LABORATORY FEEDING OF VARROA JACOBSONI OUDEMANS ON NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL DIETS (ACARI : VARROIDAE)

Abstract

Varroa jacobsoni, a mite parasite of honey bees, pierced a synthetic membrane of stretched Parafilm" (approximately 10 wm thickness) and fed on a modified artificial diet developed for the stored- product mite, Pyemotes tritici. Under laboratory conditions (35 ± 1 °C and 85 % RH) all feeding stages of V. jacobsoni fed on the artificial diet and diet was incorporated into eggs. Females oviposited successfully in the environment of an artificial cell- Eggs hatched but protonymphs failed to molt to the dcutonymphal stage, thus a complete lifc cyclc was not obtained.