Publication details
Dopady Varroa destructor na zdraví a imunitní systém trubců včely medonosné
| Title in English | Impacts of Varroa destructor on the health and immune system of drone honey bees |
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | The Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) is an ectoparasitic mite that feeds on the fat body of bees. Previously, this mite was found only in Southeast Asia, where it parasitized the eastern honey bee (Apis cerana); however, in the 1970s it was also introduced into Europe. Because European populations of the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) are not the original hosts of Varroa, they are not able to cope with the parasitism as effectively, which leads to massive bee losses and the collapse of entire colonies. Many recent studies have focused on describing physiological and immune changes in parasitized worker bees. However, such information is lacking for drones. At the same time, their good health is crucial for the colony, as they pass on their genetic information to future generations. Moreover, drones are preferentially targeted by Varroa and are infested approximately ten times more often than workers, even though they are present in the colony only for a limited period. The aim of our study is therefore to investigate the impact of parasitism on the overall immunocompetence of drones. Preliminary results comparing healthy drones and workers with parasitized individuals suggest that the haploid chromosome number of drones, compared to the diploid workers, may reduce their ability to cope with infection. In the following experiments this spring, samples of drones will be collected and compared from two colonies—one healthy and one heavily infested. Finally, the measured values in infected drones will be compared with values obtained from infected workers in previous years of the project. The parameters measured and compared will include, for example, total antimicrobial activity in hemolymph samples, as well as levels of basic nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids; in workers, for instance, Varroa infestation has been shown to reduce total lipid concentration in the body by half. Our findings will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms by which Varroa reduces the immune defense of bees, which is essential for the future development of effective treatments. This research is supported by the project of the National Agency for Agricultural Research QL24010241. |
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