| Issue |
Apidologie
Volume 32, Number 3, May-June 2001
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 253 - 263 | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2001127 | |
Apidologie 32 (2001) 253-263
Scent or movement of Varroa destructor mites does not elicit hygienic behaviour by Africanized and Carniolan honey bees
Pia Aumeiera, b and Peter Rosenkranzba Zoologisches Institut, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
b Landesanstalt für Bienenkunde, Universität Hohenheim, August-von-Hartmannstr. 13, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
(Received 20 October 2000; revised 19 February 2001; accepted 1 March 2001)
Abstract
Hygienic behaviour of mite-tolerant Africanized and susceptible Carniolan colonies
was evaluated in Brazil by sham-manipulating or artificially inoculating 4175 capped
worker brood cells with dead Varroa destructor mites or ants, or their odour extracts.
Both bee types expressed the hygienic components `uncapping', `removal of introduced
mite/ant' and `removal of brood' to the same extent and pattern. The similar response
to dead mites of different origins and solvent-extracted mites indicates a minor role
of scent or of movement of mites within sealed brood cells as releasers of hygienic
behaviour. However, application of dichlormethane-extract of mites increased the
hygienic response compared to pure solvent alone. Hygienic reactions to mite infested
brood cells must, therefore, be elicited by other signals, possibly by the detection of
specific reactions or odours of the infested larvae or pupae.
Key words: brood removal / scent cues / Varroa destructor / varroosis tolerance / Africanized honeybee / Apis mellifera carnica
Correspondence and reprints: Pia Aumeier
e-mail: bieneau@uni-hohenheim.de
© INRA, EDP Sciences, DIB, AGIB 2001