Varroa - Bee Relationships – What They Tell Us about Controlling Varroa Mites on the European Honeybee

Until recently, only three species of Varroa mites had been recorded: Varroa jacobsoni, V. underwoodi and V. rindereri. Of these, V. jacobsoni had received the most attention from researchers, primarily because it was believed to have switched host from the Asian bee (Apis cerana) to the European honey bee (A. mellifera) some 40-50 years ago, then spread to become a serious parasite of A. mellifera worldwide. However, a little over a year ago, mites that had long been referred to as V. jacobsoni were found to be a complex of at least 2, but possibly 5, sibling species. These recent findings, together with others on bee taxonomy and Varroa reproductive behaviour on A. cerana and A. mellifera in Asia, have radically changed our understanding of Varroa/bee relationships. In this paper I briefly summarise these findings, before discussing what they tell us about controlling Varroa mites on A. mellifera worldwide.