Hygienic and grooming behaviors in African and European honeybees-New damage categories in Varroa destructor
Autor: | Baldwyn Torto, Charles J. Stuhl, Christian Walter Werner Pirk, Abdullahi Ahmed Yusuf, Ayuka T. Fombong, Beatrice T. Nganso |
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Rok vydání: | 2016 |
Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
0301 basic medicine Beekeeping lcsh:Medicine Subspecies medicine.disease_cause 01 natural sciences Medicine and Health Sciences lcsh:Science Musculoskeletal System Mites Multidisciplinary biology integumentary system Ecology Bees Trophic Interactions Europe Insects Community Ecology Parasitism Moths and Butterflies Physical Sciences behavior and behavior mechanisms Florida Legs Anatomy Organic Materials Honey Bees Research Article Arthropoda Varroidae Materials Science Zoology 03 medical and health sciences Species Specificity Infestation parasitic diseases medicine Mite Parasitic Diseases Animals Ants lcsh:R fungi Limbs (Anatomy) Ecology and Environmental Sciences Organisms Biology and Life Sciences biology.organism_classification Grooming Invertebrates Hymenoptera Brood respiratory tract diseases 010602 entomology Species Interactions 030104 developmental biology Varroa destructor Waxes Africa lcsh:Q Varroa sensitive hygiene PEST analysis |
Zdroj: | PLoS ONE PLoS ONE, Vol 12, Iss 6, p e0179329 (2017) |
ISSN: | 1932-6203 |
Popis: | Varroa destructor is an ectoparasitic pest of honeybees, and a threat to the survival of the apiculture industry. Several studies have shown that unlike European honeybees, African honeybee populations appear to be minimally affected when attacked by this mite. However, little is known about the underlying drivers contributing to survival of African honeybee populations against the mite. We hypothesized that resistant behavioral defenses are responsible for the survival of African honeybees against the ectoparasite. We tested this hypothesis by comparing grooming and hygienic behaviors in the African savannah honeybee Apis mellifera scutellata in Kenya and A. mellifera hybrids of European origin in Florida, USA against the mite. Grooming behavior was assessed by determining adult mite infestation levels, daily mite fall per colony and percentage mite damage (as an indicator of adult grooming rate), while hygienic behavior was assessed by determining the brood removal rate after freeze killing a section of the brood. Our results identified two additional undescribed damaged mite categories along with the six previously known damage categories associated with the grooming behavior of both honeybee subspecies. Adult mite infestation level was approximately three-fold higher in A. mellifera hybrids of European origin than in A. m. scutellata, however, brood removal rate, adult grooming rate and daily natural mite fall were similar in both honeybee subspecies. Unlike A. mellifera hybrids of European origin, adult grooming rate and brood removal rate did not correlate with mite infestation levels on adult worker honeybee of A. m. scutellata though they were more aggressive towards the mites than their European counterparts. Our results provide valuable insights into the tolerance mechanisms that contribute to the survival of A. m. scutellata against the mite. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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