A survey of varroa mites resistant to the pesticides fluvalinate, amitraz (pyrethroid) and coumaphos (organophosphate)has been conducted. Premliminary results from one location showed esterase activity in the gel profile of the susceptible and OP resistant V. destructor. It is possible that an esterase-mediated OP resistance mechanism is operative in the population of these mites. The esterase profile for both the susceptible and resistant mites was not affected by eserine sulfate or triphenyl phosphate, indicating the esterses were probably not acetylcholinesterases or carboxylesterases. We are planning to conduct a toxicological survey of resistant Varroa in several locations around the U. S. to determine specific mechanisms operative in resistant mites and are investigating the possibility of purifying the most rapidly migrating band of esterase activity in the OP resistant mites for amino acid sequence analysis.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Apidae Apis mellifera (Honey bee)
Species 2: Acari Varroidae Varroa destructor (Varroa mite)
Keywords: resistance
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