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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Baton Rouge, Louisiana » Honey Bee Lab » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #307592
Title: Phenotypic and genetic analyses of the Varroa Sensitive Hygienic trait in Russian Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies

Author
item KIRRANE, MARIA - University College Cork
item De Guzman, Lilia
item Holloway, Beth
item Frake, Amanda
item Rinderer, Thomas
item WHELAN, PADRAIG - University College Cork

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/24/2015
Publication Date: 4/24/2015
Citation: Kirrane, M.J., De Guzman, L.I., Holloway, B.A., Frake, A.M., Rinderer, T.E., Whelan, P.M. 2015. Phenotypic and genetic analyses of the Varroa Sensitive Hygienic trait in Russian Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies. PLoS One. 10:0116672,doi:10.1371.

Interpretive Summary: Varroa destructor continues to threaten colonies of European honey bees. General hygiene and more specific VarroaVarroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH) provide resistance toward the Varroa mite in a number of stocks. In this study, Russian (RHB) and Italian honey bees were assessed for the VSH trait. The RHB displayed the VSH trait to a high degree contained genetic markers associated with the trait although the markers different in their relationship to VSH than in selected VSH honey bees. Also, a new brood removal test, much simpler than existing procedures, was developed to evaluate the expression of VSH.

Technical Abstract: Varroa destructor continues to threaten colonies of European honey bees. General hygiene and more specific VarroaVarroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH) provide resistance toward the Varroa mite in a number of stocks. In this study, Russian (RHB) and Italian honey bees were assessed for the VSH trait. Two assays were used: the standard VSH assay of change in infestation of highly infested donor combs, and the actual brood removal in a brood section created within the donor combs as a potential alternative measure of hygiene towards Varroa-infested brood. All colonies were then analysed for the recently discovered VSH quantitative trait locus (QTL) to determine whether the genetic mechanisms were similar across different stocks. Based on the two assays, RHB colonies were consistently more hygienic toward Varroa-infested brood than Italian honey bee colonies. The actual brood removal assay (r2 = -0.25) had a larger negative correlation with the Varroa infestations of the colonies than the standard VSH protocol (r2 = -0.18). Only two (percentages of brood removed and reproductive foundress Varroa) out of nine phenotypic parameters showed significant associations with genotype distributions. However, the allele associated with each parameter was opposite of that determined by VSH mapping. In this study, RHB colonies showed high levels of hygienic behaviour towards Varroa -infested brood. The genetic mechanisms are similar to those of the VSH bees though the opposite allele associates in RHB, indicating a stable recombination event before the selection of VSH bees. The measurement of brood removal is a simple, reliable alternative method of measuring hygienic behaviour towards Varroa mites, at least in RHB stock.