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Electrotarsogram responses to synthetic odorants by Varroa destructor, a primary parasite of western honey bees (Apis mellifera)

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Abstract

Olfaction is a key sensory modality for many arthropods and could be used as a tool in pest management through manipulation of pest behavior. Management of Varroa destructor, important parasitic mites of honey bees, could be improved through better understanding of the chemical ecology of this host-parasite relationship. We refined techniques of mounting mites to obtain electrophysiological recordings (electrotarsograms) of their responses to synthetic odor stimuli. Results of 271 electrotarsogram recordings from V. destructor revealed responses to 10 odorants relative to solvent controls. Electrotarsogram responses to methyl palmitate, ethyl palmitate, and 2-heptanol were highest at the lowest stimulus loading (10 ng) we tested, suggesting that V. destructor may have acute sensitivity to low concentrations of some odors. Results suggest that odorant origin (e.g., methyl oleate from honey bee larvae, geraniol from adult honey bee alarm pheromone, and α-terpineol, a plant secondary metabolite) can influence the degree of electrophysiological response. Varroa destructor tended to be more responsive to known attractants and repellents relative to previously unexplored odorants and some repellent terpenes. Electrotarsograms offer the potential for screening odors to determine their importance in V. destructor host detection.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank A. Collins, D. Kristie, N. Faraone, P. Brandt, K. Spicer and the INSECTA lab at Acadia University for various forms of assistance. We also thank the reviewers for their valuable contributions and improvements. We thank the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Atlantic Innovation Fund (#197853), Canada Foundation for Innovation (22087), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN-2017-04319) and Project Apis m. for providing research funding and resources.

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  1. Department of Biology, Acadia University, B4P 2R6, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada

    Michael Light, Dave Shutler & N. Kirk Hillier

  2. Department of Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences, Dalhousie University, PO Box 550, B2N 5E3, Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada

    G. Christopher Cutler

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Light, M., Shutler, D., Cutler, G.C. et al. Electrotarsogram responses to synthetic odorants by Varroa destructor, a primary parasite of western honey bees (Apis mellifera). Exp Appl Acarol 81, 515–530 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-020-00525-y

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