This world map shows the ongoing global sampling of honey bee ectoparasites Varroa mites. The collection aims to cover as many regions and host populations as possible in order to study the biogeography and demographic history of V. destructor and compare it to other mites species, using whole genome sequencing.
We are extremely grateful to all contributors to this project (name listed on sampling point). This ambitious work would not be possible without your precious help.
potential contact for samples sampling in progress samples received at the lab
Sampling collection on honey bees (mainly A. mellifera but also A. cerana) with the following idea:
Per colony: 2 to 30 mites (or more) are collected alive from adults or brood then freshly killed in one tube containing <90% ethanol.
Per site/apiary: flexible but ideally 5 to 15 colonies. One tube per colony.
Per country/region: also flexible, 3 to 5 distant sites or different beekeepers.
If you want to participe and later send us samples, please contact Sasha Mikheyev or Maeva Techer from Ecology and Evolution lab, OIST
Important: Japan importation rules are strict and only dead and preserved mites are seek for this project as importation of honey bees is completely forbidden (whole or parts). Please consult us and follow guidelines prior to any shipping.
Map raster shows the spread of V. destructor modified from Wilfert et al. 2016: recent (yellow) to old (red). Sampling points may be approximate in order to protect anonymous beekeepers participation.