Descriptive Analysis of the Varroa Non-Reproduction Trait in Honey Bee Colonies and Association with Other Traits Related to Varroa Resistance

In the current context of worldwide honey bee colony losses, among which the varroa mite plays a major role, the hope to improve honey bee health lies in part in the breeding of varroa resistant colonies. To do so, methods used to evaluate varroa resistance need better understanding. Repeatability a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Insects (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2020-08, Vol.11 (8), p.492-16
Main Authors: Eynard, Sonia E, Sann, Christina, Basso, Benjamin, Guirao, Anne-Laure, Le Conte, Yves, Servin, Bertrand, Tison, Lea, Vignal, Alain, Mondet, Fanny
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal reproduction
Apis mellifera
Bayesian analysis
Beekeeping
Bees
Breeding
Colonies
Complexity
Daughters
Empirical analysis
Environmental Sciences
Experiments
Honey
Hygiene
hygienic behavior
mite non-reproduction (MNR)
Mites
Parasites
Reproducibility
Reproduction
Success
suppressed mite reproduction (SMR)
Varroa destructor
varroa sensitive hygiene (VSH)
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Summary:In the current context of worldwide honey bee colony losses, among which the varroa mite plays a major role, the hope to improve honey bee health lies in part in the breeding of varroa resistant colonies. To do so, methods used to evaluate varroa resistance need better understanding. Repeatability and correlations between traits such as mite non-reproduction (MNR), varroa sensitive hygiene (VSH), and hygienic behavior are poorly known, due to practical limitations and to their underlying complexity. We investigate (i) the variability, (ii) the repeatability of the MNR score, and (iii) its correlation with other resistance traits. To reduce the inherent variability of MNR scores, we propose to apply an empirical Bayes correction. In the short-term (ten days), MNR had a modest repeatability of 0.4, whereas in the long-term (a month), it had a low repeatability of 0.2, similar to other resistance traits. Within our dataset, there was no correlation between MNR and VSH. Although MNR is amongst the most popular varroa resistance estimates in field studies, its underlying complex mechanism is not fully understood. Its lack of correlation with better described resistance traits and low repeatability suggest that MNR needs to be interpreted cautiously, especially when used for selection.
ISSN:2075-4450
2075-4450
DOI:10.3390/insects11080492