Abstract

SALAMANCA GROSSO, Guillermo; OSORIO TANGARIFE, Mónica Patricia  and  RODRIGUEZ ARIAS, Nelson. Phoretic presence and incidence of Varroa destructor A. (Mesostigmata:Varroidae) in honey bee colonies of Apis mellifera (Hymenptera:Apidae), in Colombia. Zootecnia Trop. [online]. 2012, vol.30, n.2, pp.183-195. ISSN 0798-7269.

The aim of this work has been centered on the phoretic incidence of Varroa destructoron the honeybee colonies established at the montane dry and the moist forest, also in a tropical moist and dry forest environment.Sealed broods and adult honeybees, exposed to the varroa mite, were isolated from the brood chamberin 184 Colombian honeybees established at different geographical positions. Morphometric assessment wasconducted in three stages of varroa life-cycle.Honeybee ecotypes associated to each life zone were classifi ed using discriminant analysis based on morphometric measurements. The hives studied were classifi ed according to exposure degree, using the ratio between varroa mite and honeybees. Incidence study was performed using contingence analysis. High incidence of Varroa destructorin Colombian beekeeping system had different infestation levels from tolerant to severe exposures. Population dynamics show a positive impact for varroa mite in moist and cold environment, and low effect on Africanized honeybees at warm environments. In 45% colonies honeybee coexist with varroa mite in a relative low proportion (1 to 4), but in 68% the ectoparasite proportion begins to be signifi cant or high exposure. Morphometric parameters on female varroa mitesshow classic ranges between 1035 and 1605μm. The phoretic phase reveal the dynamics of varroosis in beekeeping systems

Keywords : Beekeeping; Apismellifera; Epizootiology; Phoresis; V. destructor.

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