Behavioral Genetics of the Interactions between <i>Apis mellifera</i> and <i>Varroa destructor</i>

• Main Authors: Alexis Beaurepaire, Christina Sann, Daniela Arredondo, Fanny Mondet, Yves Le Conte
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-09-01
• Series: Insects
• Subjects: coevolution; host-parasite interactions; behavioral genetics; molecular ecology; population genetics; reproduction biology; microsatellite markers; <i>Varroa</i>; <i>Apis</i>; honeybees
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/10/9/299

The western honeybee <i>Apis mellifera</i> exhibits a diverse set of adaptations in response to infestations by its most virulent disease-causing agent, the ectoparasitic mite <i>Varroa destructor</i>. In this study, we investigated the effect of honeybee pupae genotype on the expression of four host and parasite traits that are associated with the reproductive phase of the mite in the brood of its host. We first phenotyped cells containing bee pupae to assess their infestation status, their infestation level, the reproductive status of the mites, and the recapping of cells by adult workers. We then genotyped individual pupae with five microsatellites markers to compare these phenotypes across full sister groups. We found that the four phenotypes varied significantly in time but did not across the subfamilies within the colonies. These findings show that <i>V. destructor</i> mites do not differentially infest or reproduce on some particular honeybee patrilines, and that workers do not target preferentially specific pupae genotypes when performing recapping. These findings bring new insights that can help designing sustainable mite control strategies through breeding and provide new insights into the interactions between <i>A. mellifera</i> and <i>V. destructor</i>.