CT-supported analysis of the destructive effects of Varroa destructor on the pre-imaginal development of honey bee, Apis
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Original article
CT-supported analysis of the destructive effects of Varroa destructor on the pre-imaginal development of honey bee, Apis mellifera Sándor KESZTHELYI1 , Tamás SIPOS1 , Ádám CSÓKA2 , Tamás DONKÓ2 1
Department of Plant Production and Protection, Kaposvár University, S. Guba str. 40, Kaposvar H-7400, Hungary 2 Medicopus Nonprofit Ltd., S. Guba str 40, Kaposvar H-7400, Hungary Received 22 October 2019 – Revised 26 July 2020 – Accepted 19 August 2020
Abstract – The ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor , is a most important health risk for European honey bee subspecies (Apis mellifera ) globally. There is a scarcity in experimental approaches addressing this issue by using computed tomography. Our purpose was to determine the decrease in the volume, surface, density and weight alteration triggered by V. destructor in pre-imaginal stages of A. mellifera using computer-based 3-D reconstruction technology. Computer tomography used in the current study proved to be sufficiently sensitive for the detection of V. destructor in comb cells. This non-invasive experimental setup revealed that the developing worker pupae have retained their volume and surface values, whereas the weight loss triggered by V. destructor was statistically confirmed. In addition, the disappearance of lower radiodensity tissues is shown to be due to mite parasitism, which can be primarily explained by haemolymph losses. computer tomography / pre-imaginal development / honey bee / impairment / Varroa destructor
1. INTRODUCTION The honey bee mite Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) is one of the most destructive natural enemy of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera (Anderson and Trueman 2000). Its original host is the eastern honey bee, Apis cerana ; however, it attacks only its drone broods. It became a parasite for Apis mellifera subsequently, in areas in which both bee species coexist. Other host of this parasite mite is not known (Rosenkranz et al. 2010). It is native in Southeastern Asia, from where it started spreading worldwide. It has been present in Holarctic, Neotropical and
Corresponding author: S. Keszthelyi, [email protected] Manuscript editor: Yves Le Conte
Indo-Australian regions for over 40 years (Sammataro et al. 2000). There are several biological consequences in honey bee caused by V. destructor . Colony losses caused by V. destructor in the western honey bee are mainly due to worker bee injury caused by this parasite mite during pre-imaginal development (Duay et al. 2003). The most plausible side effect is the weight loss during the post-embryonic infestation. Body weight loss right after the onset of adult stage can reach 10% in infested populations (De Jong et al. 1982). The parasitised adult bee emerges injured with a reduced life expectancy and impaired orientation ability (De Jong and De Jong 1983). Previous research results have been reported as to V. destructor being a typically haemolymph parasite of immature and adult honey bees (Shaw and Stobbart 1963). The latest results (Ramsey et al. 2019), however
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