The genetic underpinnings of Varroa mite and disease resistance in honey bees

Honey bees are experiencing heavy mortality due to environmental stressors, pesticide exposure, and diseases. Since honey bees contribute significantly to the economy due to their roles as essential pollinators and producers of honey among many other products, increased mortality rates are severely affecting the global and Turkish economy. The lead cause of honey bee mortality and health decline is infestation of honey bee colonies with the ectoparasite Varroa destructor, also known as the Varroa mite. Several honey bee lines have been selectively bred for traits linked to low levels of Varroa mites for generations to generate Varroa-resistant lines around the globe. We sampled honey bee lines that have been selectively bred in the Marmara Region of Turkey for low levels of Varroa mites and control lines from the same region to examine viral infections and identify transcriptomic biomarkers for Varroa resistance using bulk RNA-seq.