Sociobiology and Behavioral Ecology Research Laboratory Department of Biosciences, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, 171005
*Email: ishusharma29@rediffmail.com
Online published on 5 February, 2019.
The present study was undertaken to study the morphology and seasonal variation of ectoparasitic mite, Varroa jacobsoni infesting European honey bee, Apis mellifera during May 2015 to April 2016. The study revealed that mite was oval, dome shaped, covered with setae, reddish brown coloured and visible with unaided eye. The gnathosoma consists of a pair of pedipalpi and modified pair of pointed bidentate chelicerae used to pierce the intersegmental membrane of bee host to feed on haemolymph. The V. jacobsoni population was at peak in May (114.5±0.40) and lowest in January (46.72±1.35) than other months.
Seasonal variation, brood, Varroa jacobsoni, Apis mellifera, morphology, gnathosoma, feeding
