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Parallel evolution of Varroa resistance in honey bees: a common mechanism across continents?

Isobel Grindrod1, Stephen J Martin1

  • 1School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Manchester M5 4WT, UK.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|August 4, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Honeybee populations are developing natural resistance to the parasitic Varroa mite and Deformed wing virus. This Varroa resistance is linked to specific traits like grooming and brood removal, offering hope for miticide-free beekeeping.

Area of Science:

  • Apiculture and Entomology
  • Animal Behavior
  • Genetics and Evolution

Background:

  • The parasitic mite Varroa destructor and Deformed wing virus form a lethal association devastating honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies globally.
  • Millions of managed and wild honeybee colonies have been lost, necessitating frequent acaricide treatments for survival.
  • A growing number of honeybee populations exhibit natural Varroa resistance, surviving without mite control methods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze data from 60 papers to understand the traits associated with natural Varroa resistance in honeybees.
  • To illustrate how specific behavioral traits collectively explain decades of Varroa resistance data.
  • To propose a unified understanding of natural Varroa resistance to aid global miticide-free beekeeping.

Main Methods:

  • Meta-analysis of data extracted from 60 published scientific papers.
  • Identification and correlation of behavioral traits (e.g., grooming, brood removal, reduced mite reproduction) with Varroa resistance.
  • Comparative analysis of resistance mechanisms across different honeybee populations on four continents.

Main Results:

  • Long-term Varroa resistance in honeybees is consistently associated with a specific suite of traits, including grooming, brood removal, and reduced mite reproduction.
  • These traits appear irrespective of geographic location, suggesting convergent evolution of resistance mechanisms.
  • The combined effect of these traits provides a unified explanation for decades of observed Varroa resistance data.

Conclusions:

  • A unified understanding of natural Varroa resistance, driven by a consistent set of behaviors, has been identified.
  • This understanding can guide efforts towards widespread miticide-free beekeeping practices.
  • Honeybee populations across different continents have independently evolved similar behavioral strategies to overcome the Varroa destructor threat.
Keywords:
Apis melliferaVarroa destructorVarroa resistancebrood removalmite infertilityrecapping

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