Differentiation of Varroa jacobsoni Oud populations by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD)

Abstract - Specimens of Varroa jacobsoni collected from Apis mellifera L colonies in California, Texas and Germany and specimens collected from A cerana Fab colonies in Malaysia were compared by means of random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD). A high percentage of monomorphic bands indicated low genetic variability among and within populations of the parasite. It was not possible to distinguish mites collected in California and mites collected in Texas. Mites collected in the USA were distinguishable from mites collected in Germany by 3 specific markers. Mites collected from A mellifera in the USA and Germany were distinguishable from mites collected from A cerana in Malaysia by 27 and 24 specific markers. RAPD proved to be a valuable tool especially for further interpopulation studies of V jacobsoni.