| 研究実績の概要 |
Varroa mites have become the main drivers of honey bee collapse, including in Japan. They switched from their native host (easter honey bee) to the wester honey bee, and spread worldwide. This grant aimed to examine the genetic, viral and microbial changes associated with this switch. In terms of genetics, we found that dozens of individuals participated in several host switches. Our findings contradicted a long-standing assumption that varroa mites are ‘quasi-clonal’ and have limited genetic diversity. On the contrary, they appear to be genetically diverse, which explains their remarkable adaptability. This work is now in submission. We have sequenced microbiomes and viruses from both native and introduced populations and are carrying out analyses, which will be finished in the coming months.
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