Number and position of wounds on honey bee (Apis mellifera) pupae infested with a single Varroa mite

Abstract

The wounds inflicted on pupae in capped brood cells of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, infested with a single female of the ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor, were investigated after visualisation by vital staining with trypan blue. On average the mites made two integumental perforations for feeding on prepupae and one on pupae. Most of the punctures were on particular ventral sites on the abdomen. Possible reasons for this pronounced preference and the evolutionary aspects of this highly specialised parasite-host relationship are discussed.

Keywords

• apis mellifera
• brood infestation
• haemolymph-sucking mite
• varroa destructor
• parasitic pupal wounds
• evolution of host-parasite relations