ArticleJournal of chemical ecology2015
Evidence for passive chemical camouflage in the parasitic mite Varroa destructor.
Article in Journal of chemical ecology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Evolution of Cuticular Hydrocarbons in the Hymenoptera: a Meta-Analysis.Journal of chemical ecology · 2015Pooled it
- The symbiotic bacteriaMicrobiology spectrum · 2026Article
- Varroa Volatiles Offer Chemical Cues to Honey Bees for Initial Parasitic Recognition.Biomolecules · 2025Article
- Understanding the Enemy: A Review of the Genetics, Behavior and Chemical Ecology of Varroa destructor, the Parasitic Mite of Apis mellifera.Journal of insect science (Online) · 2022Review
- Multiple phenotypic traits as triggers of host attacks towards ant symbionts: body size, morphological gestalt, and chemical mimicry accuracy.Frontiers in zoology · 2021Article
- Review
- Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profile of Parasitic Beetles,Insects · 2021Article
- Adaptive population structure shifts in invasive parasitic mites,Ecology and evolution · 2021Article
- Electrotarsogram responses to synthetic odorants by Varroa destructor, a primary parasite of western honey bees (Apis mellifera).Experimental & applied acarology · 2020Article
- Varroa destructor: how does it harm Apis mellifera honey bees and what can be done about it?Emerging topics in life sciences · 2020Review
- Natural biocide disrupts nestmate recognition in honeybees.Scientific reports · 2019Article
- Arthropods Associate with their Red Wood ant Host without Matching Nestmate Recognition Cues.Journal of chemical ecology · 2017Article
- Article
- Striking cuticular hydrocarbon dimorphism in the mason wasp Odynerus spinipes and its possible evolutionary cause (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae, Vespidae).Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2015Article
- Chemical Strategies of the Beetle Metoecus Paradoxus, Social Parasite of the Wasp Vespula Vulgaris.Journal of chemical ecology · 2015Article
- Varroa destructor changes its cuticular hydrocarbons to mimic new hosts.Biology letters · 2015Article
- Evidence for passive chemical camouflage in the parasitic mite Varroa destructor.Journal of chemical ecology · 2015Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Social insect colonies provide a stable and safe environment for their members. Despite colonies being heavily guarded, parasites have evolved numerous strategies to invade and inhabit these hostile places. Two such strategies are (true) chemical mimicry via biosynthesis of host odor, and chemical camouflage, in which compounds are acquired from the host. The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor feeds on hemolymph of its honey bee host, Apis mellifera. The mite's odor closely resembles that of its host, which allows V. destructor to remain undetected as it lives on the adult host during its phoretic phase and while reproducing on the honeybee brood. During the mite life cycle, it switches between host adults and brood, which requires it to adjust its profile to mimic the very different odors of honey bee brood and adults. In a series of transfer experiments, using bee adults and pupae, we tested whether V. destructor changes its profile by synthesizing compounds or by using chemical camouflage. We show that V. destructor required direct access to host cuticle to mimic its odor, and that it was unable to synthesize host-specific compounds itself. The mite was able to mimic host odor, even when dead, indicating a passive physico-chemical mechanism of the parasite cuticle. The chemical profile of V. destructor was adjusted within 3 to 9 h after switching hosts, demonstrating that passive camouflage is a highly efficient, fast and flexible way for the mite to adapt to a new host profile when moving between different host life stages or colonies.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.