title: Differences in Varroa destructor infestation rates of two indigenous subspecies of Apis mellifera in the Republic of South Africa.
abstract: Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman (Varroa) is a damaging pest of the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera, in North America, Europe, and Asia. However, Varroa infestations have not produced equivalent colony losses of African subspecies of honey bee throughout Africa and parts of the Americas. We surveyed the Varroa infestation rates (number of Varroa per 100 adult honey bees) in colonies of A. m. scutellata, A. m. capensis, and hybrids of the two subspecies throughout the Republic of South Africa in the fall of 2014. We found that A. m. scutellata colonies had significantly higher Varroa infestations than did A. m. capensis colonies. Furthermore, hybridized colonies of the two subspecies had Varroa infestations intermediate to those of A. m. scutellata and A. m. capensis. This is the first documentation of a clear difference in Varroa infestation rates of A. m. scutellata, A. m. capensis, and hybridized colonies in South Africa. Furthermore, our data confirm that Varroa populations in A. m. scutellata colonies are within the range of populations that are damaging to European honey bees.
authors.affiliation: Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 970 Natural Area Drive, Steinmetz Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. mortensena@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Ashley N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.affiliation: Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 970 Natural Area Drive, Steinmetz Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.|Bayer Crop Science, 2 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Schmehl
authors.affiliation: ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute, P/Bag X5017, Stellenbosch, 7599, South Africa.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allsopp
authors.affiliation: Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 970 Natural Area Drive, Steinmetz Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
authors.forename: Tomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Bustamante
authors.affiliation: Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 970 Natural Area Drive, Steinmetz Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
authors.forename: Chase B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Kimmel
authors.affiliation: Texas Apiary Inspection Service, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-2475, USA.
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Dykes
authors.affiliation: Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 970 Natural Area Drive, Steinmetz Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ellis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056630:Beekeeping; D001516:Bees / Q000469:parasitology*; D012621:Seasons; D013019:South Africa; D013045:Species Specificity; D057077:Varroidae / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: African honey bee; Apis mellifera capensis; Apis mellifera scutellata; Cape honey bee; Varroa destructor