Population genetics and host specificity of Varroa destructor mites infesting eastern and western honeybees

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Article: article from journal or magazin.
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Publications
Institution
Title
Population genetics and host specificity of Varroa destructor mites infesting eastern and western honeybees
Journal
Journal of Pest Science
Author(s)
Lin Zheguang, Wang Shuai, Neumann Peter, Chen Gongwen, Page Paul, Li Li, Hu Fuliang, Zheng Huoqing, Dietemann Vincent
ISSN
1612-4758
1612-4766
Publication state
Published
Issued date
15/01/2021
Language
english
Abstract
In a globalized world, parasites are often brought in contact with new potential hosts. When parasites successfully shift host,
severe diseases can emerge at a large cost to society. However, the evolutionary processes leading to successful shifts are
rarely understood, hindering risk assessment, prevention, or mitigation of their effects. Here, we screened populations of
Varroa destructor, an ectoparasitic mite of the honeybee genus Apis, to investigate their genetic structure and reproductive
potential on new and original hosts. From the patterns identified, we deduce the factors that influenced the macro- and microevolutionary
processes that led to the structure observed. Among the mite variants identified, we found two genetically similar
populations that differed in their reproductive abilities and thus in their host specificity. These lineages could interbreed,
which represents a threat due to the possible increased virulence of the parasite on its original host. However, interbreeding
was unidirectional from the host-shifted to the nonshifted native mites and could thus lead to speciation of the former. The
results improve our understanding of the processes affecting the population structure and evolution of this economically
important mite genus and suggest that introgression between shifted and nonshifted lineages may endanger the original host.
Keywords
Host shift · Gene flow · Genetic diversity · Host specificity · Population genetics · Dispersal · Honeybee · Parasitic mite · Varroa destructor
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Funding(s)
Swiss National Science Foundation / Projects / 31003A_147363
Create date
01/02/2021 11:22
Last modification date
12/01/2022 7:10
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