Deformed wing virus coopts the host arginine kinase to enhance its fitness in honey bees (Apis mellifera).

Background: Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a major honey bee pathogen that is actively transmitted by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor and plays a primary role in Apis mellifera winter colony losses. Despite intense investigation on this pollinator, which has a unique environmental and economic importance, the mechanisms underlying the molecular interactions between DWV and honey bees are still poorly understood. Here, we report on a group of honey bee proteins, identified by mass spectrometry, that specifically co-immunoprecipitate with DWV virus particles.

The salivary gland transcriptome of Varroa destructor reveals suitable targets for RNAi-based mite control.

The mite Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) has a dramatic impact on beekeeping and is one of the main causes of honey bee colony losses. This ectoparasite feeds on honey bees' liquid tissues, through a wound created on the host integument, determining weight loss and a reduction of lifespan, as well as the transmission of viral pathogens. However, despite its importance, the mite feeding strategy and the host regulation role by the salivary secretions have been poorly explored.

(Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Some European Countries: Diffusion, Hosts, Molecular Characterization, and Natural Enemies.

After the first record in 2008 in Southeast Italy, the alien invasive and quarantine pest (orange spiny whitefly-OSW) has gradually spread throughout Europe, infesting several new host plants in addition to the known hosts. Molecular characterization of some Italian populations and a newly found Albanian population highlighted two different haplotypes invading Europe, belonging to one of the haplogroups previously recorded in China. A predator was recorded for the first time in several fields in Italy in association with OSW and other whitefly species.