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Analysis of the F1 generation, descendants of Africanized bee colonies with differing defense abilities against the mite Varroa jacobsoni

Geraldo Moretto^I; Lionel S. Gonçalves^II; David De Jong^III

^ICentro de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Universidade Regional de Blumenau, 89010-971 Blumenau, SC, Brasil. Send correspondence to G.M.
^IIFaculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras, Universidade de São Paulo, 14049-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil
^IIIFaculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil

ABSTRACT

A test was made to determine whether the ability manifested by individual Apis mellifera worker bees to rid themselves of the mite Varroa jacobsoni is transmitted to subsequent generations. Eight Africanized bee colonies were selected, four of them were determined to have low ability and four had high ability to rid themselves of the mites. Sister x brother crosses were performed by instrumental insemination to generate the Fl generation. In the parental generation the mean percentage of artificially infested workers who rid themselves of the mite was 17.5% in the group of colonies with low ability and 57.5% in the group of colonies with high ability. In the Fl generation, 18% of the bees from low ability colonies rid themselves of the mite as opposed to 59.5% of the bees from high ability colonies. We conclude therefore that this behavior is inheritable.

Keywords: F1 generation; Africanized bee; Varroa jacobsoni.

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