Honey bees increase social distancing when facing the ectoparasite <i>Varroa destructor</i>
Michelina Pusceddu, Alessandro Cini, Simona Alberti, Emanuele Salaris, Panagiotis Theodorou, Ignazio Floris, Alberto Satta
Abstract
by modifying space use and social interactions to increase the social distancing between young (nurses) and old (foragers) cohorts of bees. These findings strongly suggest a behavioral strategy not previously reported in honey bees to limit the intracolony parasite transmission.
Topics & Concepts
Varroa destructorBiologyVarroaMiteZoologyParasite hostingHoney beeEcologyComputer scienceWorld Wide WebInsect and Pesticide ResearchPlant and animal studiesInsect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior