mite
Mites, along with ticks, are small arthropods belonging to the subclass Acari and the class Arachnida. The scientific discipline devoted to the study of ticks and mites is called acarology.-Diversity and systematics:...
s associated with honey bee
Honey bee
Honey bees are a subset of bees in the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests out of wax. Honey bees are the only extant members of the tribe Apini, all in the genus Apis...
s, placed in its own family, Varroidae. The genus was named for Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro was an ancient Roman scholar and writer. He is sometimes called Varro Reatinus to distinguish him from his younger contemporary Varro Atacinus.-Biography:...
, a Roman scholar who was also a beekeeper.
History and behavior
Varroa mites feed off the bodily fluids of adult, pupaPupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
l and larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
l honey bees, and may carry virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
es that are particularly damaging to the bees (e.g., deformed wings
Deformed Wing Virus
Deformed wing virus is an RNA virus, one of 18 known viruses affecting the honey bee, Apis mellifera. The virus was first isolated from a sample of symptomatic honeybees from Japan in the early 1980s and is currently distributed worldwide....
, and IAPV), and accordingly they have been implicated in colony collapse disorder
Colony Collapse Disorder
Colony collapse disorder is a phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or European honey bee colony abruptly disappear. While such disappearances have occurred throughout the history of apiculture, the term colony collapse disorder was first applied to a drastic rise in the number of...
.
Varroa were first discovered in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
in about 1904, but are now present on all continents except Australia. Varroa were discovered in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1987, in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 2000, and in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1992 (Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
).
Bee breeding efforts to develop resistance against Varroa are ongoing. The USDA has developed a line of bee which uses Varroa sensitive hygiene
Varroa sensitive hygiene
Varroa sensitive hygiene is a behavioral trait of honey bees in which bees detect and remove bee pupae that are infested by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. V. destructor is considered to be the most dangerous pest problem for honey bees worldwide...
(VSH) to remove reproductive mites. This line of bee is now being distributed to beekeepers to be used as part of their integrated pest management programs.
Species
The genus Varroa contains the following species:- Varroa destructorVarroa destructorVarroa destructor is an external parasitic mite that attacks honey bees Apis cerana and Apis mellifera. The disease caused by the mites is called varroatosis....
Anderson & Trueman, 2000 – a virulent parasite that infests its natural host, Apis ceranaApis ceranaApis cerana, or the Asiatic honey bee , is a species of honey bee found in southern and southeastern Asia, such as China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea. This species is the sister species of Apis koschevnikovi, and both are in the same subgenus as the Western honey...
, on mainland Asia and also Apis mellifera (Western honey bee) worldwide. - Varroa jacobsoniVarroa jacobsoniVarroa jacobsoni is a species of mite that parasitises Apis cerana . The more damaging Varroa destructor was previously included under the name V. jacobsoni, but the two species can be separated on the basis of the DNA sequence of the cytochrome oxidase I gene in the mitochondrial DNA....
Oudemans, 1904 – a relatively benign parasite of Apis ceranaApis ceranaApis cerana, or the Asiatic honey bee , is a species of honey bee found in southern and southeastern Asia, such as China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea. This species is the sister species of Apis koschevnikovi, and both are in the same subgenus as the Western honey...
(Asian honey bees). - Varroa rindereri de Guzman & Delfinado-Baker, 1996
- Varroa sinhai (Delfinado & Baker, 1974)
- Varroa wongsirii (Lekprayoon & Tangkanasing, 1991)