The Role of Honey Bee Derived Aliphatic Esters in the Host-Finding Behavior of Varroa destructor.

ABSTRACT: Varroa destructor is an obligate ectoparasite of honey bees and shifted from its original host Apis cerana to the new host Apis mellifera in the first half of the twentieth century. The host shift has resulted in a great threat to the health and survival of A. mellifera colonies worldwide. Chemical signals play a crucial role in all aspects of the Varroa life cycle, including host finding. However, the chemical cues that affect the host finding behavior of Varroa mites are still not fully understood. In this study, we systematically profiled the headspace volatiles of both worker and drone larvae of the two honey bee species by using solid phase micro-extraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS), and then used electrophys

SUBMITTER: Liu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9863403 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature