The mating behavior of Varroa destructor is triggered by a female sex pheromone

Abstract

For the reproductive success of the honeybee mite Varroa destructor, an effective coordination of host finding, oogenesis, and mating is crucial. In order to analyze the mites’ mating behavior and the involved cues, a new bioassay was designed and the male behavior towards different female stages compared. This bioassay represents a simple tool for behavioral observations of V. destructor in the laboratory, showing that males almost exclusively mated with freshly molted females and that older females were rather unattractive for them. Furthermore, we could show that the highest attractiveness of female mites is limited to a short time period of about 24 h immediately after the adult molt. Our results confirm a selective pressure on effective timing and sequence of the mating behavior, and might provide possibilities for biological Varroa control.