Journal of Pest Science (2021) 94, 1487-1504

Zheguang Lin, Shuai Wang, Peter Neumann, Gongwen Chen, Paul Page, Li Li, Fuliang Hu, Huoqing Zheng and Vincent Dietemann (2021)
Population genetics and host specificity of Varroa destructor mites infesting eastern and western honeybees
Journal of Pest Science 94 (4), 1487-1504
Abstract: In a globalized world, parasites are often brought in contact with new potential hosts. When parasites successfully shift host, severe diseases can emerge at a large cost to society. However, the evolutionary processes leading to successful shifts are rarely understood, hindering risk assessment, prevention, or mitigation of their effects. Here, we screened populations of Varroa destructor, an ectoparasitic mite of the honeybee genus Apis, to investigate their genetic structure and reproductive potential on new and original hosts. From the patterns identified, we deduce the factors that influenced the macro- and microevolutionary processes that led to the structure observed. Among the mite variants identified, we found two genetically similar populations that differed in their reproductive abilities and thus in their host specificity. These lineages could interbreed, which represents a threat due to the possible increased virulence of the parasite on its original host. However, interbreeding was unidirectional from the host-shifted to the nonshifted native mites and could thus lead to speciation of the former. The results improve our understanding of the processes affecting the population structure and evolution of this economically important mite genus and suggest that introgression between shifted and nonshifted lineages may endanger the original host.
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Database assignments for author(s): Peter Neumann

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Varroa destructor		China (south)
	Varroa destructor		China (NE)