Varroa Volatiles Offer Chemical Cues to Honey Bees for Initial Parasitic Recognition.

ABSTRACT: Olfaction mediated by the antennae is a vital sensory modality for arthropods and could be applied as a tool in pest control. The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor poses a significant threat to the health of the honey bee Apis mellifera worldwide and has garnered global attention. To better understand the chemical ecology of this host-parasite relationship, we collected and characterized the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from V. destructor and used electroantennography (EAG) to record the responses of honey bee (A. c. cerana and A. m. ligustica) antennae to the different VOCs. Fifteen VOCs were detected from V. destructor using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which mainly contained ethyl palmitate, followed by isoamyl alcohol,

SUBMITTER: Zhao Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11764367 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature