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Varroa Mite on larvae

Varroa destructor on a larva

The varroa mite, Varroa destructor is one of the most common varroa mites in the world.

Appearance[]

Varroa destructor is a minuscule mite with an oval-shaped body, with a tannish red coloration. They have eight legs and range from 1-1.8 mm long and 1.5-2 mm wide from the carapace..

Life cycle[]

V. destructor lays its eggs in bee's brood cells, where, once the eggs hatch, the young will feed off of the larvae of their hosts. There spread throughout the colony is furthermore aided by their minuscule size and rapid development.

Feeding habits[]

Like the species' young, Varroa destructor also feeds off of bee larvae and even cling onto the bees themselves to parasitize the bees of their nutrients. Common bees they parasitize are Apis cerana and Apis mellifera. This behaviour of targeting honeybees as well as considering their massive impact on the development of bees and apiculture makes them one of the, if not the worst pests in the world.

Geography[]

Varroa destructor was found in several places and was introduced to many places as of 2007. They have practically been found worldwide.

1960's[]

During the 60's, Varroa destructor was introduced to Japan and USSR.

1960's-1970's[]

This mite was taken to Eastern Europe

1971[]

In 1971, Varroa destructor was introduced to Brazil.

Late 70's[]

During the late 70's V. destructor was introduced to most of South America.

1982[]

France imported several of this species in 1982.

1984[]

In 1984, Varroa destructor was found in Italy, Spain, and Switzerland.

1987[]

In 1987, this mite was finally found in the US and Portugal.

1989[]

Varroa destructor finally hits Canada.

1992[]

UK imports several of these mites.

21st Century[]

Ever since the start of 2000, V. destructor was found in New Zealand and Hawaii.

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