RNAseq to assess insect viromes in Hawaii

The global spread of a parasitic mite (Varroa destructor) has resulted in Deformed wing virus, a previously rare pathogen, now dominating the viromes in honey bees and contributing to large-scale honey bee colony losses. DWV can be found in diverse insect taxa and has been implicated in spilling over from honey bees into associated insects. Here we generated next generation sequence data from 127 insect samples belonging to diverse taxa collected from Hawaiian islands with and without Varroa with the aim of to identifying whether the mite has indirectly affected the viral landscapes of key insect taxa across bees, wasps, flies and ants. This will provide an indication of the level to which other insects may be threatened by Varroa presence in honey bee populations and has implications for conservation and biodiversity.