Dorsal (a) and ventral (b) perspectives of Varroa destructor in comparison to dorsal (c) and ventral (d) perspectives of Tropilaelaps mercedesae point out many similarities between the 2 ectoparasites in spite of the total measurement and frame form variations. Each species have expanded their host use to Apis mellifera and threaten honey bee well being. All scale bars constitute 0.5 mm.
Existence-history degree determines the nutrition of ectoparasitic mites on their honey bee hosts
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Nature Communications quantity 15, Article quantity: 725 (2024)
Summary
Ectoparasitic mites of the genera Varroa and Tropilaelaps have advanced to solely exploit honey bees as meals resources all through alternating dispersal and reproductive existence historical past levels. Right here we display that the principle meals supply used by Varroa destructor will depend on the host existence historical past degree. Whilst feeding on grownup bees, dispersing V. destructor feed at the belly membranes to get right of entry to to the fats frame as reported prior to now. Alternatively, when V. destructor feed on honey bee pupae all through their reproductive degree, they essentially devour hemolymph, indicated by means of wound research, preferential switch of biostains, and a proteomic comparability between parasite and host tissues. Biostaining and proteomic effects had been paralleled by means of corresponding findings in Tropilaelaps mercedesae, a mite that most effective feeds on brood and has a strongly diminished dispersal degree. Metabolomic profiling of V. destructor corroborates variations between the nutrition of the dispersing adults and reproductive foundresses. The proteome and metabolome variations between reproductive and dispersing V. destructor counsel that the hemolymph nutrition coincides with amino acid metabolism and protein synthesis within the foundresses whilst the metabolism of non-reproductive adults is tuned to lipid metabolism. Thus, we show within-host nutritional specialization of ectoparasitic mites that coincides with existence historical past of hosts and parasites.