Sequence-Based Multi Ancestry Association Study Reveals the Polygenic Architecture of Varroa destructor Resistance in the Honeybee Apis mellifera.

Honeybees, Apis mellifera, have experienced the full impacts of globalisation, including the recent invasion by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, now one of the main causes of colony losses worldwide. The strong selection pressure it exerts has led some colonies to develop defence strategies conferring some degree of resistance to the parasite. Assuming these traits are partly heritable, selective breeding of naturally resistant bees could be a sustainable strategy for fighting infestations.

Prospects, challenges and perspectives in harnessing natural selection to solve the 'varroa problem' of honey bees.

Honey bees, , of European origin are major pollinators of crops and wild flora. Their endemic and exported populations are threatened by a variety of abiotic and biotic factors. Among the latter, the ectoparasitic mite is the most important single cause behind colony mortality.

Identification of runs of homozygosity in Western honey bees () using whole-genome sequencing data.

Runs of homozygosity (ROH) are continuous homozygous segments that arise through the transmission of haplotypes that are identical by descent. The length and distribution of ROH segments provide insights into the genetic diversity of populations and can be associated with selection signatures. Here, we analyzed reconstructed whole-genome queen genotypes, from a pool-seq data experiment including 265 Western honeybee colonies from and .

Evaluating the Potential of Brood Recapping to Select Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) Resistant Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

Several resistance traits have been proposed to select honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) that can survive in the presence of parasitic mite Varroa destructor (Anderson and Trueman) and enable a more sustainable apiculture. The interest for uncapping-recapping has recently increased following its identification in several naturally surviving honey bee populations, yet the utility of this trait for human-mediated selection is poorly known.

Exploring Two Honey Bee Traits for Improving Resistance Against : Development and Genetic Evaluation.

For the development of novel selection traits in honey bees, applicability under field conditions is crucial. We thus evaluated two novel traits intended to provide resistance against the ectoparasitic mite and to allow for their straightforward implementation in honey bee selection. These traits are new field estimates of already-described colony traits: brood recapping rate ('') and solidness ('').

Advances and perspectives in selecting resistance traits against the parasitic mite Varroa destructor in honey bees.

Background: In spite of the implementation of control strategies in honey bee (Apis mellifera) keeping, the invasive parasitic mite Varroa destructor remains one of the main causes of colony losses in numerous countries. Therefore, this parasite represents a serious threat to beekeeping and agro-ecosystems that benefit from the pollination services provided by honey bees. To maintain their stocks, beekeepers have to treat their colonies with acaricides every year.