Varroa destructor is an obligate ectoparasitic mite and the most important biotic threat currently facing honey bees (Apis mellifera). We used neutral microsatellites to analyze previously unreported fine scale population structure of V. destructor, a species characterized by extreme lack of genetic diversity owing to multiple bottleneck events, haplodiploidy, and primarily brother-sister matings. Our results surprisingly indicate that detectable hierarchical genetic variation exists between apiaries, between colonies within an apiary, and even within colonies. This finding of within-colony parasite diversity provides empirical evidence that the spread of V. destructor is not accomplished solely by vertical transmission but that horizontal transmission (natural or human-mediated) must occur regularly.

中文翻译：

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蜜蜂（Apis mellifera）的外寄生螨Varroa destructor的精细种群遗传结构

Varroa destructor 是一种专性外寄生螨，也是目前蜜蜂（Apis mellifera）面临的最重要的生物威胁。我们使用中性微卫星来分析先前未报告的 V. destructor 的精细种群结构，该物种的特点是由于多个瓶颈事件、单倍二倍体和主要是兄弟姐妹交配而极度缺乏遗传多样性。我们的结果令人惊讶地表明，在养蜂场之间、养蜂场内的蜂群之间，甚至蜂群内都存在可检测的等级遗传变异。菌落内寄生虫多样性的这一发现提供了经验证据，证明 V. destructor 的传播不仅仅通过垂直传播完成，而且水平传播（自然或人类介导的）必须定期发生。