Latest Information on the Ecology of the Ectoparasitic Mite Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) and the Resistance of Its Host, Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

Abstract

The ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman (Mesostigmata: Varroidae), causes tremendous damage to the beekeeping and pollination industries. These industries rely upon the naïve European honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), to which the mite has spread from its native host, the Asian honey bee, Apis cerana Fabricius. Researchers around the globe have been building our understanding of the ecology of V. destructor. However, the research has not been regularly reviewed in Japanese, and researchers and beekeepers in Japan have not had access to the most update reports over the past two decades. Here, I review recent developments in the study of the biology and ecology of V. destructor and the resistance of honey bees to the mite in Japanese.